Community Health Workers (CHWs) are essential members of public health and health care workforces. To better understand the current landscape of the CHW workforce and to develop strategies that best
support the long-term sustainability of the workforce through new funding streams and evolving state
policies, the Episcopal Health Foundation partnered with the Texas Association of
Promotores/Community Health Workers (TAPCHW), The University of Texas at Arthington, and DSHS to
conduct a survey of the current landscape of certified CHWs in Texas.
This study examined the
perceptions and experiences of CHWs:
1) understand changes in the CHW workforce,
2) identify training opportunities, and
3) describe priority needs of CHWs and their communities.
An inter-professional
team, including CHWs, CHW instructors, and researchers, developed an online survey to understand the
perspectives and experiences of CHWs in Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study team
distributed the 165-item survey (3 screening items; 12 demographic items; 17 CHW certification items;
54 employment/job-related items; 19 supervision items; 7 CHW experience/satisfaction; 5 technology
items; 19 volunteer items; 29 CHW association items; 16 COVID-19 items; 3 CHW legislation items; 1
door prize) with qualitative and quantitative questions available in Spanish and English, via CHW
networks and associations and the Texas Department of State Health Services CHW/Promotora Training
and Certification Program. The survey had a 67% completion rate, with 589 CHWs completing the survey
(2,427 viewed; 879 responded).
This report describes:
1) respondent demographics;
2) employment/job related topics;
3) CHW supervision;
4) CHW use of technology;
5) CHW volunteerism;
6) participation/thoughts about CHW associations;
7) COVID-19; and
8) CHW legislation.
CHWs have been and will continue to be affected
personally and professionally by the CHW legislation, CHW funding, CHW employers, the COVID-19
pandemic, and numerous other factors. This survey created the opportunity for CHWs to describe their
current demographics, experiences, perspectives, and needs, with the hope that sharing the survey
findings will be utilized to inform workforce employment, benefits, training, supervision, technology,
and other CHW-relevant topics to better support CHWs in fulfilling their work and service.
