Community Health Specialist 2 - Deflection

Multnomah County•Portland, OR

7d•$28 - $35•Onsite

About The Position

The Community Health Specialist 2 conducts street outreach to people likely to encounter deflection in Multnomah County. The position aims to connect unhoused individuals with services at the Coordinated Care Pathway Center and reduce the likelihood of arrest for possession charges. It engages people from communities that have not traditionally accessed drug and alcohol services and addresses gaps in care through health education, collaboration with partners, and strategies responsive to community needs. The role maintains a respectful, trusting, and understanding work culture for the diverse populations served by the Health Department. The position provides direct outreach and client services to people experiencing street homelessness, substance use, mental health disorders, and other health challenges. It builds relationships using evidence-based approaches, supports behavioral change and recovery, assesses immediate needs, and connects clients to low-threshold, harm-reduction services. Assistance may include connections to detoxification, medication-assisted treatment, mental health treatment, expedited shelter access, housing, and legal advocacy. The role also works with people who decline structured treatment, collaborating with community organizations and service providers to address their needs. The specialist collaborates with clients, coworkers, community partners, committees, and workgroups to improve services and outreach. The role maintains documentation in assigned tracking sheets, electronic health records, and other data systems; records outcomes required by the Oregon Health Authority; protects confidentiality and complies with HIPAA; and shares feedback about participant needs, access barriers, health outcomes, and advocacy strategies. This is an in-person, hourly, union-represented, non-exempt position in the Health Department. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The position is eligible for overtime. A background investigation, which may include fingerprinting, is required.

Requirements

Education and experience equivalent to an associate's degree and one to four years of experience demonstrating the ability to perform the duties; qualifying training and/or experience equivalency is three to six years.
Valid driver's license and access to a vehicle for travel around the area.
Current Basic Life Support CPR certification from the American Heart Association or a similar agency; required by the date of hire.
Certification in Oregon as a Community Health Worker (CHW), Peer Support Specialist (PSS), or Peer Wellness Specialist (PWS).
Attach copies of required licenses or certifications.
Ability to meet the position's background investigation requirement, which may include fingerprinting.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience guiding clients through addiction recovery, mental health systems, detoxification facilities, and medication-assisted treatment, and facilitating peer support or recovery.
Working knowledge of client confidentiality laws, including HIPAA compliance.
Experience conducting deflection outreach to people experiencing homelessness and expertise applying harm-reduction frameworks.
Experience reporting and documenting in electronic health record systems.
Understanding of cultural, racial, and ethnic factors, systemic advantage and disadvantage, acculturation, intergenerational immigrant family challenges, trauma related to immigration, war, family separation, detention or refugee camps, generational trauma, and other factors affecting mental health and treatment in non-dominant cultures.
Ability to apply an equity, intersectional, and anti-racist lens.
Knowledge of the cultures, customs, and social experiences of communities facing marginalization and barriers to opportunity.
Ability to exercise judgment, diplomacy, and tact with sensitive, complex, confidential information and situations, and to act professionally and empathically with individuals, partners, and communities.
Additional relevant skills or training such as de-escalation techniques, safety practices, working with law enforcement, and knowledge of housing programs or other community resources.

Responsibilities

Conduct direct street outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness and assess their immediate needs.
Build relationships with people experiencing substance use, mental health disorders, and other health challenges using evidence-based tools and techniques that support motivation, change, and safety.
Support clients and groups in moving toward recovery, understanding addiction, and pursuing behavioral change through knowledge and peer support.
Identify and engage people from communities that have not traditionally accessed drug and alcohol services.
Maintain and share current knowledge of community partners, resources, health education events, and opportunities to improve health and wellness.
Build and maintain constructive relationships with staff, patients, program staff, and partner agency staff.
Connect clients to appropriate resources, including low-threshold, harm-reduction services, substance use detoxification, medication-assisted treatment, mental health treatment, expedited shelter access, housing, and legal advocacy.
Collaborate with organizations such as community groups, hostels, homelessness services, pharmacies, needle exchanges, and housing providers to support people who decline structured treatment.
Communicate and collaborate regularly with patients, coworkers, and community partners, recognizing the needs of people and families from varied cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, and age groups.
Participate in committees and workgroups with internal and external partners to communicate about and improve program services and outreach.
Complete and maintain required documentation in assigned tracking sheets, electronic health records, and other data systems.
Enter outcome and other information required by the Oregon Health Authority in accordance with team workflows.
Follow reporting requirements and protect client confidentiality in data and electronic records in compliance with HIPAA.
Provide PATH leadership and partners with feedback about participant needs, barriers to access, expected health outcomes, and effective community advocacy strategies.
Attend collaborative outreach meetings with internal and external stakeholders to develop and improve programs.