Politixia
The ceremony wasn’t long, but by the end, the graduates were hailed as trailblazers.
Believed to be the first cohort of its kind in the state, a group of seven transgender Latina community health workers from Houston received certifications Saturday morning. By earning credentials through the local nonprofit Trust CHW, the graduates hope to expand the representation of trans health workers in a role vital to securing treatment for people with limited access to health care.
“We needed more representation within the community,” said graduate Rebecca Chapa, 30. “What better way than to help them have a better lifestyle and better knowledge of their health?”
Community health workers function as a link between patients in underserved communities and a range of health resources and treatments.
The scope of their work connecting people to care can be broad, ranging from treatment for chronic conditions like diabetes to mental health and substance abuse crises.
“Community health workers are in a unique position to help people and reach certain groups,” said Dona Stelzig, a Trust CHW co-founder. “They’re so intrinsic to the continuing of care for patients.”
Much of the cohort’s 15-week training focused on learning how to build relationships with patients from many backgrounds and understanding their communities’ health needs.
Transgender Americans face significant obstacles when seeking health care, including discrimination, financial barriers and a lack of providers experienced in treating trans patients.
It’s why diversity, especially the inclusion of trans people, matters within the ranks of community health workers, Chapa said. The course, completed during long nights at community centers around the city, was the first time she and many of her classmates have been in an educational setting with other transgender women.
“Everyone has different issues, different ideas and different levels of education,” said Chapa, who chose her new career after volunteering for organizations like Fundación Latinoamericana De Acción Social. “But this shows unity within the trans community. We help each other out”
Community-based health solutions have flourished in Latino communities across the country.
Earlier this year, teenagers across California mobilized to educate Latinos across the state about the importance of COVID-19 testing and vaccines. And a network of West Texas community health workers has helped fill in the gaps in medical care for rural Latino communities.
Language accessibility was also an important aspect of the Trust CHW program. Chapa and the other students were trained in both English and Spanish to help patients who face communication barriers.
Knowing both languages is invaluable as a community health worker in a city with hundreds of thousands of Spanish speakers, Chapa said.
“The language barrier is a big issue in health,” she said. “It prevents them from reaching out to so many resources.”
For some of the graduates, the certification is the first step into health careers.
Kenia Gallardo, 33, said she was looking into phlebotomy courses. Chapa, who worked in a beauty salon before her career change, said she wants to study to become a nurse. Other graduates said they wanted to look into going back to school to eventually study medicine.
“We’re showing everyone that trans people can help people, too,” Gallardo said.
jhair.romero@houstonchronicle.com
