Office of Border Public Health Community Health Worker Training Center FAQs

Does the OBPH CHW Training Center offer an approved DSHS-certified 160-hour competency-based CHW or CHWI training course?

No, the OBPH CHW Training Center is not approved to provide the 160-hour certification training for CHWs, Promotores, or CHWIs. We plan to discuss with our OBPH Regional staff the possibility of becoming a certified training program for this course soon.

For a list of training centers that do offer the 160-hour competency-based CHW or CHWI training course, visit the Texas DSHS CHW or Promotor(a) Training and Certification Program website. 

Does the OBPH CHW Training Center offer DSHS-certified continuing education or Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for Community Health Workers (CHWs), Promotores, or Community Health Worker Instructors (CHWIs)?

Yes, the OBPH CHW Training Center is certified by the Texas DSHS to provide training that meets the continuing education (CE) requirements for CHWs, Promotores, and CHWIs.

For information on upcoming training opportunities for CHWs and CHWIs, visit the OBPH CHW Training and Resources website.

Does a certified CHW Instructor have to renew their affiliation with a certified training center?

No, a certified CHW Instructor’s affiliation is automatically re-instated whenever the instructor renews their CHW Instructor certification.

Can a CHWI be affiliated with several training centers?

Yes, CHWIs can be affiliated with more than one training center. Typically, CHWIs are affiliated with the training center where they received their certification. If you want to teach certified CEUs for CHWs or CHWIs at another DSHS-certified training center, you first need to get their agreement to affiliate with you. Next, the training center must submit an affiliation request to the DSHS by emailing CHW@dshs.texas.gov for approval. You can be affiliated with several DSHS-certified Training Programs.

Can a CHWI from New Mexico (NM) be affiliated with a CHW training center in Texas, and vice versa?

To be certified in the state of Texas, you must be a resident, which means you need to have a permanent address in Texas. Other states, including New Mexico, have their own CHWI certification programs and training centers.  It is recommended to check with your state’s health services department for specific certification requirements.

For more information on New Mexico’s policies, visit the New Mexico’s Office of Community Health Workers (OCHW) website. 

What should be included in a DSHS-certified continuing education curriculum for CHWs or CHWIs?

To find the list of requirements, refer to the Texas DSHS CHW or Promotor(a) Training and Certification Program Policy, Section D. Certification of Training Programs-Curricula (page 5).  Look under “Continuing education for CHWs or CHW Instructors curricula” for detailed information. 

What are the requirements for certifying a CHW, CHWI, or Promotor(a) training under the OBPH CHW Training Center?

Step 1: Submit a curriculum proposal to the OBPH CHW Training Center. To do this, complete the Training Curriculum Proposal Form (refer to Question #4 for more details) and send it via e-mail to OBPHCHWTrainingCenter@dshs.texas.gov 

Step 2: The OBPH CHW Training Center will review your proposal and will contact you via email with the next steps. 

What If my organization does not have a certified CHW Instructor to teach certified OBPH CHW training? Can we use a guest instructor? 

Yes, guest instructors may provide a one-time training under the supervision of a certified CHW Instructor affiliated with the OBPH CHW Training Center. Review the DSHS Community Health Worker (CHW) or Promotor(a) Training and Certification Program Guest Instructor Procedure form for further guidance. 

To request guest instructor approval for OBPH-certified training, fill out the Guest Instructor Request Form and email it to OBPHCHWTrainingCenter@dshs.texas.gov. 

Note: If you already know you will have a guest instructor when submitting your Training Program Curriculum Submission Form to the OBPH, you can fill out the section under the “Guest Instructor” in the Curriculum Submission form. This will suffice instead of completing the “Guest Instructor Request Form”. 

The OBPH will then email the Guest Instructor Form to CHW@dshs.texas.gov for review and approval.  You will be notified by the OBPH once it is approved. 

Can my certified CHW) training center borrow a DSHS-certified curriculum from the OBPH CHW Training Center or other certified CHW training centers? 

If you wish to borrow a DSHS-certified curriculum from another certified training center, follow these steps: 

1. Step 1: Get a Curriculum Authorization Release Letter or e-mail from the training center that owns the curriculum. The letter must confirm that you have permission to use their curriculum. 
2. Step 2: The training center that is sharing the curriculum needs to email the Texas DSHS CHW or Promotor(a) Training and Certification Program at chw@dshs.texas.gov. In this email, they must confirm the details in the Curriculum Authorization Release Letter, including the name of the requesting organization, and any conditions related to the release of the curriculum. 
3. Step 3: Once the Texas DSHS CHW or Promotor(a) Training and Certification Program receives this e-mail, they will provide the requested curriculum to the training center that requested it. 
4. Step 4 (optional): If you need to update or revise a borrowed DSHS-certified curriculum (with OBPH authorization), you may submit an addendum for revisions, as per the Texas DSHS CHW or Promotor(a) Training and Certification Program Policy, Section D. Certification of Training Programs (page 5). If more than 45% of the curriculum is changed, the original training program that submitted the curriculum for certification will have to resubmit it for certification. 

For a list of approved DSHS-certified CHW/CHWI curricula that can be shared among training programs, visit the Texas DSHS CHW or Promotor(a) Training and Certification Program “Shareable Curriculum List”. 

When two CHW training centers collaborate on training, who would claim the number of CHWs/CHWIs trained? 

The CHW Training Center that created the curriculum will always be the owner and developer of the curriculum. When sharing a curriculum with another certified CHW training center, the training center borrowing the curriculum to use for training in their region will receive the credit for the number of CHWs or CHWIs trained. When the training and certification program, receives the approval memo allowing the sharing of the curriculum, the curriculum developer will be noted on it.