El Buen Logo (35 years)

CHW Training

Community Health Worker Training

Community Health Workers

A Community Health Worker (CHW) or “promotora” is a trusted member of the community who has a uniquely close understanding of the community served. This relationship enables community health workers to serve as a bridge between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. Community Health Workers are an essential workforce contributing to the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

El Buen Samaritano has played a key role in the strengthening and sustainability of the Community Health Worker workforce in Austin, Travis County since 2012.

CHW Training

Community Health Worker Certification

Certified in 2012 by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), El Buen Samaritano’s bilingual Community Health Worker Training Center provides comprehensive bilingual certification to become Community Health Workers (CHW’s).  El Buen has certified over fifty-five CHW’s through our training program and over 125 CHW’s have received (CEU’s) through our Spring and Fall Training Series. El Buen’s training center graduates are culturally competent as well as trained in the CHW Core Competencies for application of these skills to diverse employment opportunities throughout the State of Texas.

When

The next Community Health worker Certification course will be held this Spring 2024 beginning March 1 and ending April 26, 2024.

Where

Classes will be held at El Buen Samaritano, 7000 Woodhue Drive, Austin, TX 78745

Time

Classes will be in person each Friday from 8am – 5pm.

Cost

The reduced cost for the course is $450.00.

To be added to the waitlist, please click the link below. 

Registration for the CHW Certification Course is now closed but you can still join our waitlist by completing the above form.

Spring 2024 CHW CEU Training Opportunities

This Spring, el Buen will host our sixth CHW training series for Community Health Workers and wll who are interested. The series will be presented virtually and will offer Continuing Education credits as noted for CHW’s, CHWI’s, and Social Workers.

Trauma Informed Care CHW

Trauma-Informed Care

The goal of this course is to provide Community Health Workers with an overview of trauma, how it affects the brain, how it impacts health behaviors and outcomes, the six principles of a trauma-informed approach,  and an opportunity to apply at least one trauma-informed strategy in their work with clients. This course consists of 2 hours of pre/post work and a 2-hour live Zoom session. After successfully completing the course, learners may receive 4 hours of DSHS certified CHW CEUs.

When

February 28, 2024

10am – 11:30am

Unconscious Bias

Unconscious Bias

The goal of this course is to provide Community Health Workers with an overview of unconscious bias, culture, and identity; and to learn strategies to disrupt bias interpersonally and institutionally; participants will have the opportunity to apply those strategies to their work with clients. This course consists of 2 hours of pre/post work and a 2-hour live Zoom session. After successfully completing the course, learners may receive 4 hours of DSHS certified CHW CEUs.

When

April 10, 2024

10am – 11:30am

Adult Eductaion Program

Accessing Healthcare at Planned Parenthood – Answering Sexual Health Questions

This course centers on accessing services at Planned Parenthood with concerns about current laws, funding and parental permission for youth. The discussion will offer a detailed overview of skills needed to answer sexual health questions using age-appropriate language and trauma informed messaging.

When

May 8, 2024

10am – 12:00 noon

CHW training

Trauma Informed Care 201: Vicarious Trauma and Traumatization

Trauma Informed Care 201 will focus on the effect that working with survivors of trauma and violence can have on service providers. The course will define and describe vicarious trauma and stress strategies for promoting longevity in service provision fields.

When

May 22, 2024

9am – 11am

CHW training

Advanced Motivational Interviewing

The goal of this course is to provide Community Health Workers with a space to practice and improve advanced motivational skills (MI) through roleplay. A prerequisite e-learning module, “How do I Help my Clients Make Changes to Improve Their Health? An Introduction to Motivational Interviewing for CHWs” is required to join the live Zoom training, however, this course is not meant as an introduction to MI. This training will offer CHWs familiar with MI an opportunity to practice 1) coding sessions for effective use of OARS, 2) ‘defusing discord’, 3) using OARS in a role play, and 4) crafting complex reflections. This course consists of 2 hours of pre/post work and a 2-hour live Zoom session. After successfully completing the course, learners may receive 4 hours of DSHS certified CHW CEUs.

When

May 29, 2024

10am – 11:30am

Substance Use and Mental Health CHW

Compassion Fatigue, Burn Out and Self Care

This training will focus it’s discussion on says to support ourselves as we support our clients and communities in the work that we do.

When

June 5, 2024

9am – 11:00am

Substance Use and Mental Health CHW

Substance Use & Mental Health

The goal of this course is to provide Community Health Workers with increased awareness about issues related to mental health and substance use, including signs and symptoms, and give CHWs tools to help their clients. This course consists of 2.5 hours of pre/post work, including a required prerequisite e-learning module, “Raising Awareness and Offering Help for Mental Health and Substance Use”; and a 1.5-hour live Zoom session. The course is being submitted for CHW and CHW-I CE. We anticipate that after successfully completing the course, learners may receive 4 hours of DSHS certified CHW CEUs.

When

June 26, 2024

10am – 11:30am

Additional Resources

  • Collaboration on research related to CHW
  • Specialized training packages for organizations working with CHWs
  • Consulting on CHW program planning and implementation.