Community Health Worker

POSITION SUMMARY:

A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a trusted member of the community who helps promote and maintain stable health and wellness for families, through connecting hospital, home-based, and community-based services. The CHW is responsible for providing advocacy and case management services; partnering with patients to establish and enact health goals; facilitating access to and coordination among social service resources and other internal and external resources; monitoring patients’ progress; and problem-solving with patients to both accelerate and enhance access to concrete supports and work towards obtaining patient autonomy. The CHW will play a crucial part in population health management and patient navigation, contributing to the overall effectiveness of our healthcare initiatives.

Position: Community Health Worker       

Department: General Internal Medicine

Schedule: Full Time

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:

Key Responsibilities:

Population Health Management:

• Participate in training focused on population health management and patient navigator supervision.
• Collaborate with investigators and SSO staff to develop and enhance a triage tool that assesses patient Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN).
• Refine referral protocols to ensure strategies align with individual patient needs during the implementation phase.

Support for Patient Navigators (PN):

• Serve as a key resource for PNs, offering guidance and support in overcoming barriers to the referral process.
• Assist PNs in identifying and accessing community social services.

Resource Management:

• Maintain and update the THRIVE Directory, ensuring PNs have access to accurate and current community resources.
• Provide Social Service Guides (SSGs) to patients, continuously updated in multiple languages, and refer them to appropriate SSOs through the THRIVE Directory platform when consent is given.

Follow-Up and Coordination:

• Conduct follow-ups with patients who received SSGs or referrals, updating their status in the THRIVE Directory after 1-2 months.
• If patients fail to connect with SSOs, facilitate referrals to PNs for further assistance.

Community Engagement and Leadership:

• Lead the Community-Clinical-Patient (CCP) Working Group, meeting monthly to inform the development of referral workflows and review cases of patients who have not connected with resources.
• Collaborate with representatives from SSO partners, PNs, and investigators to refine practices that support patient connections.

Training and Development:

• Participate in training on Liberation Health principles, focusing on addressing HRSN and understanding health disparities, biases, and power dynamics in patient relationships.
• Utilize training to improve team dynamics and enhance patient care strategies.

High Support Strategy Engagement:

• Work closely with PNs to identify patients requiring high support strategies, facilitating their outreach and connection with additional resources.
• Support PNs in documenting barriers to care and developing new plans for resource connections, ensuring a collaborative approach.

Qualifications:

• Previous experience in community health, public health, or a related field is preferred.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• A commitment to improving community health outcomes and addressing social determinants of health.
• Willingness to undergo training in population health management and transdisciplinary leadership.

Why Join Us? This role offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on community health by enhancing patient navigation and fostering collaborative care. As a CHW, you will be at the forefront of innovative healthcare strategies that directly benefit our patients and the community.

Application Process: Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter detailing their relevant experience and motivation for applying. We look forward to welcoming a passionate CHW to our team!

NOTE:  The CWA will not provide hands on care or other services noted as home health services, including but not limited to:  performance assessments, provision of care, treatment, or counseling; and/or monitoring of patient’s health status.

Must adhere to all of BMC’s RESPECT behavioral standards.

(The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required).

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (social work, public health, etc.) preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:

None. 

EXPERIENCE:

Minimum of 2 years prior healthcare, public health, or community-based experience, preferably working with children and families.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Outstanding interpersonal skills to interact with families and patients.
• Basic knowledge of the healthcare system.
• Interest in community health and outreach.
• Exceptional organizational skills; ability to multi-task and work independently as well as part of a team.
• Demonstrated oral and written English communication skills; fluency in Haitian Creole or Spanish is preferable.
• Understanding of how language, culture, and socioeconomic circumstances affect health.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and data tracking.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans