Community Health Worker - Chicago, Illinois

Waymark is a team of healthcare providers, technologists, and builders whose mission is to bring the best healthcare to people with Medicaid benefits.  Guided by the communities we serve, we bring support and technology-enabled care to help primary care providers keep Medicaid patients healthy.  We are building the tools and designing an approach to enable care to reach the patients who can benefit most.  

Our core values embody the essence of what makes Waymark a unique team today, and what we look for, nurture, and sustain as a team. We are bold builders, believing that the greatest challenges in care delivery can be solved when we harness the power of community and technology. We are humble learners, seeking feedback and perspectives different from our own, and welcome challenges to our conclusions. We experiment to improve, actively seeking data to inform decisions and to assess our own performance. We act with focused urgency, our commitment to our mission drives us to tirelessly pursue results.

If this vision resonates with you, we hope you consider bringing your creativity, your energy, your curiosity to Waymark.

About this role

As a Community Health Worker, you will be Waymark’s frontline presence in the community, connecting with patients to provide social support, advocacy and navigation. You will work to improve the health of patients from low- income communities, by connecting them with various providers and resources. You will be part of a care team that is multidisciplinary and includes licensed clinical social workers, pharmacists, and care coordinators. 

Responsibilities

• Attend a 2-3 week long paid training program.
• Meet patients in the community, in the home, and in healthcare facilities and conduct a needs assessment, including motivating patients to set and achieve health goals.
• Help patients with health-related social issues like homelessness, substance use and hunger.  
• Work with other CHWs and staff to create a directory of community resources (e.g., food banks, housing assistance programs, childcare resources, etc.).
• Manage relationships with the healthcare facility providers and partner with care delivery team (Pharmacists, Social workers, and Care Coordinators).
• Continuously expand knowledge of community resources, services, and programs available to members and build ongoing relationships with these organizations to advocate for members.
• Accompany members to medical appointments as appropriate.
• Navigate technology systems to document each patient encounter in detail and accurately.
• Meet patients virtually, by phone or video visit, for conversations as appropriate.
• Support outreach to individuals eligible for Waymark support both in-person and by phone to establish a relationship and let them know about Waymark’s services.
• Participate in weekly care team huddles. 

Minimum qualifications

• Highly organized and self-motivated to work independently and manage schedules efficiently.
• Sound judgment and the ability to quickly analyze situations.
• Ability to work with a diverse community in an empathetic, passionate and professional manner.
• ​​Friendly, energetic, and enthusiastic personality.
• Desire to help others.
• Cultural competency- able to work with diverse groups of community members.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and active listening abilities.
• Computer literate with experience and comfort using technology for virtual communication, scheduling, and documentation.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and taking on a variety of tasks as needed.
• Reside within a commutable distance of Chicago, Illinois.
• Travel required within the surrounding counties (up to 80%).
• Current Driver’s license and access to an insured vehicle. 

Preferred qualifications 

• Community Health Worker certification.
• Long time resident of the Chicago area and knowledgeable of community resources. 
• Experience conducting home visits and outreach. 
• Experience working with managed care patients.
• Experience in customer- or client-service roles
• Knowledge of Greater Chicago Medicaid populations.

Hourly Rate Range

$23.08 - $26.20

In addition to salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package. Here’s what you can expect:

Stock Options : Opportunity to invest in the company’s growth.
Work-from-Home Stipend: A dedicated stipend for your first year to help set up your home office.
Medical, Vision, and Dental Coverage: Comprehensive plans to keep you and your family healthy.
Life Insurance: Basic life insurance to give you peace of mind.
Paid Time Off: 20 vacation days, accrued over the year, plus 11 paid holidays.
Parental Leave:  16 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents after six months of employment, and 8 weeks of bonding leave for non-birthing parents.
Retirement Savings: Access to a 401(k) plan with a company contribution, subject to a vesting schedule.
Commuter Benefits: Convenient options to support your commute needs.
Professional Development Stipend: A dedicated stipend supports professional development and growth.

COVID Vaccination:  Waymark has adopted a policy on mandatory full vaccination to safeguard our employees, our partners, and the patients we serve from the hazard of COVID-19.  As a healthcare company, we believe it is important for our employees and actions to reflect the best available science and the interests of public health.  You will be asked to attest to your COVID vaccination status before an offer of employment is made.

Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that some of us may be less likely to apply to jobs unless we meet every single qualification. Waymark is dedicated to building a supportive, equal opportunity, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every preferred qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!