Community Health Worker - Health Access

Mass General Brigham•Northampton, MA

7d•$18 - $24•Onsite

About The Position

The Community Health Worker - Health Access is a key member of A Positive Place's interdisciplinary HIV care and prevention team integrating community health work into clinical care by addressing social determinants of health and health equity. In general, CHWs partner with individuals living with HIV in managing medical care, social services coordination, disease education, trauma and recovery, positive prevention, sexual health promotion, housing, and substance use risk reduction. The Community Health Worker - Health Access works collaboratively with clients and other APP Care team members (case management, housing, recovery coaching, peer advocacy, health navigation), and partners with Infectious Disease specialists, PCPs, and other providers to ensure equitable access to health insurance, the HIV Drug Assistance Program, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) medications.

Requirements

High School Diploma or Equivalent required
Experience working with individuals living with HIV, and/or unhoused individuals/families, people in recovery, trauma survivors, members of Black, Latine, GBTQ communities, formerly incarcerated individuals, and/or other historically minoritized populations with cultural humility 1-2 years required
Financial counseling for uninsured/underinsured, case management, client advocacy, systems’ navigation or other related community health work 1-2 years required
Crisis intervention, goal planning, mediating, sexual health promotion, substance use harm reduction, disease management, medication education 1-2 years required
Community-based and/or clinical care work settings, home visits, and other off-site locations 1-2 years required
Demonstrated knowledge of local resources and government programs available to support individuals who are uninsured/underinsured.
Skilled in strength-based, people-first, harm reduction, culturally humble, and restorative approaches to equitable community health care and prevention.
Current driver’s license, good driving record, and reliable transportation.
Bilingual (Spanish) required.
Strong cross-cultural interpersonal, organizational, and oral and written communication skills.
Basic-Intermediate digital literacy required.

Nice To Haves

A person with lived experience of populations served is a plus.

Responsibilities

Partner with Infectious Disease Specialists and patients to ensure equitable access to health care via assistance in completing and updating applications to MassHealth, Health Connector, Health Safety Net, and the statewide HIV drug assistance program.
Conduct needs assessments, co-create health and well-being plans with individuals, addressing clinical and psychosocial drivers of health and barriers to access.
Facilitate communications and serve as a point of contact between clients, medical providers, insurers, and the statewide HIV Drug Assistance Program to support clear decision-making and problem-solving and meet health goals.
Navigate complex local, state, and federal resources/programs available to clients, bridging gaps in access to services, and improving client experience.
Offer Advocacy & Support to amplify the voice of clients, empower individuals to understand their rights, and achieve self-identified goals.
Provide ongoing follow-up and support to individuals to ensure continuity of care and successful achievement of health and well-being goals.
Provide supportive referrals to community health centers for primary care, behavioral health, and dental services.
Advance health equity by bridging gaps between minoritized communities and health systems.
Collect data and maintain accurate records of interactions and outcomes to improve client outcomes, reduce health disparities in diverse populations, inform improvement strategies, and design new services.