Community Health Workers, or Promotores de Salud, increase wellness by reaching out to, connecting with, and engaging underserved families and communities to help improve health outcomes for themselves, their families, and the communities in which they live.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries' Community Health Workers are certified by the Texas Department of State Health (DSHS).

Services include:

• Establishing positive, trusting relationships with community residents in or from underserved communities.
• Helping patients/clients, families, and underserved communities overcome barriers in language and culture to better connect to quality healthcare services and resources.
• Connecting underserved populations to health care services and resources.
• Providing informal counseling, support, and follow-up home visits for patients.
• Aiding in the creation and maintenance of community partnerships, collaborations, programs, and services.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Community Health Workers are certified by the Texas Department of State Health (DSHS) as:

• Completed an approved 160 hours competency-based instructor training program
• Complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years approved by DSHS to renew their certification
• Required courses include Introduction to Community Health;

1. Community Health Advocacy
2. Community Nutrition
3. Community Health Field Methods
4. Wellness and Health Promotion
5. Cooperative Community Health Education

Family Service Association offers numerous professional counseling services including Individual, Couples, Family, Group, Substance Abuse Counseling, and Consultations.

We also provide educational groups such as Anger Management and Domestic Violence Prevention designed to help maintain personal wellness.

Services are offered locally in the San Antonio metropolitan area and our rural locations. The services are provided through a combination of at-home and office-based visits. Our licensed counselors are available on days, evenings, Saturdays, and by special appointment.

Our counseling professionals provide services to include working with children, youth, families, and seniors. Our team has many specialized skills to address a wide range of counseling needs. Services are offered for both short and long-term depending on individual needs. We are available to assist with the following:

• Anger Management
• Child Abuse and Neglect
• Child Sexual Abuse
• Depression
• Domestic Violence
• Grief Support
• LGBT Issues
• Life Skills
• Parenting
• Relapse Prevention
• Relationships
• Stress
• Substance Abuse
• Victimization from Crime
• And more!

Counseling services are now available in both in-person and telehealth formats at the discretion of the client, following an initial enrollment session in-person.

For more information, please contact the Family Service Behavioral Health Counseling team at 210-299-2406. 

Funding is provided by United Way, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Client Fees, School Districts, Medicaid, Private Contracts, Private Insurance, Criminal Justice Division (CJD) Grant, and Office of Attorney General (OAG) Grant.

Early Head Start and Head Start promote school readiness by encouraging parent involvement and through the cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical development of children.

Early Head Start Requirements
Age: 6 weeks to 3 years
Our Early Head Start Centers have an income-based requirement. Though, we encourage everyone to apply.

Early Head Start Child Care Partnership is a new opportunity to support the partnering of Early Head Start Programs with Child Care Providers to expand the number of quality slots for infants and toddlers in San Antonio. Through partnership, Early Head Start grantees partner with center-based and family child care providers who agree to meet Early Head Start Program Performance Standards and Regulations and provide high-quality comprehensive, full-day, full-year services to infants and toddlers from low-income families.

The program provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services that enhance the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of participating children. In addition, services provide young children ages birth to 36 months, with an array of comprehensive services including health, nutritional, behavioral, and family services.

Given the choice, most people want to stay in their homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home.

In-Home Personal Care Services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that cannot easily be provided by their families or friends.

When health issues prevent them from performing simple tasks, impair their mobility, or put their safety and well being at risk, their options may be limited. Some may move in with family members. Some go to nursing homes. Those who do not qualify for public assistance and cannot afford private care often face a serious struggle for independence. That is where Family Service Association steps in to lend a gentle hand.

Older adults who have the ability to remain independent in their own homes with the assistance of supportive services may receive up to 10 hours of direct service each week in the home for personal care and home assistance, including the following:

• Meal planning and preparation
• Light housekeeping,
• Assistance with the daily activities associated with living at home, such as bathing, dressing and grooming, washing and combing hair.

A complete evaluation and assessment is conducted on the first home visit, with on-going supervision at least every 90-days. Follow up visits are scheduled to monitor client needs and to ensure continued appropriateness of services.

An excellent investment, the program can serve 100 clients for less than it would cost to care for 10 patients in an alternate care setting, for the same one-year period.

Services are offered on a sliding fee scale that is based on the client’s ability to pay.

Funding is provided by United Way, Client Fees, and Private Foundations and Corporations.

Promotoras are state-certified community health workers who offer in-home parenting courses focusing on parenting strengths, growth and development of children, establishing nurturing routines, and guiding children's behavior. The parent education classes use a hands-on curriculum with a concurrent children's program, educational groups, follow-up services, and networking activities. The goal is to ensure children are kindergarten-ready and children have a safe, nurturing home.

A unique pilot program created by Councilwoman Gonzales, along with Family Service, it uses a peer-to-peer mentor model, allowing trained community members known as Promotoras, as well as parents in the same targeted zip code areas, to provide valuable in-home healthcare education to families.

District 5, zip codes 78207 and 78205 primarily, but the Promotoras can serve families throughout Bexar County for families with children under the age of 10.

Third-grade reading levels lay a foundation for a successful educational journey. From third grade onwards, sutdents are reading to learn, and literary struggles only compound. Strong reading ability is pivotal to learning and future career goals.

Family Service parent engagement provides free reading tutoring for first, second, and third graders to help them feel confident, pass their exams, and set them up for future success.

Parents volunteer to be reading tutors, which helps them stay engaged in their children's school. The parents are trained by our team members and their school's reading specialists in literacy techniques, games, and curriculum to help students improve their reading skills. Our reading tutors, called Students for Life, help students accelerate their reading skills.

Our impact is only possible with the support of volunteers.

As a community, we have a larger impact together. Year-round, volunteers gather from all over San Antonio for large group projects, one-day events, and project-based service days.

Volunteering with Family Service is sure to align with your passions and utilize your specific skills in giving back to the community. There’s a range of projects from "adopting" one of our early childhood education centers and visiting once-a-month to projects centered on national days, like reading awareness, to beautification and painting of our classrooms and service centers to donation drives for our families.

• Individual and Group Volunteers
• Recurring Volunteer Projects
• Intern

Click here or call us for more volunteer information.

Early Head Start Child Care Partnership is a new opportunity to support the partnering of Early Head Start Programs with Child Care Providers to expand the number of quality slots for infants and toddlers in San Antonio. Through partnership, Early Head Start grantees partner with center-based and family child care providers who agree to meet Early Head Start Program Performance Standards and Regulations and provide high-quality comprehensive, full-day, full-year services to infants and toddlers from low-income families.

The program provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services that enhance the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of participating children. In addition, services provide young children ages birth to 36 months, with an array of comprehensive services including health, nutritional, behavioral, and family services.

Head Start promotes school readiness by encouraging parent involvement and through children's cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical development.

Head Start aims for every child to be:

• Achieving developmental milestones
• Safe, healthy, and well
• School ready
• Forming positive relationships

Family Service Head Start is much more than child care; it’s quality early childhood education that includes:

• Research-Based Curricula Lesson plans are built around research on children’s development and learning and promote positive progress and outcomes.
• Family Engagement Parents' and caregivers' involvement in their children’s education has a long-term impact on their child’s success. Our Centers make it easy for parents to be involved.
• Lower Ratios Our classrooms have fewer students per teacher, allowing for more individualized care and attention.
• Wraparound Services Resources and services are provided to help the child and family thrive.

The age requirement for our Head Start Prekindergarten Program is three years old on or before September 1.

Early Head Start Child Care Partnership is a new opportunity to support the partnering of Early Head Start Programs with Child Care Providers to expand the number of quality slots for infants and toddlers in San Antonio. Through partnership, Early Head Start grantees partner with center-based and family child care providers who agree to meet Early Head Start Program Performance Standards and Regulations and provide high-quality comprehensive, full-day, full-year services to infants and toddlers from low-income families.

The program provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services that enhance the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of participating children. In addition, services provide young children ages birth to 36 months, with an array of comprehensive services including health, nutritional, behavioral, and family services.

Need help managing or reducing your household debt? Want advice on how to build or restore your credit? Did you know 1 in 4 Americans has credit report errors? Let us help you make sure yours is right. Debt doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We can help you negotiate and reduce your household debt. Just by saving $3 a day, you can save up to over $1,000 in a year! We can help you make a plan. Family Service Financial Empowerment counselors can provide unlimited, free, one-on-one financial counseling sessions to help you:

• Take control of your debt
• Deal with debt collectors
• Improve your credit
• Build your savings
• Create a budget
• Find safe and affordable financial products

We also connect individuals to GED and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

This is a drop-off point for emergency utility assistance applications.

The Financial Empowerment Center serves the entire community but targets three surrounding zip codes: 78228, 78237, and 78207.

Free one-on-one financial counseling.

Family Service's Youth Education Programs build on a foundation of technology, innovation, and creation to transition youth from consumers of technology into tomorrow's innovators. Our mix of Youth Education and Career Programs offer something for every student, and encourage the inclusion of their family and support system. Family Service's youth programming develops key relationships and demonstrates to our students how many opportunities are available in San Antonio and beyond.

They include:

• Paid Summer Internship
• C2C Pathways-a yearlong mentoring program
• Transition Camps-to help you move from elementary to middle school and middle to high school
• YAGA-a youth-led afterschool program

Teens 12 to 18 years of age

Free

• Computer Skills Classes
• Free Computer Use

Family Service Best Buy Teen Tech Center provides a free, safe space for youth to find and follow their passions.

Teens have the opportunity to build robots and compete as a team, write and record music, create a brand by mastering Adobe Creative Suite, tell a story with state-of-the-art video equipment, and level up their artwork with technological integration.

Family Service Best Buy Teen Tech Center includes:

• Robotics materials
• Computers
• Recording studio
• Darkroom
• 3D printing
• DJ equipment
• Adobe Creative Suite and graphic design equipment
• Screen printing

To be eligible for membership, you must be 12-18 years old and have a completed parent packet at the time of your first visit.

Free. No registration required.

• Computer Skills Classes

Family Service Association offers numerous professional counseling services including Individual, Couples, Family, Group, Substance Abuse Counseling, and Consultations.

We also provide specialty educational groups such as Anger Management and Domestic Violence Prevention designed to help maintain personal wellness. Services are offered locally in the San Antonio metropolitan area and our rural locations. The services are provided through a combination of at-home and office-based visits. Our licensed counselors are available on days, evenings, Saturdays, and by special appointment.

Our counseling professionals provide services to include working with children, youth, families, and seniors. Our team has many specialized skills to successfully address a wide range of counseling needs. Services are offered for both short and long-term depending on individual needs. We are available to assist with the following:

• Anger Management
• Child Abuse and Neglect
• Child Sexual Abuse
• Depression
• Domestic Violence
• Grief Support
• LGBT Issues
• Life Skills
• Parenting
• Relapse Prevention
• Relationships
• Stress
• Substance Abuse
• Victimization from Crime
• And more!

Counseling services are now available in both in-person and telehealth formats at the discretion of the client, following an initial enrollment session in person.

For more information, please contact the Family Service Behavioral Health Counseling team at 210-299-2406.

Click here for more information

You do not need insurance to make a mental wellness appointment with Family Service.

When you call to make your first appointment, you will be asked if you have insurance and your provider. Uninsured clients have the option to see clinicians on a sliding scale fee.

The Dual Generation program is focused on helping parents go to college or job training and making sure their children receive an appropriate developmental level of education. We can provide childcare for the parents to attend school/training and assist with job placement after completion (or during if needed).

Tuition assistance available for job training programs:

• GED/High School Diploma
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
• Medical Assistant
• Pharmacy Technician
• Commercial Driver License (CDL)
• Administrative Assistant
• Bookkeeping / QuickBooks
• Medical Front Office
• Phlebotomy
• Child Development Associate (CDA)
• Information Technology
• Entrepreneurship
• Electrical Trade Skills Training

Monthly support and access to:

• Financial Empowerment Sessions
• Job & Career Exploration
• Parenting Classes
• Quality Childcare
• Resume Building
• Supportive Services
• Transportation Assistance

To qualify, a family must:

• have at least 1 child aged 0-10; and
• live in one of these zip codes: 78202, 78203, 78205, 78207, 78208, 78210, 78215, 78218, 78219, 78220, 78222, 78227, 78237.

Through Family Service Workforce Development you have access to GED courses, job training, and college classes.

• Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
• Community Health Worker
• High School Equivalency Certification or GED Classes
• English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes
• Early Childhood Development Training
• Earn your early Child Development Associate (CDA) credential
• Early Childhood Classroom Support and Substitutes Training to become a certified substitute teacher
• Information Technology
• Medical Front Office Assistant
• Pharmacy Technician
• Trade Skills training

Need help managing or reducing your household debt? Want advice on how to build or restore your credit? Did you know 1 in 4 Americans has credit report errors? Let us help you make sure yours is right. Debt doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We can help you negotiate and reduce your household debt. Just by saving $3 a day, you can save up to over $1,000 in a year! We can help you make a plan. Family Service Financial Empowerment counselors can provide unlimited, free, one-on-one financial counseling sessions to help you:

• Take control of your debt
• Deal with debt collectors
• Improve your credit
• Build your savings
• Create a budget
• Find safe and affordable financial products

We also connect individuals to GED and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

This is a drop-off point for emergency utility assistance applications.

The Financial Empowerment Center serves the entire community but targets three surrounding zip codes: 78228, 78237, and 78207.

Free one-on-one financial counseling

Given the choice, most people want to stay in their homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home.

In-Home Personal Care Services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that cannot easily be provided by their families or friends.

When health issues prevent them from performing simple tasks, impair their mobility, or put their safety and well being at risk, their options may be limited. Some may move in with family members. Some go to nursing homes. Those who do not qualify for public assistance and cannot afford private care often face a serious struggle for independence. That is where Family Service Association steps in to lend a gentle hand.

Older adults who have the ability to remain independent in their own homes with the assistance of supportive services may receive up to 10 hours of direct service each week in the home for personal care and home assistance, including the following:

• Meal planning and preparation
• Light housekeeping
• Assistance with the daily activities associated with living at home, such as bathing, dressing and grooming, washing and combing hair

A complete evaluation and assessment is conducted on the first home visit, with on-going supervision at least every 90-days. Follow up visits are scheduled to monitor client needs and to ensure continued appropriateness of services.

An excellent investment, the program can serve 100 clients for less than it would cost to care for 10 patients in an alternate care setting, for the same one-year period.

The Neighborhood Place serves the entire community, and targets three surrounding zip codes: 78228, 78237, 78207.

Services are offered on a sliding fee scale that is based on the client’s ability to pay.

Funding is provided by United Way, Client Fees, and Private Foundations and Corporations.

This 8-week (one session per week) program offers proven parenting strategies to help your child be happy, confident, and successful. 

The program provides tips on setting consistent rules at home and helps build stronger relationships while reducing stress for parents!

Session1: Positive Parenting

Session 2: Strategies for developing a good relationship with a child, encouraging good behaviors, and teaching new skills. 

Session 3:  Managing children’s misbehaviors.

Session 4: Planning to prevent challenging behaviors. 

Session 5 - 7: Using positive parenting strategies. 

Session 8: Program Close/Celebration

For Foster and Kinship Caregivers with children between the ages of 2 and 12 years.

• Must be a Bexar County Resident 
• Must attend the first class to enroll. 

Please contact us for more information or to register. 

Classes are offered virtual or in person. 

Classes are offered in English and Spanish.

Early Head Start Child Care Partnership is a new opportunity to support the partnering of Early Head Start Programs with Child Care Providers to expand the number of quality slots for infants and toddlers in San Antonio. Through partnership, Early Head Start grantees partner with center-based and family child care providers who agree to meet Early Head Start Program Performance Standards and Regulations and provide high-quality comprehensive, full-day, full-year services to infants and toddlers from low-income families.

The program provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services that enhance the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of participating children. In addition, services provide young children ages birth to 36 months, with an array of comprehensive services including health, nutritional, behavioral, and family services.

Have you always wanted a different career? Have you been wanting to further your education? Now is the perfect time!

Through Family Service Workforce Development you have access to GED courses, job training, and college classes. We want you to pursue the career of your dreams, and we can help.

New career opportunities can include:

• Certified Nursing Assist. (CNA)
• Community Health Worker Child Development Associate
• Information Technology Security
• Medical Front Office
• Medical Assistant
• Pharmacy Technician

We also connect individuals to GED and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

To learn how you can make a positive change and start a new, exciting career, contact our Workforce and Financial Sustainability Team, or call (210) 431-4425 to attend an information session.

Need help managing or reducing your household debt? Want advice on how to build or restore your personal credit? Did you know 1 in 4 Americans has credit report errors? Let us help you make sure yours is right. Debt doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We can help you negotiate and reduce your household debt. Just by saving $3 a day, you can save up to over $1,000 in a year! We can help you make a plan. Family Service Financial Empowerment counselors can provide unlimited, free, one-on-one financial counseling sessions to help you:

• Take control of your debt
• Deal with debt collectors
• Improve your credit
• Build your savings
• Create a budget
• Find safe and affordable financial products
  
  We also connect individuals to GED and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

The Financial Empowerment Center serves the entire community, but targets three surrounding zip codes: 78228, 78237, 78207.

Free one-on-one financial counseling.

Head Start promotes school readiness by encouraging parent involvement and through children's cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical development.

Head Start aims for every child to be:

• Achieving developmental milestones
• Safe, healthy, and well
• School ready
• Forming positive relationships

Family Service Head Start is much more than child care; it’s quality early childhood education that includes:

• Research-Based Curricula Lesson plans are built around research on children’s development and learning and promote positive progress and outcomes.
• Family Engagement Parents' and caregivers' involvement in their children’s education has a long-term impact on their child’s success. Our Centers make it easy for parents to be involved.
• Lower Ratios Our classrooms have fewer students per teacher, allowing for more individualized care and attention.
• Wraparound Services Resources and services are provided to help the child and family thrive.

The age requirement for our Head Start Prekindergarten Program is three years old on or before September 1.

Need help managing or reducing your household debt? Want advice on how to build or restore your credit? Did you know 1 in 4 Americans has credit report errors? Let us help you make sure yours is right. Debt doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We can help you negotiate and reduce your household debt. Just by saving $3 a day, you can save up to over $1,000 in a year! We can help you make a plan. Family Service Financial Empowerment counselors can provide unlimited, free, one-on-one financial counseling sessions to help you:

• Take control of your debt
• Deal with debt collectors
• Improve your credit
• Build your savings
• Create a budget
• Find safe and affordable financial products

We also connect individuals to GED and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

This is a drop-off point for emergency utility assistance applications.

The Financial Empowerment Center serves the entire community but targets three surrounding zip codes: 78228, 78237, and 78207.

Free one-on-one financial counseling.

Through Family Service Workforce Development you have access to GED courses, job training, and college classes.

• Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
• Community Health Worker
• High School Equivalency Certification or GED Classes
• English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes
• Early Childhood Development Training
• Earn your early Child Development Associate (CDA) credential
• Early Childhood Classroom Support and Substitutes Training to become a certified substitute teacher
• Information Technology
• Medical Front Office Assistant
• Pharmacy Technician
• Trade Skills training

Westside Education & Training Center (WETC), located in Westside San Antonio, in the heart of the Edgewood community, opened in 2006 to improve the education and skill levels of students and community residents served by bridging the gap between education and high-skill, high-wage jobs through the alignment of education and workforce development efforts to ensure students and residents with opportunities to acquire the advanced education and skills necessary to be competitive in the workforce and to support the region’s targeted driver industries and the availability of trained and ready workforce.

WETC offers the following programs and services:

• I-BEST: Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training
• NVC Water Resource Science Program
• NVC Community Health Worker Program
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• General Education Diploma (GED)
• Small Business Development
• Financial Empowerment
• La Printeria
• GED Testing
• Community Computer Lab
• Financial Aid and Admissions Assistance
• Placement Testing
• Advising and Registration
• Public Allies
• Food Pantry
• Healthy Lifestyles

Some services are for Alamo Colleges students only but others are open to prospective students and the community at large. Call for details.

Early Head Start Child Care Partnership is a new opportunity to support the partnering of Early Head Start Programs with Child Care Providers to expand the number of quality slots for infants and toddlers in San Antonio. Through partnership, Early Head Start grantees partner with center-based and family child care providers who agree to meet Early Head Start Program Performance Standards and Regulations and provide high-quality comprehensive, full-day, full-year services to infants and toddlers from low-income families.

The program provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services that enhance the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of participating children. In addition, services provide young children ages birth to 36 months, with an array of comprehensive services including health, nutritional, behavioral, and family services.

Head Start promotes school readiness by encouraging parent involvement and through children's cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical development.

Head Start aims for every child to be:

• Achieving developmental milestones
• Safe, healthy, and well
• School ready
• Forming positive relationships

Family Service Head Start is much more than child care; it’s quality early childhood education that includes:

• Research-Based Curricula Lesson plans are built around research on children’s development and learning and promote positive progress and outcomes.
• Family Engagement Parents' and caregivers' involvement in their children’s education has a long-term impact on their child’s success. Our Centers make it easy for parents to be involved.
• Lower Ratios Our classrooms have fewer students per teacher, allowing for more individualized care and attention.
• Wraparound Services Resources and services are provided to help the child and family thrive.

The age requirement for our Head Start Prekindergarten Program is three years old on or before September 1.

Head Start promotes school readiness by encouraging parent involvement and through children's cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical development.

Head Start aims for every child to be:

• Achieving developmental milestones
• Safe, healthy, and well
• School ready
• Forming positive relationships

Family Service Head Start is much more than child care; it’s quality early childhood education that includes:

• Research-Based Curricula Lesson plans are built around research on children’s development and learning and promote positive progress and outcomes.
• Family Engagement Parents' and caregivers' involvement in their children’s education has a long-term impact on their child’s success. Our Centers make it easy for parents to be involved.
• Lower Ratios Our classrooms have fewer students per teacher, allowing for more individualized care and attention.
• Wraparound Services Resources and services are provided to help the child and family thrive.

The age requirement for our Head Start Prekindergarten Program is three years old on or before September 1.