OBJECTIVES: There is evidence that there is resistance from healthcare professionals to integrate community health workers into clinical care protocols. The reasons for this resistance vary. Some physicians/nurses do not believe that persons without professional training in healthcare can be trusted with responsibilities of taking care of patients. They view CHWs as not well trained to be trusted with patients care. The purpose of the study was to use counter referral slips to link clinicians to CHWs.   METHODS: Quasi -experimental study was carried out in two sub- locations in rural Kenya where one hundred CHWs were trained on community-based-referral and counter-referral model and issued with referral tools. Each was assigned 25 households, instructed to regularly visit them in order to identify sick persons counsel and refer them to link hospitals. One hundred villages comprising 2209 households with a population of 11,000 people were covered where the referral model was implemented. Tally sheets were used to categorize clinicians counter referral comments.RESULTS: The study engaged 4 clinicians who made 132 counter-referral comments on referral slips delivered to them from CHWs. The comments were categorized into seven themes as indicated below. The theme “service provided and patient counter-referred to CHW” accounted for 40% (53/132); “continue with treatment” 16% (21/132);“medicine/treatment given” 15%(20/132); “patient advised to attend ANC, PNC and MCH/FP clinic” 12% (16/132); “patient recommended for further referral”  7%(9/132); “patient seen” 7% (9/132) and the theme  “ patient advised to come again” accounted for 3% (4/132.)CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should take an active role in supporting and mentoring community health workers and ensuring that all members of households have access to healthcare. They need to recognize, appreciate and support their efforts. The referral and counter-referral comments made by both clinicians and CHWs acted as a perfect link between the two levels of healthcare.