Karla Bautista

Karla Bautista, MPH, CHW, came to the Meadows Institute from Fort Bend County Health and Human Services, where she served as a Population Health Initiatives Specialist as part of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Public Health Fellowship. In this role, she collaborated on the department’s Community Health Assessment, Community Health Improvement Plan, engaged with the community in outreach events, tracked legislation and supported the growth of the health department of a rapidly growing and diverse county.

Prior to joining the Institute, Karla volunteered with various community-based organizations and programs, served on a board, coalitions, work groups and planning committees for community events. During graduate school, she was a research assistant and published articles with a focus on mental health. She has worked with local nonprofits dedicated to improving student outcomes and supporting local minority entrepreneurs.

At The Hackett Center for Mental Health, Karla supports the day-to-day operations of Brain Builders (an early childhood development intervention) by supporting the coordination of parenting classes in both English and Spanish, assists with the training of other professionals to teach the classes utilizing the train-the-trainer model, and assists with outreach, recruitment, and community partner relationships.

Karla earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Public Health with a concentration in community health from Baylor University. She was born and raised in Katy, TX and is excited to be back home to raise her daughter close to her family.