Community Health Worker - RCCC

About HealthCare Access Maryland (HCAM):

HealthCare Access Maryland (HCAM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making Maryland healthier by connecting residents to health insurance coverage and providing comprehensive care coordination. Each year, HCAM assists over 80,000 individuals across the state, offering personalized guidance, health education, and advocacy to ensure every Marylander has an equal opportunity to achieve optimal health.

The RCCC Community Health Worker (CHW) is responsible for providing outreach, social support, care transition, and community resource information to soon release clients and their families. The Community Health Worker serves as a bridge for returning citizen clients, the corrections clinical care team, and the community to address health-related social needs with the goal of reducing recidivism and emergency room use. CHW will provide care coordination services for the client/participant for an approximate 90-120 day period, maintain a caseload of 50-70 individuals at a time. The CHW will schedule appointments, accompanying as needed, educate and link to community resources and refer clients to local social service agencies. Additionally, the CHW will assist with completing forms and applications for benefits and community resources, coach clients on self-management, conduct community home visits, and ensure the client has active medical insurance coverage. The RCCC CHW will serve individuals serving and being released to Baltimore County, Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Administration

• Participation in professional development opportunities that build skill in areas of client engagement and intervention, motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed outreach strategies.
• Participation in all internal and external meetings, conferences, seminars, workshops
• Complete the DPSCS Clearance training to access Maryland State Institutions.
• Must work on-site within the DPSCS institutions and work directly with clients face-to-face related to program enrollment questions and concerns.
• Respectfully communicate in a timely manner with the supervisor.

Community Partnerships/Outreach

• Initiate client outreach via telephone or via home visit within 2-3 days of receipt from the referral coordinator to conduct social needs screenings and health risk assessments prior to the clients release from custody.
• Provide health education to uninsured clients about available health insurance programs; assist them in choosing an MCO and identifying a primary and dental medical provider, behavioral health and substance use provide if applicable.
• Refer clients to relevant programs that can further support them in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, or any other Maryland districts as needed.
• Connect and collaborate with Providers, Discharge Planers, Re-Entry Coordinators, Social Workers, Community Based Organizations, MCO Case managers and other professionals to address and resolve client need.
• Participation in all DPSCS Resource Fairs and other community outreach events and activities.

Care Coordination

• Pre-release, work on-site within the DPSCS institutions, meet clients face-to-face related to program enrollment.
• Post-Release, visit with clients in various settings including but not limited to at home, transitional houses/recovery houses, HCAM offices or other facilities as agreed upon by the Community Health Worker and client.
• Connect with the client within 48-72 hours after release to provide hygiene kit and establish care plan.
• Connect with clients on a weekly basis for up to two months post release, and monthly thereafter for up to 12 months to provide ongoing assistance and linkage to care and services.
• Assess, enroll, and refer clients to a variety of available resources to reduce barriers to care.
• Empower clients to engage, stay engaged, re-engage with community service by using motivational interviewing techniques to engage and coordinate care/services to clients.
• Follow HIPAA, confidentiality, and mandated reporting to the appropriate authority representative, in cases of abuse, neglect, or imminent danger.
• Maintain a monthly minimum success rate of 70%.
• Maintain a monthly minimum on-time case closure rate of 80%.

Documentation

• Documentation of all outreach activities according to standard operating procedures in the HCAM electronic medical database.
• Documents client assessments, activity, service plans and resolutions; prepare narrative and statistical reports.
• Provide real-time updates to the supervisor as it pertains to Welcome Letters and Door Hanger distribution.

Human Resources

• Complete and submit timesheets timely and accurately.
• Complete all the training courses required as assigned.

Additional duties and responsibilities:

• Must be able to work flexible non-traditional hours as needed.
• Additional duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education, Experience, Certifications and Licensures:

• High School Diploma or GED with significant human services experience. Bachelor’s degree in a Human Services field is preferred.
• Six (6) months experience working in a Community Health Worker (CHW) role or in another position with the provision of social services, supportive services, personal care, or related duties
• Maryland Insurance Certified Application Counselor (must complete within 2 mo. of hire)
• Maryland Community Health Worker Certification within 12 months of hire
• CPR certification
• Reliable transportation required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Strong computer literacy skills, specifically with MS Word, Excel, Outlook and SharePoint (365).
• Organizational skills with the ability to meet a demanding workload
• Detail oriented to complete requirements of files and contract compliance.
• Sensitivity to cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of population served.
• We practice the "Housing First" philosophy. Knowledge is preferred, support is required.
• Excellent oral and written interpersonal and communication skills required
• Proven ability to work efficiently and meet deadline

Compensation

In compliance with Maryland's wage transparency requirements, the compensation for this role has been included in the posting. Additionally, the benefits package includes vacation, sick, personal, and mental health leave, a 401k retirement plan with employer match, medical, dental, life, short-term and long-term disability insurance, company-paid life insurance, voluntary life insurance options, Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options, and a voluntary emergency savings fund with employer match.

EEO Statement

HealthCare Access Maryland provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected classification. Equal employment opportunity includes, but is not limited to, hiring, training, promotion, demotion, transfer, leaves of absence, and termination. HealthCare Access Maryland takes allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation seriously and will promptly investigate when such behavior is reported.

Safety & Health Responsibilities:

HCAM is committed to providing and maintaining a safe, secure and healthy work environment for all employees, clients served, volunteers and visitors. As part of this commitment, HCAM has developed safety, security and occupational health policies, practices, and standards.

With this understanding, all employees are required to: Adhere to all local, state and federal safety and environmental codes, ordinances, standards and laws; adhere to all HCAM and local safety plans, policies, practices and standards; be aware of and follow all safety rules of your work site; report any unsafe conditions or accidents to your supervisor; practice standard precautions (formerly universal precautions) at all times, and; participate in mandatory or available safety training.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear and respond to customers and employees. The employee frequently is required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to walk and sit. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.