Community Health Worker II

Company: Cambridge Health Alliance
Location: Cambridge
Posted on: March 15, 2023

Job Description:

Location: City of Revere, MA Health Department

Work Days: Various shifts including evenings and weekends

Category: Social Work

Department: Health Access & Outreach

Job Type: Full time

Work Shift: Various Shifts

Hours/Week: 40.00

Union: Yes

Union Name: Union of Social Workers

CAMBRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE IS HIRING! Summary:

The Community Health Worker II will be an integral member of CHA's Community Health Improvement (CHI) Team. The CHW will work closely with CHI and community partners and serve as a liaison between the healthcare, municipal systems, and the community to facilitate access to services, address barriers to care, increase the delivery of culturally appropriate services and actively build individual and community capacity. This position will be assigned to work in Malden, Everett or Revere.

The goal is to improve community resilience in Malden, Everett and Revere, and address COVID response and long term recovery. We use a Community Health Workers (CHW) model, embedding ethnic/community-based workers in CHA clinics and in the local Boards of Health of each partner community. The deployment of trained community health workers in community and in municipal settings will strengthen COVID response efforts and address existing health disparities.

The program will support and empower communities and health systems in equitable recovery from the pandemic through successful vaccination efforts, and equip these partners to handle future emergencies in ways that mitigates inequities.

This is a new position, the roles and responsibilities will be fluid and created between CHA and communities to best serve people.

All responsibilities of the CHW will be consistent with the scopes of practice acts governing community health workers in Massachusetts.
Key Responsibilities:

• Support community resources and resilience efforts that address food systems, built environment, and other community conditions that impact health, with a particular emphasis on systems that were struggling even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Support community coalition building, either by actively participating in an existing coalition or working with local partners to establish a coalition, as needed.
• Serve as a resource to residents to share information about services and opportunities for engagement.
• Continuously expand knowledge and understanding of community resources and services, and engage in public health prevention and evidence-based intervention programs. Participates in training activities and continuing education to build this knowledge and skills to be successful and perform the functions of the job.
• Obtain certification if necessary.
• Screen individuals for social determinants of health.
• Help community members in identifying and utilizing community resources that will benefit their health and wellbeing using databases such as CHA Connect. This includes scheduling appointments, arranging for transportation, and assisting with the completion of applications for programs for which they may be eligible for such as housing, transportation, SNAP, work related documentation such as disability forms and FMLA, health insurance in addition to others. Identifying and connecting individuals to workforce development opportunities.
• Engage patients in primary care who may have been disengaged because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Facilitate communication and coordinate services between community members and CHA.
• Join the CHI team in developing and providing opportunities for consistent interaction and trust building activities in the community, and encourage residents to participate in civic dialogue and public discussions.
• Attend and table at events, speak to community groups, conduct surveys, hold meetings and events as necessary.
• Work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds in reducing cultural and socio-economic barriers between community members and institutions.
• Develop and implement culturally and linguistically tailored educational and support activities designed in partnership with CHA providers and community stakeholders on health and health risks.
• Provide individual interaction health education and support to residents facing or at risk for chronic diseases. This will include being trained on evidence-based approaches and implementing in delivery to individuals and groups.
• Collaborates with multi-disciplinary teams, including clinical and non-clinical staff, at sites across CHA. Works with the Primary Care and Complex Care Management Teams to provide proactive outreach and support to patients.
• Provide critical health education in individual or group sessions and help inform and empower individuals and communities so that they are aware of the political nature of health equity and willing to engage in efforts to improve community infrastructure.
• Maintain documentation of input, feedback, concerns and requests from community members that will help develop programs to meet the needs of the community.
• Engage in data collection activities as determined in conjunction with DPH and CDC
• Provide support for vaccination clinics and vaccination campaigns. Provide education on conditions that place patients at high risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19 (e.g., culturally tailored group education classes for chronic disease management
• Attend meetings as requested such as the Board of Health, the CHA clinic, Supervisory Meetings and others.
• May be assigned to work in multiple communities at either the clinics or at the municipal health departments if necessary.
• Frequently uses EPIC information and other data to outreach patients, follow-up with clinical teams, prescription refills, transportation, community resources, etc.
• Visit patients in their homes to conduct wellness checks or provide health or wellness information or screenings.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor. Organizational Duties and Responsibilities: Rating Scale:
  • Creates a respectful environment for our patients and care team. Respects differences in language, culture, race, religion, citizenship, gender, and sexual orientation and does not discriminate on the basis of income, insurance status, immigration status, or disability.
  • Complies with CHA policies on confidentiality of information regarding patients, families and co-workers.
  • Adheres to dress code; appearance is neat and clean.
  • Completes annual educational requirements and training as required.
  • Wears identification while on duty.
  • Reports to work as scheduled and ready to receive assignments.
  • Attends meetings and participates in committees as required. Minimum Qualifications:
    
    The CHW shares ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status and/or life experiences with the community members they serve. We seek a high energy individual with excellent interpersonal, organizational, and computer skills. Must have the ability to multitask and effectively interact with all members of the health care team, including patients. Must maintain confidentiality around patient issues and take initiative to proactively organize and manage the responsibilities of the job. Must be flexible and empathic while engaging patients and problem-solving barriers to improving their health. Requires daily travel between primary care sites, hospitals/ specialty care, and home visits.
    
    Language: Bilingual (English and Portuguese, Haitian Creole and/or Spanish) in the specific cultural/language group of the primary care region served.
    
    Education/Training : Bachelor's degree preferred, preferably in human services or a related field strongly preferred. CHW Certification (when available), Community Health Education Center training within one year of start date, Area Health Education Center (AHEC) training, or 2 years of health science related coursework.
    
    Work Experience: Two years in a relevant human service field in a multidisciplinary setting; experience with relevant community groups and/or in a multicultural setting preferred.
    
    Physical Skills: Requires prolonged sitting, some bending and stretching. Requires eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, photocopier, fax machine, telephone, calculator, and other office equipment. Requires normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare and communicate appropriate reports. Requires ability to meet with patients in their homes and in community settings.
    
    Soft Skills: Ability to work effectively with many constituencies. Ability to work independently while also being a skilled team player. Ability to communicate clearly in written and oral communication. Ability to process sensitive information in a timely manner and maintain strict confidentiality. Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and be detail oriented. Ability to prioritize and organize work assignments. Ability to concentrate and complete tasks with ongoing interruptions and distractions.
    
    Working Conditions and Physical Environment: Vehicle required. Will require travel between CHA sites, to patient homes, and to community service providers. Requires evenings and weekends.
    
    In keeping with federal, state and local laws, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) policy forbids employees and associates to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, national origin . click apply for full job details

Keywords: Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge , Community Health Worker II, Healthcare , Cambridge, Massachusetts