Rooted in Wisdom’s Community Health, Community Care, and Leadership Development Pathway
Building a Culturally Rooted Community Health Workforce. Restoring the Sacred Practice of Community Care.
Overview & The Heart of Sacred Care
The Remembering is Rooted in Wisdom’s education, training, mentorship, and leadership development pathway within the Sacred Care ecosystem. The programme prepares participants to become Rooted in Wisdom Certified Community Care Supporters, community-based health educators, advocates, navigators, and care supporters who help strengthen the connection between individuals, families, communities, and the systems that serve them.
This programme exists because care has always been more than a clinical encounter. Before care became fragmented across institutions and professions, communities held knowledge about wellbeing, life transitions, family support, healing, prevention, and collective responsibility. Women, elders, caregivers, neighbours, birthkeepers, educators, and community leaders carried knowledge across generations
The Remembering honours that history while equipping a new generation with contemporary public health foundations, health navigation skills, safety practices, and culturally grounded approaches to care.
Each cohort prepares 12 participants to become Rooted in Wisdom Certified Community Care Supporters, trusted health educators, advocates, and navigators who strengthen the vital layer of care between everyday life and formal systems.
Each cohort prepares 12 participants to become Rooted in Wisdom Certified Community Care Supporters, trusted health educators, advocates, and navigators who strengthen the vital layer of care between everyday life and formal systems.
Understanding the Role & Scope of Practice Community Care
Supporters are not nurses, physicians, midwives, therapists, or licensed clinical providers. They do not diagnose illness, prescribe treatment, or perform medical procedures. Their role is relational, educational, preventive, and deeply valuable.
Supporters are not nurses, physicians, midwives, therapists, or licensed clinical providers. They do not diagnose illness, prescribe treatment, or perform medical procedures. Their role is relational, educational, preventive, and deeply valuable.
Supporters are trained to listen, educate, connect, navigate, advocate, and encourage. They help individuals and families understand health information, access community resources, navigate healthcare systems, strengthen health literacy, and recognise when professional support is needed. Supporters serve in family support programs, educational environments, outreach initiatives, wellness spaces, and community organisations.
Program Purpose & Learning Objectives
The Remembering is designed to prepare emerging community leaders to:
1. Restore Community-Centred Health: Reclaim culturally rooted, intergenerational care practices while applying contemporary health and safety standards.
2. Expand Health Literacy: Build clear pathways through complex health systems, insurance basics, reliable health information, and patient advocacy.
3. Provide Lifespan Care Education: Deliver non-clinical education and navigation across reproductive health, maternal care, family wellness, chronic disease prevention, and healthy ageing.
4. Bridge Systems & Resources: Strengthen communication with healthcare providers, assist with resource identification, and master referral and follow-up processes.
5. Develop Community Leaders: Equip emerging educators with group facilitation, public speaking, outreach, programme development, and community organising skills.
6. Build Sustainable Care Capacity: Establish a connected, active network of trained supporters across Georgia and beyond.
Led by Melissa Philippe, Afro-Indigenous Haitian traditional midwife, herbalist, educator, and founder of Rooted in Wisdom, this programme weaves ancestral knowledge, practical skill building, herbalism, ceremony, advocacy, leadership development, and community care into a transformative journey of learning and service.
Led by Melissa Philippe, Afro-Indigenous Haitian traditional midwife, herbalist, educator, and founder of Rooted in Wisdom, this programme weaves ancestral knowledge, practical skill building, herbalism, ceremony, advocacy, leadership development, and community care into a transformative journey of learning and service.
The Core Curriculum
1. Community Health Foundations: Public health principles, disease prevention, health equity, social determinants of health, community assessment, and ethical scope of practice.
2. Health Literacy & Healthcare Navigation: System navigation, provider communication, insurance basics, identifying reliable health information, resource identification, and patient advocacy.
3. Women’s & Reproductive Health: Menstrual wellness, sexual health, STI/HIV education, fertility awareness, maternal and postpartum care, and healthy aging across the lifespan.
4. Life Cycle & Family Care: Child and adolescent health, parent education, elder support, and companioning through grief, death, and major life transitions.
5. Whole Person Health: Mental health awareness, nutrition, physical movement, chronic disease prevention, substance misuse education, and environmental health.
6. Culturally Rooted Care: Afro-Indigenous care traditions, responsible herbal education, ceremony, land relationship, and intergenerational wisdom transmission.
7. Leadership & Community Practice: Group facilitation, public speaking, community outreach, resource development, partnership building, and community organising.
Part One: The Rooting (6 weeks)
Establishing the Foundation
This foundational phase introduces participants to the philosophy, history, ethics, and core competencies of sacred community care.
This foundational phase introduces participants to the philosophy, history, ethics, and core competencies of sacred community care.
Participants explore community health, health literacy, cultural knowledge, and life-course wellbeing.
Part One answers the core question: What does it mean to become a trusted person within a community who can support health and wellbeing responsibly?
Part One answers the core question: What does it mean to become a trusted person within a community who can support health and wellbeing responsibly?
Topics include:
- Afro-Indigenous traditions of care, community support, and traditional knowledge systems
- Community health principles, public health foundations, and social determinants of health
- Health equity, addressing barriers to care, and community assessment
- Health literacy, navigating healthcare systems, and health insurance basics
- Identifying reliable health information vs. health misinformation
- Life cycle health education: menstruation, sexual health, STI/HIV awareness, and fertility awareness
- Pregnancy, maternal health, birth, and postpartum support fundamentals
- Ethics, confidentiality, professional boundaries, and scope of practice
- Patient and family advocacy, communication with healthcare professionals, and emotional presence
- Community health principles, public health foundations, and social determinants of health
- Health equity, addressing barriers to care, and community assessment
- Health literacy, navigating healthcare systems, and health insurance basics
- Identifying reliable health information vs. health misinformation
- Life cycle health education: menstruation, sexual health, STI/HIV awareness, and fertility awareness
- Pregnancy, maternal health, birth, and postpartum support fundamentals
- Ethics, confidentiality, professional boundaries, and scope of practice
- Patient and family advocacy, communication with healthcare professionals, and emotional presence
This is where the roots are planted.
Part Two: The Blooming (10 weeks)
The Blooming Knowledge into Service. Participants move from theory into application through practical learning, community education scenarios, resource navigation, outreach, CPR and AED certification, and culturally grounded practice.
Topics include:
Part Two answers the core question: How do I take what I have learned and use it responsibly in service to my community?
Topics include:
- Advanced health navigation, resource identification, referral, and follow-up strategies
- Infant feeding, child and family wellbeing, adolescent health, and parent education
- Healthy ageing, elder support, and companioning through major life transitions, grief, and loss
- Whole person health: nutrition, mental health awareness, chronic disease education, and substance misuse awareness
- Herbal foundations, responsible herbal education, and land-based connection
- Ceremony, cultural education, and culturally rooted wellness practices
- CPR and AED certification for infants and adults
- Community education, group facilitation, public speaking, and outreach skills
- Leadership development, partnership building, programme development, and community organising
- Integration of ancestral wisdom with contemporary safety standards and practice
- Infant feeding, child and family wellbeing, adolescent health, and parent education
- Healthy ageing, elder support, and companioning through major life transitions, grief, and loss
- Whole person health: nutrition, mental health awareness, chronic disease education, and substance misuse awareness
- Herbal foundations, responsible herbal education, and land-based connection
- Ceremony, cultural education, and culturally rooted wellness practices
- CPR and AED certification for infants and adults
- Community education, group facilitation, public speaking, and outreach skills
- Leadership development, partnership building, programme development, and community organising
- Integration of ancestral wisdom with contemporary safety standards and practice
This is where knowledge becomes service.
Certification & The Community Care Network Graduates who successfully complete all program requirements receive the Rooted in Wisdom Certified Community Care Supporter organisational credential.
Certification & The Community Care Network Graduates who successfully complete all program requirements receive the Rooted in Wisdom Certified Community Care Supporter organisational credential.
Safety & Professional Development
The Remembering prioritises safety, ethical practice, appropriate boundaries, and responsible referral. Participants learn to clearly distinguish between community support and clinical care, ensuring they recognise exactly when a situation requires a licensed medical or mental health professional.
The Remembering prioritises safety, ethical practice, appropriate boundaries, and responsible referral. Participants learn to clearly distinguish between community support and clinical care, ensuring they recognise exactly when a situation requires a licensed medical or mental health professional.
Training includes formal CPR and AED certification, documentation standards, ethics, confidentiality, and professional development designed to prepare supporters for real-world engagement.
The Sacred Care Pathway begins July 4, 2027 and concludes October 30, 2027 with an in-person completion ceremony.
Part One: The Rooting
Six weeks of virtual learning are held every Saturday from 11:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST.
Part Two: The Blooming
Ten weeks of in-person learning and community immersion hosted in the Metro Atlanta area.
Exact venue information is provided to accepted participants.
Full attendance is required for certification.
This programme does not offer a fully virtual certification pathway.
What You Receive
• Guided virtual and in-person learning experiences
• Sacred Care Pathway workbook and training materials
• Herbal learning bundle
• CPR and AED certification for infants and adults
• Certificate of Completion
• Access to the Rooted in Wisdom Professional Network
• Ongoing mentorship and community support
• Exclusive cohort merchandise
• Sacred Care Pathway workbook and training materials
• Herbal learning bundle
• CPR and AED certification for infants and adults
• Certificate of Completion
• Access to the Rooted in Wisdom Professional Network
• Ongoing mentorship and community support
• Exclusive cohort merchandise
Certification & The Community Care Network Graduates who successfully complete all programme requirements receive the Rooted in Wisdom Certified Community Care Supporter (Community Health Worker) organisational credential.
Graduation is an initiation, not an exit. Graduates join the Rooted in Wisdom Community Care Network, a living ecosystem of trained supporters, educators, advocates, and leaders. Network members continue learning and serving through:
1. Community health campaigns, outreach, and resource distributions
2. Facilitating workshops and wellness gatherings
3. Mentorship, continuing education, and leadership roles within future cohorts
4. Collaborating with partner organisations, healthcare initiatives, and regional networks
2. Facilitating workshops and wellness gatherings
3. Mentorship, continuing education, and leadership roles within future cohorts
4. Collaborating with partner organisations, healthcare initiatives, and regional networks
Who Should Join
This pathway is designed for individuals called to serve their communities with integrity and care, including:
This pathway is designed for individuals called to serve their communities with integrity and care, including:
1. Aspiring Community Care Supporters and community educators
2. Caregivers, family supporters, parents, and youth mentors
3. Women’s health advocates, birthkeepers, doulas, and maternal support workers
2. Caregivers, family supporters, parents, and youth mentors
3. Women’s health advocates, birthkeepers, doulas, and maternal support workers
4. Wellness practitioners and doulas seeking broader public health education
5. Community organisers and emerging public health leaders
6. Anyone seeking to build practical skills in health navigation and advocacy
No previous healthcare credentials or certifications are required.
Geographic Reach, Impact & Vision Currently serving participants throughout Metro Atlanta and Georgia, The Remembering envisions expanding through virtual education, institutional collaborations, sponsored cohorts, and regional networks.
Our vision is to restore the understanding that health is shaped within communities as much as it is addressed within institutions equipping a generation of supporters who stand beside families through every phase of life, honouring cultural wisdom while advancing public health.
Investment
$2,700
Payment plans available.
Only 12 seats are available per cohort.
A non-refundable $500 deposit is required within 48 hours of acceptance to secure your place.
Remaining tuition must be paid in full before the programme begins.
No previous certification is required.
This programme requires commitment, reflection, active participation, and a willingness to serve your community with integrity and care.