Community Health Worker

SUMMARY:

The Community Health Worker (CHW) is responsible for helping patients and their families to navigate and access community services, other resources and adopt healthy behaviors. The Community Health Worker is a trusted member of and/ or a person who has an unusually close understanding of the community served in the delivery of health-related services through either working directly with providers or their partner organizations. This trusting relationship with the community enables CHW's to serve as a liaison between health and social services and the community to facilitate members' access to community services and improve the quality and cultural competence of services delivered. CHW's build individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support, and advocacy.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS :

• Engage, motivate, and advocate community members to build knowledge and skills for self- directed change and community development.
• Builds and maintains collaborative and positive relationships with community, clinic staff, and clinic partners.
• Provides outreach and education to individuals or groups on topics related to health and health promotion, which may include health prevention screenings, sexual and reproductive health, communicable disease prevention, testing, vaccination, and support services.
• Provides information and referrals to community resources necessary to improve health or address health-related social needs. Including, but not limited to, food and nutrition, housing security, economic support, and legal services. If CHW is not directly involved in care management, the CHW will refer to care management team for these referrals.
• Assists and/or navigating patients in accessing health-related services and community resources, such as appointments.
• Collects data and information as required by the evaluation plan and processes. Provides feedback to evaluation team and program management on evaluation process issues.
• Uses assigned technology to complete job functions effectively.
• Maintain and document confidential information.
• Reports on program implementation, data of individuals receiving assistance, and client stories sharing highlights, challenges, and recommendations.
• Provides ongoing support and services for clients as needed.
• Performs other job duties as required by unit lead

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES :

• All other duties as required and assigned.
• Flexible with varying hours based on the needs of the department.
• Good written and verbal communication skills required for contacts within other departments, patients, families, the community, and medical staff

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None

EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Education: high school graduate or equivalent required. Medical Assistant Certification preferred
• Strong project leadership skills with goal orientation. Able to work with professional and technical staff to manage large projects and change activities with minimal business interruption and on-time delivery.
• Advance understanding of hospital operations and clinical functions.
• Experience in community work, education, health care, or related field preferred
• Strong project leadership and implementation skills.
• Strong analytical skills, able to translate concepts into implementation strategies.

Advance understanding of interfaces

• Understanding of clinical application support processes and ambulatory EHR workflows
• A flexible and positive attitude
• A welcoming and nurturing attitude toward our patient population
• Strong computer skills and basic knowledge of Microsoft Excel
• Experience in customer service setting
• Strong verbal and written communication
• High level of integrity
• Proficient PC skill
• Fluency in Spanish preferred.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS:

Basic Life Support

AGE OF POPULATION SERVED :

Newborn  Infant/Pediatric  Adolescent  Adult Geriatric  All X  No Patient Care

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS :

• Occasional travel between training locations required.
• Sitting for extended periods of time
• Stooping and bending are required.
• Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, power tools, and to handle other computer components.
• Some lifting of more than 50 lbs. may be required.