Texas Community Health Worker Certification: How To Get A $750 Training For Free

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Are you interested in a Texas Community Health Worker Certification?

If so, you may be surprised to learn that you can get this community training for free. There are places that charge $750 to $1,500 for this 160-hour course, but you don’t have to spend that much time or money to receive this certification.

Obtaining a free CHW certification in Texas is easy to do and will require no more than 30 minutes of your time to complete the Community Health Worker application.

Keep reading to learn more about how you can save money and improve your resume!

What Is A Community Health Worker Certification?

This is a training program that equips you with the knowledge to connect individuals in your community to social services and healthcare programs that they need.

Texas CHWs are good at identifying individuals who can benefit from these programs and then getting them signed up for services.

This process will result in healthy Texas communities that have reduced rates of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol levels. Texas CHW certification is available to any Texas resident who is 16 years and older.

Who Manages The Texas CHW Program?

This program is managed by the Texas Health and Human Services Department. They will provide you with your certification once you complete the necessary classroom training or submit an online application.

What Are The Requirments For The Texas Community Health Worker Certification?

To receive a CHW certification in Texas you must:

• Be a Texas resident
• You are 16 years or older
• Complete a 160-hour classroom training course
• Complete an online CHW application and submit it to Texas Health and Human Services. To receive your certification this way, you must qualify based on experience. You will need 1,000 hours of work in a healthcare or a social service setting in the past 3 years to qualify.

Editor’s note: 1,000 hours of work equates to a little over 6 months of 40 hour work weeks. If you have been working this long, then you will likely qualify for a Texas CHW certification.

How To Apply For A Free Community Health Worker Certification In Texas

To apply for the free Texas CHW certification you must complete the following:

1. Have 1,000 hours of experience in health care or social services in the past 3 years. The Texas Health and Human Services Department calls this qualifying based on “experience”.
2. Complete an online Texas Community Health Worker application
3. Upload your photo
4. Have your supervisor sign the CHW application
5. Submit all the documents above

Here is more about each step listed above.

1.) 1,000 Hours of Experience = A Free Community Health Worker Certification In Texas

In order to qualify for the free CHW certificate, you must have at least 1,000 hours of experience in a health care setting.

If you are working 40 hours a week, this means you would need a little over 6 months of work experience to qualify for a free Texas Community Health Worker certification.

2.) Download An Online Texas Community Health Worker Application

You can download an English or Spanish CHW application by visiting the Texas Health and Human Services website. Look for the header titled “Initial CHW Application” and you will see the links for both applications.

When completing the application you will need to include information about:

• Demographic information
• Your education
• Work history
• How you plan to obtain your CHW certification (classroom or the free online application)
• You supervisor’s signature

3.) Upload Your Photo

You will need to upload a photo of yourself and email that to Texas Health and Human Services. This photo should resemble that of a passport with you looking straight into the camera.

You will find the DSHS email to submit your photo on the CHW application.

4.) Get Your Supervisor’s Signature

Your supervisor will have to sign the last page of the application. This is necessary to verify your experience in a healthcare or social services setting.

5.) Submit Your CHW Application And Supporting Documents

Finally, you will need to submit all the documents listed above. This should include:

1. Your completed Texas Community Health Worker application.
2. A color photo that shows your face.
3. The signed document from your supervisor that verifies your experience.

How Long Does It Take To Receive Your CHW Certification?

Once you have submitted all of the necessary documents, it should take no longer than 30 days.

I completed a CHW training in 2016 and this was the timeframe it took for me to receive my certification.

Texas CHW Expiration Date

You can find out when your Community Health Worker license will expire or find your number by visiting the DSHS Online Licensing Services page.

Once you are on this page simply click the link under “Check License Status or Search for a License” to research expiration dates for your CHW.

What Are Jobs That Texas CHWs Qualify For?

Texas CHWs are certified to work in various jobs across Texas. Some Texas jobs Texas CHWs can work include:

• Community Health Workers
• Case Management
• Medical Assistants
• Nonprofit jobs
• Hospital jobs
• Positions with federally qualified health centers or community clinics

3 Places To Find Community Health Worker Jobs

The 3 best places to find community health worker jobs in Texas are:

1. Indeed 
2. Houston Health Care Jobs Board
3. The United Way Houston Job Bank

You will find plenty of Community Health Worker positions by searching these job sites. If you stay outside of the Houston, area the best place to look is Indeed or see if your city has a United Way Job bank. 

Conclusion

Texas Community Health Workers are certified to work in various Texas jobs. CHWs can find positions at hospitals, nonprofits, or federally qualified healthcare clinics.

This is a great way to pad your resume whether you already have a healthcare job or you want to start a career. I’ve seen companies paying as much as $16 per hour for a CHW position with no bachelor’s degree. So this is a really good option.

If you want to apply for a free Texas Community Health Worker certification you can start by checking out the Texas Health and Human Services website to learn more about this free training program.

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