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What Does a Certified Health Education Specialist Do?
What Does a Certified Health Education Specialist Do?
In a career as a certified health education specialist, you help others achieve their maximum health and wellness through educational programs and guidance. Read the following article to learn about the responsibilities, educational requirements, and employment statistics for certified health education specialists.
Health Education Specialist Responsibilities and Duties
As a certified health education specialist (CHES), you'll work with individuals and communities to improve or maintain their health by engaging in behaviors that promote positive health. You'll also be responsible for setting up and managing various programs aimed at providing information on exercise, nutrition, and disease prevention to those who need it. It'll be your job to make sure that people receive the health resources that best benefit them and pertain to their personal situations and cultural norms. Additionally, the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) cites seven key areas of responsibility for health educators (www.nchec.org). These include the following:
- Assessing individual and community needs for health education
- Planning health education strategies, interventions, and programs
- Implementing health education strategies, interventions, and programs
- Conducting health education evaluations and research
- Health education administration and management
- Providing health education resources
- Health education communication and advocacy
<h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutCertifiedHealthEducationSpecialists">Important Facts About Certified Health Education Specialists</h3><p></p><table border="1"><tr><td> On-the-Job Training </td><td> Short-term training provided by the employer</td></tr>
<tr><td> Key Skills </td><td> Analytical thinking, problem solving, clear communication, social savvy</td></tr>
<tr><td> Work Environment </td><td> Ambulatory health services; religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations; social assistance programs</td></tr>
<tr><td> Similar Occupations </td><td> Dietitians and nutritionists, epidemiologists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, school and career counselors, social and human service assistants</td></tr>
</table><h3 id="section---EducationAndCertificationRequirements">Education and Certification Requirements</h3><p>To <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Health_Education_5_Steps_to_Becoming_a_Health_Education_Specialist.html">become a certified health education specialist</a>, you must first receive a <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Certified_Health_Education_Specialist_Degree_and_Training_Program_FAQs.html">degree in health education</a>, followed by health educator certification through NCHEC. The degree must be in health education or a similarly related discipline that accurately and thoroughly covers the seven key areas of responsibility for health educators. The NCHEC requires at least a bachelor's degree for certification, but a master's degree is preferred by many employers and can lead to more advancement opportunities. Receiving NCHEC certification involves taking and passing the multiple-choice CHES exam that tests your competency in the key seven areas of responsibility.
</p><h3 id="section---EmploymentAndSalaryInfo">Employment and Salary Info</h3><p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, <i>www.bls.gov</i>), there were 61,000 health educators employed in America as of May 2018, earning average yearly salaries of $59,660. The bottom ten percent made $32,030 or less per year on average, while the top ten percent made $98,530 or more in 2018. The BLS also reported that general medical and surgical hospitals are the industry employing the most health educators; local government agencies employed the second highest number of educators in 2018. The BLS also predicts occupational growth of 14% for health educators between the years 2016 and 2026.</p>
