Responsibilities and Competencies for Health Education Specialists
To pursue a profession in the field of health education and promotion, there are certain skills and competencies that constitute the term: health education specialist. These core Responsibilities, Competencies, and Sub-competencies provide a comprehensive description of the profession, illustrating the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the daily tasks as a health education specialist. This detailed list is derived from what is known as a 'practice analysis study.' To put it simply, a nation-wide survey of practitioners from all career sectors of health education and promotion has been carefully executed by a special task force of subject matter experts devoted to creating a 'framework' for those in the field as well as students completing academic degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. This framework, or blueprint, goes a step further to delineate what is defined as an entry-level competency, and what constitutes an advanced-level skill utilized by experienced practitioners.
In the following documents, you can access the Eight Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists as determined by the latest US-based practice analysis study, which serves as the framework for the profession and the foundation of the CHES® and MCHES® certifiation examinations. Including Responsibilities such as Assessment, Planning, Evaluation, Administration, Communication, Advocacy, and more, the Areas of Responsibility define the required skills and expertise needed for a position in the field of health education and promotion.
HESPA II 2020 (Exams to change effective 2022 | MCHES®: April 2022 and CHES®: October 2022)
Eight Areas of Responsibility
The Eight Areas of Responsibility contain a comprehensive set of Competencies and Sub-competencies defining the role of the health education specialist. These Responsibilities were verified by the 2020 Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis II (HESPA II 2020) project and serve as the basis of the CHES® and MCHES® exam beginning 2022.
Area I: Assessment of Needs and Capacity
Area II: Planning
Area III: Implementation
Area IV: Evaluation and Research
Area V: Advocacy
Area VI: Communication
Area VII: Leadership and Management
Area VIII: Ethics and Professionalism
Areas of Responsibility, Competencies and Sub-competencies for Health Education Specialists 2020
Learn more about the 2020 CHES® responsibilities and what's new in the HESPA II 2020 Eight Areas of Responsibility: