Violence Interrupter and Credible Messenger CHW
Violence interrupters, outreach workers and credible messengers, 18 or older, who pass the readiness gates.
Every pathway shares the same core. Graduates who meet Ohio's requirements apply for the Ohio CHW certificate. How the certificate works.
The state core, the specialty, and the field
| Part | Hours | Credential |
|---|---|---|
| State core (CHW 101 to 104, labs, CHW 190 practicum) | 110 + 12 lab + 130 clinical | Ohio CHW certificate |
| Violence interruption specialty (VI 201 to 206) | 96 | CHANGE Violence Interruption and Credible Messenger credential |
| Supervised field hours (the first 130 are the core practicum) | 480 total | Same specialty credential |
Field hours, in four phases
| Phase | Hours | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow | 80 | First 80 of the 130-hour state practicum |
| Assisted (mentor within intervention distance) | 80 | Last 50 of the state practicum, then specialty |
| Supported (mentor in the same corridor) | 160 | Specialty |
| Independent with check-ins | 160 | Specialty |
During the first 130 hours, each student also carries a small CHW caseload (intake, screening, referral, health education) across the lifespan, so the state practicum is not street outreach alone.
Design commitments
- Staff training stays separate from participant programming such as RDGIP's ten-week program.
- Field hours are tracked apart from classroom hours. No credential is awarded on seat time.
- Law enforcement independence: violence interrupters are not informants.
- RDGIP's name appears on materials or credentials only by written agreement made in advance.
- Specialty renewal: 12 continuing education hours every two years and an annual mentor attestation.
Readiness gates before enrollment
Four private checks, kept in a secured file: certificate eligibility (a private conversation about any conviction on the Board's list), trauma and wellness readiness (a structured interview with a behavioral health professional), affiliations and a named exclusion zone for field assignments, and a matched field mentor who has done the work.
Whose work this is
The Ten Commandments of Violence Interruption belong to LaRon Douglas Sr. and RDGIP and are taught by RDGIP under a written license in a restricted area of the learning portal. The Composite Risk System and conflict mapping belong to Dr. Gina Weisblat; learners learn to read and use risk tiers and conflict maps, never the formulas. The digital violence interrupter approach was created by LaRon Douglas and is credited to him.
What you study, start to finish
Lesson pages open in the learning portal.