This paper is concerned with a description of the basic philosophy, training, and task of the parent educator as part of the health team in multi-discipline, comprehensive approach to the total health needs of the central city population of Portland, Oregon. Objectives of the program are: (1) to ease the health manpower shortage by on-the-job education of health assistants, (2) to demonstrate the feasibility of using the indigent peer group as a significant part of the health team, (3) to show how this type of worker can help coordinate health services rendered to each family, (4) to provide meaningful work to unskilled and unemployed through on-the-job training, (5) to demonstrate use of a peer-related health assistant as a meaningful liaison between health centers and the community, (6) to encourage use of similar programs training other types of health assistants in other areas of patient care, and (7) to develop a corps of professionals who can be used as consultants in staff development for other health facilities wishing to use health assistants. Discussed in the paper are specifics related to job training, curriculum, training duties of professional personnel, selection criteria for job trainees, financial support for trainees, and future directions of the program. (Author/CJ)