Houston Recovery Center’s Community Health Workers (CHW) Program

Houston Recovery Center’s Community Health Workers (CHW) Program

Houston Recovery Center (HRC) is a nonprofit organization that provides sobering and addiction recovery programs in Harris County, Texas. The Houston Recovery Center’s Community Health Workers (CHW) Program expands HRC’s outreach practices and deepens its substance use continuum of care program links to more service systems. HRC places Community Health Workers in Harris County communities to conduct outreach and provide prevention education and behavioral health referrals, including access to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and NARCAN education and distribution to prevent opioid overdoses.

The CHWs, who are trained in both community health and peer recovery support, work with community members to identify substance use and health trends in neighborhoods, establish a community network, and enroll underserved clients in HRC’s long-term recovery program. The CHWs also provide support in both clinical and community-based settings, serving as a liaison between clients, hospital centers, and community organizations. Our CHWs provide health education on several chronic medical and mental health conditions, assistance with completing government applications such as food stamps, Medicaid, gold card, and more. CHWs assist with connecting individuals to healthcare, Medication-Assisted Treatment, housing assessments, inpatient treatment for Substance Use Disorders, scheduling doctor’s appointments, bus passes, and referrals to many local social service agencies.

Our evidence-based approach of having this unique team of individuals who not only bring their specialized training and skill-sets to communities, but also their invaluable lived experience, makes a great formula for success with the population we serve. Houston Recovery Center’s Community Health Workers Program also improves the retention of the direct client services workforce and continues to strengthen the continuum of care for marginalized clients seeking substance use recovery. HRC has identified three areas of expansion in the substance use continuum of care: Harris County Outreach to At-Risk Communities, Healthcare and Substance Use Recovery, and Housing Integration. These expansions increase client access to recovery services and improve stabilization and recovery outcomes.

Overall, HRC’s Community Health Workers Program allows the center to deepen its links to service systems and expand its outreach practices to provide crucial support to communities in Harris County, Texas, who are struggling with substance use and addiction.