What is a 'referral' in CHW practice?

• A. An emergency evacuation plan for the client.
• B. A schedule for future hospital rounds.
• C. A referral to a service or resource, including follow-up.
• D. A formal or informal connection to a service or resource that meets the client’s needs (medical, social, or community), with follow-up.

Answer: (D)

In CHW practice, a referral means connecting a client to a service or resource that can meet their needs, and following up to make sure they get the help and that any barriers are addressed. This definition highlights two key ideas: first, linking the client to appropriate supports—whether medical, social, or community-based—and second, checking back to ensure access, usefulness, and continued needs are met.

That’s why this option is the best. It explicitly includes meeting a range of needs (medical, social, or community) and acknowledges that connections can be formal or informal, with follow-up to verify that the referral worked and to support the client if new barriers arise. In practice, referrals can involve helping arrange appointments, providing or translating information, coordinating transportation, and staying in touch to reassess and support the client after the referral.

Other actions aren’t about linking clients to needed resources with follow-up. An emergency evacuation plan focuses on safety in crises, not on connecting to services. A schedule for future hospital rounds is about care logistics rather than linking to resources. A referral that doesn’t specify the breadth of needs or the mode of connection would miss the essential scope and follow-up that make referrals effective in CHW work.