Community Health Worker
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About the Program
This program prepares students to work as Texas State certified Community Health Workers (CHWs) for local/state public health agencies, non-profit and commercial individual and family services and outpatient/inpatient health care organizations. Emphasis is on health education, health promotion, community health research, advocacy, nutrition and developing relationships with vulnerable individuals, families, and communities. Course work in this program is intended to develop and enhance the skills of community health workers, provide state certification as a CHW, and provide a pathway to the Associate of Applied Science in Community Health.
Two Pathways Toward CHW Certification
- Students enter as academic credit students meeting all the eligibility required for enrollment in academic credit courses at Northwest Vista College.
- Students enter as continuing education credit students and are enrolled in the identical courses resulting in the identical CHW certification, but a HS diploma or GED is not required. All CE credit courses can be converted to academic courses in the future by completing six hours of academic credit at any Alamo College.
2023 CHW Program Outreach Activities
Interested in earning your Texas Department of State Health Services Community Health Worker certification?
Navigate through each tab to read more about our program guide, academic course description, and course schedule.
We offer Texas state certification as a Community Health Worker and an Associate of Applied Science in Community Health. All the classes are presented in a face to face or online format. The class schedule for Fall 2022 is attached. All classes for the 2022 will be taught in a variety of formats; online, hybrid, and face to face with the required precautions to protect the health of all students. Alamo Colleges offers an enrollment rate of about $99 per credit hour. The total cost for the certification would be $1700. There is no minimum number of hours for enrollment, but your financial aid will be reduced for fewer hours. All our classes are taught either online, or at the Westside Education and Training Center (563 SW 40th Street, intersection of Old Highway 90 and 40th Street), which is close to Lackland AFB or at the Eastside Education and Training Center, 4551 Dietrich Road, and at Northwest Vista College on 3535 N. Ellison Drive near Sea World. The job outlook as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Standards predicts a 21% growth in employment from 2020 to 2030. The average wage for a CHW in 2021 located in the San Antonio-New Braunfels region is $21.04 per hour or $42,300 annually. This is the link to the data.
Health education specialists develop programs to teach people about conditions affecting well-being. Community health workers promote wellness by helping people adopt healthy behaviors. There are no prerequisites, and you can join the course work at any time without regard to a set sequence of classes. Individuals who already have a college degree are encouraged to enroll as a continuing education student if they are not interested in gaining more academic credits. Students that do not have a HS diploma or GED can use the CE option to gain the identical Texas State Certification as a CHW, this option is also ideal for students who already have a degree and are not seeking additional credit hours. The CE option is easier to enroll and usually less expensive. Visit the CE Admission and Registration site at: CE Admissions and Registration | Alamo Colleges You can also call Amparo R. Polendo, CE Department, Tele: 210-486-4421 or Email: pamparo@alamo.edu at Northwest Vista College If you are entering college for the first time, or you are a veteran/active-duty member of the armed forces, or returning to college after a break, follow this link to begin the process. https://www.alamo.edu/nvc/admissions-and-aid/how-to-apply/ftic/enrollment/ This will outline all the steps for enrollment, class registration and financial aid or scholarships. We also have enrollment coaches for students who can assist in process of registration and enrollment. Please contact our enrollment coach.
All our certification courses are available online. A contact-less internship is available or a face/face experience with the appropriate health and safety precautions. The student has the option to choose which style of internship is best for them. The internship which is a 160-contact hour course to gain job experience.
Did you know?Over 95% of our graduates find employment as Community Health Workers in such job titles as peer counselors, outreach workers, preventive health coordinators, health educators, lactation coaches, peer counselors, etc. and the salary ranges are $18 to $20 per hour with no experience except the state certification. |
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Students will learn the principles and practices of community health with emphasis on providing nutritional education, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, maintaining wellness, understanding how to navigate state/federal individual and family assistance programs, developing mutually trusting relationships with vulnerable populations, understanding the role of CHWs in conducting research and collecting data, and understanding the health care systems in Bexar County.
Job Outlook
This program prepares students to promote health within a community by assisting individuals and families to adopt healthy behaviors. Serve as an advocate for the health needs of individuals by assisting community residents in effectively communicating with healthcare providers or social service agencies. Function as a liaison or advocate and implement programs that promote, maintain, and improve individual and overall community health. Students will learn how to provide health education material and deliver health-related preventive services such as blood pressure, glaucoma, and eye screenings. Students will also learn how to collect data to help identify community health needs and provide data for community health research projects.
The job outlook as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Standards predicts a 12% growth (much faster than the average than the average of all occupations) in employment from 2020 to 2030. The average wage for a CHW in 2024 located in the San Antonio-New Braunfels region is $21.21 per hour or $44,120 annually.
What Jobs Are Available to a Community Health Worker
Nearly 95% of our graduates are finding jobs in Bexar County. Jobs available include CHW, Community Engagement Specialist, Health Program Specialist, Vaccine Outreach Specialist, Health Promotion Worker, Case Management Aide, Patient Navigator, Outreach Worker, and Social Work Assistant.
Alamo Colleges Ready to Work ProgramConnecting you with training programs at the Alamo Colleges – and beyond. One or more of these programs are approved Ready to Work programs. Find out if you’re eligible to receive free tuition and job placement services that will enable you to secure an in-demand career. The CHW certification and AAS in Community Health is approved by Ready to Work. Academic credit courses and accelerated Continuing Education (CE) course leading to certification and AAS are available. Academic students interested in SARTW funding their CHW education should contact Sandra Lopez, Coordinator of Student Success. Email: slopez92@alamo.edu Phone: 210-485-0302 |
The Alamo Colleges District is a proud partner of the City of San Antonio’s Ready to Work Program. |
Available Courses:
CHW Certificate
CHLT 1301 - Introduction to Community Health CHLT 1340 - Community Health Advocacy CHLT 1305 - Community Nutrition CHLT 1342 - Community Health Field Methods |
CHLT 1302 - Wellness and Health Promotion CHLT 1342 - Community Health Field Methods CHLT 2260 - Clinical - Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling (Internship) |
AAS Community Health
All courses in the CHW certificate plus the following courses.
ENGL 1301 - Composition I ENGL 1302 - Composition II MATH 1442 - Elementary Statistical Methods or MATH 1314 - College Algebra PSYC 2301 - General Psychology SOCI 1301 - Introductory Sociology BIOL 2401 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I HIST 1301 - United States History I |
PHIL 2306 - Introduction to Ethics SPCH 1315 - Public Speaking SOCI 1306 - Social Problems BIOL 2402 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II SPAN 1411 - Elementary Spanish CHLT 2260 - Clinical - Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling SPAN 1412 - Elementary Spanish II |
NOTE: EDUC 1300 is not required for the AAS in Community Health
About the Program Coordinator: Dr. Fernando Martinez
Professor Fernando Martinez, Ph.D. is the Community Health Program coordinator at Northwest Vista College. He has an extensive educational and career experience in hospital administration, community outreach programs, CHW educational programs, and adult education.
Professor Martinez completed a military career in the U.S. Army before joining Santa Rosa Healthcare (Christus Health) as an administrator where he designed and implemented a community wellness and outreach program focusing on the most vulnerable Zip Codes in San Antonio. The outreach program consisted of a mobile health clinic, neighborhood CHWs, community health nurse educators, lay case workers, a pediatric primary care clinic, inner-city physician recruitment, patient transportation, geriatric resource center, and a patient information system. This was the first hospital system-based outreach program in San Antonio.
Professor Martinez also developed a CHW program for the Nicaraguan Scholarship for Peace Program which was later expanded to train CHWs from the entire Caribbean basin.
Education
Dr. Martinez has earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology, University of New Mexico, Master of Science in Environmental Management, University of Texas at San Antonio, Master of Healthcare Administration, Baylor University, and Ph.D., in Education Leadership, University of Texas, Austin
Faculty and Staff
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Contact Us |
Emily Coppin Location: Phone: Adrienne Partida Phone: |
Vacant Academic Chair |
Guadalupe Cornejo Community Health Worker Program Location: Phone: |
Dr. Fernando Martinez, Ph.D Community Health Worker Program Coordinator Location: Phone: |