Knowing what you need to do to improve your health is one thing. Hearing more about tools you can use to do that from trusted sources is another.

A Montgomery County, Maryland, program is harnessing the power of that trust to improve public health among Latino residents.

The Latino Health Initiative recently wrapped up a community health worker program, in which participants completed a six-month program that included 100 hours of instruction and 40 hours of putting their new skills into practice.

The community health workers, or “promotadores,” speak Spanish and are part of the county’s strategy to make health information — and health care — accessible to all.

“One of the biggest challenges is actually knowing about all the different services and programs that are out there,” Gianina Hasbun, a program specialist with the Latino Health Initiative in the Department of Health and Human Services, told WTOP.

The most recent program was made up of mostly women, although some men have signed up, said Hasbun. Registration for the next class in August already has a waitlist.

Along with helping Latino residents navigate the health care system, the promotadores focus on a range of issues. Among them the importance of healthy eating, physical activity and mental health.

Hasbun said mental health care remains a challenge, both in gaining access to care and in overcoming stigma.

Hasbun said the pandemic demonstrated how effective community outreach in a culturally sensitive way could be. The LHI worked with an outside firm to create a character, “Abuelina,” a grandmotherly figure, to deliver messages on the importance of vaccination for COVID-19.

“Abuelina” appeared in public health messages starting in 2020, and by August 2021, 95% of the county’s Latino population had gotten at least one vaccination.

The community health worker program is conducted in Spanish and is an accredited program by the Maryland Department of Health. Each participant is evaluated in order to get the certification.