Community Health Worker I

YWCA Seattle King Snohomish•Seattle, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

This Community Health Worker I (CHW-I) provides health education, health care advocacy, health care system navigation, and psycho-social emotional support to unhoused/unstably housed individuals and families virtually and/or in-person at several sites in the region, improving access to health services for this population. The CHW-I also conducts focused community outreach and provides 1:1 health insurance enrollment assistance through the Health Benefit Exchange. Lived experience and demonstrated community involvement highly desirable. This position will receive significant on the job training and there are potential advancement opportunities with long term tenure. This position has a social justice component that requires critical thinking through the lens of racism and intersections with poverty. Knowing the core principles of antiracism and grounding those principles in everyday work are required job skills and core values. As an equal opportunity employer, we highly encourage people of color to apply.

Requirements

One year of direct social service or health care related experience with one year of experience with low-income and/or homeless families OR A Bachelorâ€™s degree in social services or a related field with at least two years of direct social service experience with low-income and/or unhoused families
Demonstrated commitment to racial equity and social justice, and an understanding of the interconnected impacts of racism and poverty.
Demonstrated commitment to providing health education, outreach, or health promotion to diverse or underserved communities
Ability to travel to various work sites, as needed.
High level of organization and attention to detail is required.
Ability to communicate and collaborate across agencies and organizational cultures.
Ability to work independently and adapt to change.
Demonstrated creative problem-solving skills
Basic computer literacy with ability to use Outlook, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Sharepoint

Nice To Haves

Lived experience and demonstrated community involvement highly desirable.
Knowledge and experience related to domestic violence, being unhoused, mental health, SUD, or case management preferred.
Familiarity assisting with health insurance enrollment and access to medical, dental, vision, and specialty care a plus.
Bilingual desired

Responsibilities

Develops and maintains schedule of availability with referring partners in the community to provide services to program participants.
Provides services via telehealth and/or in-person in the community in King and South Snohomish counties, as needed.
Assesses health coverage, health care access history, and resource needs of program participants.
Provides referrals and coordination of medical, vision, dental, mental health care, along with referrals to other social services that address the social determinants of health.
Provides program participants with education and advocacy about managed care, health insurance coverage and health care system utilization.
Trouble shoots with medical providers and billing departments at clinics and medical centers.
Facilitates WA Apple Health (Medicaid) and Qualified Health Plan enrollment and recertification through WAHealthPlanFinder
Meets regularly with supervisor and team for updates, collaboration, case management and review.
Incorporates the YWCAâ€™s Race and Social Workplan by understanding how racism, sexism, classism, and other oppressions intersect and are embedded in institutions.
Assure that program participants, staff, volunteers, and community partners are treated with respect and dignity regardless of race, ethnic background, gender, or socioeconomic background.
Provide psycho-social emotional support to program participants as needed and necessary.