Texas DSHS requires certification for CHWs and promotores who provide services for compensation; certification is voluntary for uncompensated work. Current applicants can use qualifying training or experience. Program leaders should also account for the 2026 competency update and the newer policy preserving status while complete, timely renewal applications are processed. [1, 3, 5]
Texas CHW quick facts
| Topic | Texas guidance |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). [1] |
| Minimum age | 16 for CHW certification, distinct from employer job requirements. [1] |
| Training route | DSHS-certified 180-hour competency-based program. [1, 3] |
| Experience route | At least 1,000 CHW service hours within three years, with direct verification. [1] |
| Certification fee | DSHS FAQ says there is no certification cost. Course costs are separate. [2] |
| Renewal | Two years, with 20 CE hours and required supporting materials. [4] |
| Processing update | Complete renewal received before expiration preserves active status during processing under the current DSHS announcement. [5] |
| Last reviewed | November 6, 2026 |
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What is a CHW or promotor in Texas?
DSHS describes CHWs and promotores de salud as people who connect their communities with health care and social services through shared understanding of culture, language and lived experience. The role includes education, outreach, navigation and support for greater independence. [1]
Define the actual responsibilities in a job description. A CHW credential does not make a worker a licensed clinician or replace a separate peer-specialist credential. Employers should explain what staff may do, whom they consult and how they escalate needs beyond the role.
Is Texas CHW certification required?
DSHS says certification is required when CHW services are provided for compensation and voluntary when they are uncompensated. The agency’s alternative-certification route covers qualifying military service members, spouses and veterans. Its separate exemption applies to qualifying service members and spouses with a similar, current out-of-state credential in good standing who submit the required application. Do not assume the exemption covers every veteran or every military-connected applicant. DSHS military routes. [1]
Keep employer and funder requirements separate. A role may have additional age, onboarding or service qualifications even when the worker meets the state credential’s minimum conditions.
How do you become a certified CHW in Texas?
Current DSHS instructions identify Texas residency or the applicable military route, a minimum age of 16, a recent photograph and either approved training or qualifying experience. The application can be completed online, with downloadable English and Spanish forms also linked. [1]
- Select the training or experience route.
- Confirm that the course or experience evidence meets current instructions.
- Gather the required photo and residency or alternative-route documents.
- Submit the application and supporting evidence.
- Arrange direct experience verification when applicable.
- Track the agency’s decision and issued credential dates.
Application submission is not approval. Keep the training record, application status and certification status distinct.
What changed in Texas CHW training in 2026?
The competency update adds a ninth competency area, evaluation and research, and increases the initial curriculum to 180 hours. DSHS distinguishes the February 1, 2026 competency effective date from the August 1, 2026 training-center curriculum implementation date. [3]
The transition permits the specified combination of an existing certified 160-hour course and a certified 20-hour evaluation-and-research module while centers complete their updated curricula. Do not tell a new applicant that an old 160-hour certificate alone satisfies the current training route. Confirm the actual course approval and completion evidence with the center. [3]
How long does Texas CHW certification take?
Separate the time needed to complete training or gather experience evidence from DSHS’s application review. The agency says it will notify an applicant of approval, denial or incompleteness within 90 business days after receiving a complete application. That is not a guarantee of an issued credential within 90 calendar days of starting a course. DSHS application instructions.
For a new applicant, ask the training center for the actual cohort calendar, attendance rules and completion date. A 180-hour course may be offered on different schedules. For an experienced worker, the main preparation task may be obtaining the required verification rather than finding another course.
A sensible planning sequence is to confirm the route, identify all required evidence, submit a complete application and track any agency request. Avoid announcing a worker’s certification date before the agency has made a decision. An internal onboarding checklist can record “course completed” or “application submitted” without presenting either as an awarded credential.
What should the nine Texas CHW competencies look like at work?
DSHS identifies nine competency areas. Its 2026 update adds evaluation and research and expands the descriptions of several existing areas. Current DSHS core competencies.
The examples below are ways to discuss a job and supervision plan. They do not authorize clinical practice or replace the detailed DSHS competency objectives.
| Competency area | A practical question for a program lead |
|---|---|
| Communication | Can the worker explain a referral and confirm what the participant understood? |
| Interpersonal and relationship-building | How will the worker build trust while maintaining professional boundaries? |
| Service coordination and navigation | How will the team track a referral after sending it? |
| Capacity-building | How will the participant practice a skill or make their own next decision? |
| Advocacy | How will the team surface a recurring access barrier and act on it? |
| Teaching and education | How will an educational activity fit the participant’s language and understanding? |
| Organizational skills | How will the worker prioritize contacts, follow-up and accurate records? |
| Knowledge of specific health issues | Where will the worker obtain reliable answers and clinical guidance? |
| Evaluation and research | How will the program examine whether its approach is helping the community? |
For example, a resource-navigation project could evaluate the difference between referrals offered, referrals accepted and connections confirmed. Recording only the number of referrals sent would not answer the same question. Discuss the meaning of each measure with CHWs and the community rather than choosing a number only because software can count it.
How do you choose a DSHS-certified CHW training program?
Use DSHS’s current program resources to identify approved instruction, then ask the provider about cohort availability, delivery format, attendance, assessments and cost. The certification fee and course tuition are different. DSHS’s FAQ says certification itself has no cost. [2, 5]
Approval of a center does not guarantee an open seat. The current agency page, for example, describes a university program resuming in Spring 2027 and directs interested people to its waitlist. Verify current dates directly rather than promising immediate enrollment. [5]
How can you avoid choosing the wrong kind of CHW course?
Check the training type as well as the organization’s name. DSHS’s directory distinguishes initial CHW certification, instructor certification and continuing education. A provider that offers approved continuing education is not necessarily offering the initial course you need. DSHS training directory.
Ask the provider four direct questions: Is this the initial CHW course or continuing education? Does the specific curriculum satisfy the current competency update? What language and delivery format will be used? What happens if attendance or an assessment must be repeated?
Save the response with the course information before paying tuition or making travel arrangements. If the course is offered through an employer, clarify who keeps the completion evidence and how the worker can obtain their own copy after employment ends. An employee should not have to reconstruct a training history from an old supervisor’s inbox.
A program’s training budget should also separate tuition from the worker’s paid time, travel and technology needs. DSHS certification has no application charge under the cited FAQ, but that does not make every provider’s course or every related expense free.
How do you apply through CHW work experience?
The experience route requires at least 1,000 CHW service hours within the previous three years. DSHS requires the listed supervisor or professional reference to send the experience-verification form directly to the agency. [1]
Prepare a factual work history with dates, duties and hours. The worker’s own uploaded summary should not be treated as a substitute for required direct verification. If several positions contribute to the total, clarify how each will be documented before submitting.
What should an experience-verification file contain?
Build the file around the experience DSHS asks the reference to verify. Keep a clear timeline of positions, organizations, duties and hours within the applicable lookback period. Identify the supervisor or professional reference responsible for each period before submission. The required verification comes from the reference directly, not just from the applicant’s own résumé. DSHS experience route.
In a fictional example, a worker has served at a community clinic and a nonprofit outreach program. Each reference should verify the experience they can substantiate. The applicant can reconcile the totals, identify gaps and make sure the same work period has not been counted twice. A useful file distinguishes confirmed hours from hours that still need evidence.
Employers can support this process by keeping role descriptions and accurate service records. Do not promise that a particular job title or volunteer activity will be accepted without the agency’s assessment. The strongest application is a truthful, traceable account of the work, not a broad statement that the applicant has worked “in the community” for several years.
What are the Texas CHW renewal requirements?
DSHS requires a renewal application every two years, 20 CE hours, proof of Texas residency and a recent photograph. Its renewal page describes different acceptable CE combinations, including DSHS-certified CHW education and limited use of qualifying education for another Texas health credential. [4]
The page contains different minimum-hour wording across its options and evidence section. Match the worker’s chosen combination to current DSHS instructions and obtain clarification if necessary. Do not configure a single simplified category rule that rejects a published option or accepts insufficient evidence. [4]
Maintain course certificates with the worker’s name, topic, dates, organization and hours. Ordinary service or volunteer time does not automatically qualify as formal CE.
Can you keep working while a timely renewal is pending?
DSHS’s current announcement recognizes continued active certification when a complete renewal application is received before expiration. It says applicants can continue serving and working while processing occurs without requesting a separate 90-day certification extension. Since September 19, 2026, the agency describes an email receipt documenting that continuation. [5]
The announcement recommends submission at least 90 business days before expiration. This addresses timely, complete applications; it should not be generalized into an automatic extension for an incomplete or late submission. Retain the receipt and evidence of completeness with the workforce record.
What if you need more time for CE or your certification has already expired?
DSHS distinguishes several situations. Its renewal page allows a written request for up to a 90-day CE extension before expiration, limited to one per certification period. The page separately describes renewal when a certificate has expired for one year or less and a new initial application when it has expired for more than one year. DSHS renewal questions.
| Situation | What to do next |
|---|---|
| CE is unfinished and the certificate has not expired | Read the written-extension instructions and contact DSHS before expiration |
| A complete renewal was received on time | Keep the receipt and follow the current continued-certification announcement |
| The certificate has expired and no timely complete renewal is documented | Ask DSHS which renewal or reapplication route applies before treating the status as active |
| A record is missing or inconsistent | Preserve the original record and resolve the discrepancy with the agency |
An extension to complete education and continued validity during processing are different issues. A worker whose application is incomplete should not be placed into the “timely complete renewal pending” category simply because they clicked submit. Likewise, a manager should not alter the original expiration date to hide uncertainty.
Build an internal reminder schedule early enough to resolve missing course records, photographs or residency evidence. Use the current agency instructions for the applicable deadline. A reminder generated by the employer’s software is an operational aid, not a substitute for the agency’s decision or receipt.
How do employers verify a Texas CHW credential?
Use the DSHS online licensing search linked from the renewal page to locate the certification number and expiration. Keep the result separate from any pending-renewal receipt. Record when the verification occurred and who resolved an exception. [4]
A useful tracker distinguishes active credential, timely renewal pending, expired status and missing evidence. The label should reflect what is actually known rather than forcing a manager to guess from an application date.
Does certification authorize Texas Medicaid billing?
Certification alone is not Medicaid enrollment. Texas does have a specific pathway for eligible certified CHWs to become Case Management for Children and Pregnant Women (CPW) providers. HHSC’s current provider page links the CHW enrollment guidance, and its provider-enrollment guide identifies DSHS certification as the CHW qualification. HHSC CPW provider resources and enrollment guide, pages 2 to 4.
This is a defined case-management service, not permission to bill Medicaid for every CHW activity. HHSC describes CPW as assistance for eligible children from birth through age 20 with a health condition and high-risk pregnant women of any age. Its overview directs prospective providers to apply with HHSC and enroll with Medicaid. HHSC CPW overview.
For other employment, grants or contracts, use the actual funding arrangement. Do not copy another state’s code, assume that all outreach is billable, or treat Medicare policy as an identical Texas Medicaid benefit.
How does a Texas CHW become a CPW Medicaid provider?
The CPW provider minimum age is 18, even though DSHS CHW certification begins at 16. A young worker can therefore meet the workforce credential’s age threshold before meeting this service’s provider threshold. Current Texas Medicaid CPW handbook, section 3.2.
Follow the sequence in HHSC’s enrollment guide. It calls for a pre-planning process and standardized case-management training before TMHP enrollment. HHSC issues the approval letter used during that enrollment. The guide distinguishes independent individual enrollment from a performing provider associated with an enrolled group. For managed-care work, contracting and credentialing with the relevant MCO come after Medicaid enrollment. HHSC enrollment guide, pages 2 to 4.
Use a separate readiness checklist for each step:
- Confirm the CHW credential and the intended CPW provider arrangement.
- Complete HHSC’s required preparation and training.
- Retain the HHSC approval letter.
- Prepare the identifiers and enrollment evidence for that arrangement.
- Complete the applicable enrollment process.
- Resolve any outstanding enrollment questions before scheduling covered work.
- Verify the member’s actual coverage and the applicable payer requirements.
- Keep confirmation of network and service readiness separate from the worker’s CHW certificate.
The checklist is an organizational aid. The approval letter, current enrollment instructions and payer terms control the actual application. A group owner who will also deliver services should not assume that group enrollment automatically covers every individual role.
For a fictional clinic, having several certified CHWs on payroll answers a workforce question. It does not by itself show that the clinic and each performing provider are enrolled and ready for the relevant CPW arrangement. A credential tracker and a payer-readiness tracker should be able to show these separate facts without forcing staff to infer one from the other.
What documentation should a CHW providing CPW services use?
Use the CPW documentation framework for CPW work. HHSC publishes intake, needs-assessment, service-plan, consent, follow-up, progress-note, closure and transfer resources. Its record-review tool checks for documented eligibility, individualized needs and actions, dated signatures, required consents and documentation supporting billed contacts. It also distinguishes HHSC-standardized or approved agency forms from MCO-approved forms. HHSC forms and CM-16 record-review tool.
A general CHW contact note can be useful without satisfying every condition of a particular Medicaid service. Compare the required form and payer instructions with the proposed digital record before replacing an existing workflow. Ask who approves form changes, how signatures are preserved and how the organization will produce the complete record for review.
In a fictional example, the service plan identifies a transport barrier and assigns a follow-up action. The next contact record should explain the action taken and what happened to that need. Repeating the same generic sentence at every visit would make it difficult to understand progress or why further assistance was needed.
Keep service activity, billing review and payment status separate. A signed note records a documented service; it does not prove that the claim was accepted or paid. Smores Health should be evaluated against the organization’s actual record and reporting requirements, with the supported scope confirmed during implementation.
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What should a Texas CHW program launch checklist include?
- Define the population, service area and CHW or promotor role.
- Verify the current training or experience pathway and issued credential.
- Confirm the 2026 curriculum transition evidence where relevant.
- Set renewal, CE and pending-application review responsibilities.
- Verify the actual grant, payer or service agreement.
- Test intake, referral follow-up, documentation and reports.
- Establish clear escalation and supervisor-review processes.
Use the checklist to clarify responsibility. DSHS and the actual funding agreement remain the sources for specific requirements.
What should a useful Texas CHW contact note contain?
A useful contact record shows the participant’s need, purpose, date, worker, activity, response and next step. Distinguish attempted outreach from a completed contact and a referral sent from a connection confirmed.
For example, a promotor may discuss a barrier to follow-up care, identify a resource and agree on the participant’s next action. If the resource is unavailable, preserve the result and follow-up plan. A generic “completed” label should not hide a need that remains open.
How should a Texas program evaluate CHW software?
Ask a vendor to show intake, participant history, referrals, contact notes, follow-up, supervisor review and the reports your team submits. Bring a de-identified participant example and an actual funder report.
Workforce tracking should keep training completion, certification, renewal evidence and employer authorization separate. Ask how the organization can preserve the 2026 pending-renewal receipt without silently changing the original credential dates. Confirm supported functions and configuration responsibilities.
Explore community health workflows to see how Smores Health approaches work across community-based teams.
What should your CHW software walkthrough demonstrate?
- Can managers identify unresolved referrals and overdue follow-up?
- Can staff preserve the participant’s goals and response across contacts?
- Can reports distinguish people reached, services delivered and confirmed outcomes?
- Can workforce records retain verification dates and renewal evidence?
- Can the organization review access, exports and implementation responsibilities?
See the Smores Health platform and assess it against your team’s actual process.
See it in your program
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Frequently asked questions
Is certification voluntary for paid Texas CHWs?
DSHS says it is required for compensated CHW services. Uncompensated work and qualifying alternative routes have different provisions. [1]
Is the current training route still 160 hours?
Current DSHS instructions identify 180 hours. The competency-update FAQ explains the specified transitional curriculum combination. [1, 3]
Can experienced workers apply without completing the full new course?
DSHS offers an experience route with a recent service-hour requirement and direct verification. The agency determines eligibility. [1]
Does a timely renewal preserve certification while DSHS processes it?
The current announcement says a complete application received before expiration preserves active status during processing. Keep the receipt; do not apply that rule to late or incomplete submissions. [5]
What should CHW software help a Texas program lead manage?
Prioritize participant follow-up, reviewable documentation, useful reports and workforce evidence that distinguishes training, certification and renewal status.
How long does DSHS take to review a complete application?
The current application page states that DSHS will notify the applicant within 90 business days whether the application is approved, denied or incomplete. Course completion and evidence collection happen before that review. DSHS application instructions.
Can a certified CHW become a Texas CPW provider?
Yes, a specific CPW enrollment pathway exists. HHSC preparation and approval, Medicaid enrollment and the applicable managed-care arrangements remain separate from CHW certification. HHSC CPW enrollment guide.
Are CHW certification and instructor certification interchangeable?
DSHS lists CHW and CHW instructor training and certification separately. Choose the training and credential that match the role; an instructor-course listing should not be treated as an initial CHW course. DSHS training directory.
How can you build a clearer Texas CHW workflow?
Bring your credential tracker, referral process and reporting requirements to Smores Health. Book a program walkthrough to evaluate the platform with your team, or request pricing for your organization.
Sources
[1] Texas DSHS, Becoming a Community Health Worker. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/community-health-worker/becoming-a-community-health-worker
[2] Texas DSHS, CHW and CHWI FAQ. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/regional-local-health-operations/chw-coordination/chw-faqs
[3] Texas DSHS, 2026 core competencies update FAQ. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/community-health-worker/chw-core-competencies/chw-core-competencies-update-frequently-asked-questions
[4] Texas DSHS, CHW renewal. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/community-health-worker/becoming-a-community-health-worker/chw-renewal-certification
[5] Texas DSHS, CHW Program, training and renewal processing announcements. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/community-health-worker
[6] Texas DSHS, current CHW core competencies and implementation milestones. Official competency guidance.
[7] Texas DSHS, CHW and CHW instructor training directory. Official training directory.
[8] Texas HHSC, Case Management Providers for Children and Pregnant Women. Provider resources and forms.
[9] Texas HHSC, CPW Provider Enrollment in Texas Medicaid with TMHP, version September 23, 2024, linked from the current HHSC provider page. Enrollment guide.
[10] Texas HHSC, CPW overview, revised September 2024. Who can be a CPW case manager.
[11] Texas HHSC, CM-16 Record Review Tool for Providers, July 2024, linked from the current HHSC provider page. Record-review tool.