Community Health Worker I

POSITION TITLE:

Community Health Worker I

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Community Health Worker I provides culturally appropriate outreach, lay health education, and assists patients in accessing needed services in the community. CHW I’s act as a liaison between individuals, the Community Health Center, and area social service providers. The desired candidate has a pleasant, welcoming personality, and is willing to learn new skills. Candidate will support CHCFC’s mission, vision, values and contribute to a work environment that is caring, collaborative, and innovative.

REPORTS TO:

Community Health Worker Team Lead

FLSA STATUS:

Non-Exempt

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Ensures the provision of high-quality patient care by assisting in daily problem solving as it pertains to Health Center patients accessing health-based needs and bridging gaps between individuals and social services they need within the community

1. Conducts Outreach, Engagement, and Population Health Activities:
   • Develops and implements outreach plans in community settings to raise awareness of Health Center services and enroll individuals in need of them. Evening and weekend hours occasionally required
   • Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with community-based organizations and other resources to promote client services, care, education, and advocacy
   • Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to implement data-driven outreach strategies to re-engage patients in care which target Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN), and gaps in digital health navigation

1. Provides Additional Patient Support:
   • Reduces patient access barriers by educating clients on Health Center services by providing assistance with registration and scheduling processes as needed
   • Provides transportation assistance for patients per Health Center transportation assistance protocol. Operates health center vehicle safely and maintains detailed daily activity log and vehicle log per Health Center policies and procedures.
   • Provides introductory-level technology assistance both virtually and in-person to enable patients to engage with telehealth aspects of care delivery
   • Provides direct support in the completion of Sliding Fee Discount program applications for potentially qualified Health Center patients

1. Care Coordination for Health-Related Social Needs
   • Utilizes Health Center EHR to complete patient screenings, document individual outreach encounters, and completes referrals to CHW team. Screenings may be used to assess health-related social needs such as housing access and safety, utilities costs, food access, transportation needs, employment, internet access, language barriers, and physical/psychological safety.
   • Conducts follow-up with patients identified by staff as having health-related social needs to include members of the dental, behavioral health, and primary care teams.
   • Uses identified community resource databases to connect patients with social service agencies who provide services for identified health-related social needs. Assists with application processes, as needed.

• Uses available systems to track services, resource guidance, and patient engagement activities that the CHW conducts to evaluate their impact on patient outcomes.

1. Case Management
   • Confers as needed with Health Center clinicians about patient issues and concerns. Assists Health Center providers and staff by providing cultural insight into client concerns and treatment plan.
   • Identifies themselves as a care team member in the Health Center EHR for patients who they have assisted with one or more service as a CHW
   • Works to identify and provide community-based eligibility and enrollment assistance to the uninsured and current Health Connector members in Massachusetts.
   • Works to assist patients with utilizing telehealth visit access and using the Health Center’s EHR patient portal as means to stay connected with their CHCFC care team

1. Training and Development
   • Participates in workforce trainings and technical assistance opportunities offered by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, among others as direct by supervisor in order to support individual skill development and strengthen CHW programs for the Health Center.

1. Attends and actively participates in Health Center medical team meetings and other staff meetings as required.

1. Effectively communicates with patients and staff across departments.

1. Completes CHCFC credentialing process as required per Health Center Policy.

REQUIRED SKILLS, EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required. Formal training or 1-3 years' experience related to the role required. At least one certification is required as a medical interpreter, insurance navigator, or other certification as approved by hiring manager. Proficiency in written and spoken English. Bi-lingual English/Spanish, English/Haitian Creole, or English/Russian a plus.

Experience: At least 1-3 years’ related experience in the Franklin County community or North Quabbin region required. Prior community outreach or medical office/interpreting experience with specific experience with MassHealth, Children’s Medical Security Plan or other public health programs preferred.

Skills:

• Exceptionally organized. Must be able to manage multiple initiatives, determine urgency in a meaningful and practical way, use goals to guide actions, create detailed action plans, with the ability to organize and schedule people and tasks.
• Must be able to clearly present information through spoken or written words, read and interpret complex information, talk with colleagues, students and collaborative partners, and listen well.
• Must be able to develop rapport with others, recognize their concerns and feelings, build and maintain long-term associations based on trust, and help others.
• Ability to work harmoniously with ethnically, culturally, racially, and gender diverse staff and patients.
• Ability to efficiently operate basic office equipment (multi-line phone, fax, photocopier).
• Ability to use Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook), Internet, and Epic EHR
• Understands and is familiar with basic medical terminology.
• Safe driver with good driving record and current MA license to operate an automobile required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 

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 required to stand, walk, sit, use the hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell.  Must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

WORKING CONDITIONS: 

While performing the required duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent when traveling between Health Center locations where medical care is provided. This position performs tasks that involve exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues.

This job description is subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the employee works. Performs other duties as assigned.

Employee:

Date: