Community Health Worker (South Austin)

Texas Health Action•Austin, TX

4h•$22•Onsite

About The Position

Texas Health Action (THA) is a community-informed non-profit organization dedicated to providing access to culturally affirming, quality health services in a safe and supportive environment, with expertise in serving LGBTQIA+ people and those impacted by HIV. Kind Clinic proudly serves Texas with four vibrant locations: two in Austin, one in San Antonio, and another in Dallas plus virtual care services available to all residents across Texas. Bolstered by Waterloo Counseling Center and a passionate team of over 250 dedicated employees and volunteers, THA is at the forefront of promoting healthcare equity and accessibility throughout the state. Read more about THA here: http://texashealthaction.org. Texas Health Action is seeking a Community Health Worker (CHW) to serve our Kind Clinic locations in Austin, TX. The CHW will work across clinic and program departments to directly assist individuals with linkage and retention efforts for primary HIV medical care, including those newly diagnosed, recently incarcerated, and/or out-of-care persons living with HIV (PLWH). The CHW will also assist with retention in care efforts for clients receiving biomedical interventions to reduce their risk of becoming infected with HIV, such as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) or PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). This is a full-time, non-exempt position based out of our Kind Clinic locations, as well as in the community. To be successful as a CHW, the applicant should be able to assess the eligibility of candidates for specific programs, make recommendations, and maintain meticulous records. An outstanding candidate will demonstrate exceptional communication skills and have a high standard of accuracy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in human services (social work, psychology, counseling, mental health, health education, healthcare administration, public health) or related field. Up to four years of relevant work experience may be substituted for degree requirement.
Current certification as a Community Health Worker required or willingness to acquire the CHW certification with 12 months of hire. Must possess/maintain phlebotomy certification, qualifications, and requirements; or obtain phlebotomy certification with 3 months of hire. BLS certification is required within 2 days from the date of hire.
A minimum of one year of experience working in public health, social service, health promotion, HIV prevention and care, and/or customer service required in addition to degree/work experience above.
Microsoft Office Skills with an ability to become familiar with company specific programs or software.
Must have and be able to maintain a valid Texas driver’s license, personal liability insurance, and a safe driving record with access to and willingness to use a personal vehicle for work-related travel.
Must have basic PC skills that include a combination of working in a Windows Operating System and Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
Understands the importance of maintaining confidentiality; able to maintain confidentiality under HIPAA standards.
Must have the ability to exercise a high degree of diplomacy and tact; excellent customer services and interpersonal communication skills; Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work with diverse people groups.
Well-developed verbal and written communication skills in English; Additional language abilities desirable. Ability to work well under pressure with minimal supervision.
Ability to effectively interact with persons of widely diverse roles, backgrounds, cultures, and socio-economic classes, those in crises or resistant or negative toward organizations.
Ability to apply time management practices to prioritize, schedule and complete work effectively to comply with mandated policies and deadlines.
Ability to work on multiple tasks or parts of tasks simultaneously to ensure timely completion of work activities.
Must be able to work productively with other departments and employees.
Ability to work with professionals from various partners and organizations.
Usually works forty (40) hours per week, some weekends may be required.
Must be able to multi-task, prioritize with strong time management skills.
Exceptional follow through on tasks and assignments
Perform the following with or without reasonable accommodations:
Ability to express and exchange ideas via spoken word during activities in which they must convey detail or important spoken instructions to others accurately, sometimes quickly and loudly.
Hearing to perceive the nature of sound with no less than 40 db loss @ Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz with or without correction; ability to perceive detailed information orally and make fine discriminations in sound.
Perform repetitive motions with wrists, hands, and fingers. Individual must be able to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and to be able to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
Work requires a minimum standard of visual acuity with or without correction that will enable people in the role to complete administrative and clerical tasks, as well as inspect and analyze.
Must be able to work and concentrate amidst distractions such as noise, conversation, and foot traffic; ability to handle interruptions often and be able to move from one task to another.

Nice To Haves

Experience with LGBTQIA+ and/or other marginalized communities a strong plus.
Bilingual Spanish proficiency strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Perform Ryan White early intervention program duties such as gathering and completing eligibility paperwork, progress notes, conducting acuity and comprehensive assessments, care planning, and scheduling and attending HIV primary care medical visits at client’s medical provider of choice.
Conduct health literacy assessments, relay HIV and sexual health education, and provide health literacy and medication adherence counseling.
Implement innovative strategies to reach out-of-care individuals who are not currently accessing HIV prevention and care services and collaborate with partner organizations to locate PLWH who are out-of-care and successfully relinking them to care.
Deliver HIV and STI testing and harm reduction counseling by utilizing evidence-based interventions and approved testing technology; Some home visits may be required to perform phlebotomy functions.
Conduct community outreach with specific intentions to connect with hard-to-reach populations, including but not limited to, individuals experiencing homelessness and/or who were recently released from incarceration.
Contribute and assist in meeting agency and grant guidelines and outcomes as established by the Director of Community Health.
Attend interdisciplinary team meetings to discuss difficult client cases and strategize for best practice interventions to support clients in their health outcomes.
Collaborate with Kind Clinic staff from various departments to provide seamless systems of care for clients. This role is highly collaborative.
Maintains a system of confidentiality according to the clinic's policies and procedures and HIPAA compliance.
Other duties as assigned.