Community Health Navigator, Early Detection Program

Eastern Connecticut Health Network • Vernon, CT

49d

About The Position

We are a small community hospital where your voice is heard! We believe in sharing ideas and working with staff to create innovative ideas to improve employee engagement and patient care. The Community Health Navigator (CHN) is responsible for providing education and outreach activities to eligible priority populations in community settings. The CHN will also perform screening, assessment, counseling and other support services to clients. This position is funded by the Connecticut Early Detection and Prevention Program and is required to work no less than an average of 36 hours per week, assigned to community field work no less than an average of 24 hours per week, and shall spend no less than 4 hours per weeks meeting with the clinical care team to ensure a team-based approach to patient-centered care.

Requirements

• Minimum requirement is a high school diploma, some college, Associate Degree preferred.
• Any combination of 3 years health/social services experience and/or education.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Good oral and writing skills.
• Employee must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and have access to reliable transportation to travel between multiple work sites in order to perform essential duties. Proof of valid driver license, current auto insurance identification card, current vehicle registration and a driving record free of any major violations is required.
• Close understanding of and shared life experience with the community served.
• Desire to help community.
• Flexible - able to cope with different situations
• Empathy.
• Creativity/Resourcefulness.
• Respectfulness & Tactful - brings about issues in smooth subtle manner.
• Personal strength and courage.
• Persistence.
• Cultural sensitivity.
• Listening Skills - hears what is being said and what's behind the words.
• Knowledgeable - able to impart relevant, updated and sufficient input.
• Open - invites ideas, suggestions, criticisms; involves people in decision making.
• Change Agent - involves participants actively in assuming the responsibility for his own learning.

Nice To Haves

• Community Health Worker core competency training is a plus but not required.
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide education and outreach activities to individuals in eligible priority populations (low-income, uninsured or under-insured women aged 40-64 years) promoting enrollment in Affordable Care Act (ACA) market-based insurance plans, and encouraging utilization of early detection and prevention services available under the ACA.
• Ensure each applicant has been assessed for and referred to available insurance programs before any program services have been delivered.
• Assess for gaps in coverage or other financial barriers that would deter individuals from engaging in early detection and prevention services offered under their plan.
• Ensure full compliance with HIPAA by protecting all personally identifying information associated with a program participant, obtain full names and addressed ONLY when a community member is ready and willing to receive program services.
• Complete all required screening and assessment baseline components to ensure a valid and complete baseline assessment can be documented for comparison with a future rescreening encounter. This includes physical measurements, completion of a behavior assessment questionnaire and blood test results all as specified by Connecticut Early Detection and Prevention Program (CEDPP) policies and procedures.
• Conclude the screening and assessment baseline by delivering risk reduction counseling as prescribed by CEDPP policies and procedures and support each individual to identify and implement strategies and goals to health risk behaviors.
• For those individuals wanting to make changes in their health risk behaviors, conduct a readiness to change assessment and engage the participant to utilize clinical-community linkages and lifestyle programs identified as part of ongoing community resource scans.
• Provide special support options to participants identified with uncontrolled hypertension by engaging them in blood pressure self-management and medication therapy management support options to establish long-term hypertension control.
• Provide health coaching and motivational support to participants on a routine basis to ensure active and engaged participation in their own health outcomes and in the promotion of self-care skills and other follow-up care.
• Follow-up with participants from initial identification through closure via phone calls, home visits and visits to other settings where participants can be found.
• Work closely with medical provider and clinical personnel to ensure that participants have integrated, comprehensive and coordinated care.
• Attend regular staff meetings, trainings and other meetings as needed to ensure a fluid and effective team-based approach to patient-centered care.

Benefits

• Generous Vacation that is front loaded based on budgeted hours. Ex. 40 hours/ week = 26 days a year!
• Sick Time on an accrual basis
• 401(k)/Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance/Employee Assistance Program/Voluntary Benefit Options
• Tuition Reimbursement- eligible after 3 months of employment!
• Free Parking at all work sites: MMH- Employee Parking garage and parking lot, RGC- Parking lot
• Perk Spots (Discounts at local retailers, restaurants, travel, and childcare centers)
• Career Growth within the organization via career ladders, committee involvement, and more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Hospitals
• Education Level: Associate degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees