CHW Instructor & Certification Specialist
Contact: vvieira@communitywi.com
Vanessa is an instructor of CWI’s 80-hour Core Competency and the CHW Certification training. She brings her diverse professional experiences in research, healthcare, and social justice with linguistic fluency and cultural sensitivity. She first started her professional career in research but soon realized that her heart belonged to working directly with people and impacting their lives.
She grew up in Cape Verde and migrated to the USA when she was almost 15. Her struggles navigating the US healthcare system, her community with limited English proficiency, and her experience as a black female immigrant were the brushstrokes that painted her unique perspective. This perspective has helped her cultivate a deep understanding of the struggles many community members face and provide a more empathetic multilinguistic approach to the people she serves.
Beyond her role as an instructor, Vanessa brings over five years of experience as a community health worker and recently transitioned to a Clinical Care Manager position for a MassHealth Community Partners Program at Community Counseling of Bristol County. In this new role, she supervises community health workers and CHW supervisor. She also supports linguistically and culturally diverse patients with complex medical, behavioral, and substance use needs, ensuring their voices are heard, and their journeys toward health are holistic and individualized. When not in a clinical setting, she co-chairs the Community Counseling of Bristol County’s Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Committee, where she actively contributes to creating a more inclusive and welcoming space for all.
Vanessa earned a Master of Science in Global Health Policy and Management from Brandeis University and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with Commonwealth Honors from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (May 2013). She holds a certified credential as a Community Health Worker issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In addition, she is a qualified medical and community interpreter of Cape Verdean Creole and Portuguese.
In her free time, Vanessa loves spending time with her family (especially her nephews and niece) and her family dog, Lucky. She also loves dancing, listening to music, and volunteering for Project Health CV Inc.