Community Health Worker

Central Jersey Medical Center•Perth Amboy, NJ

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Community Health Worker supports Central Jersey Medical Center’s women’s health, maternal health, and perinatal care services by helping patients access care, navigate services, and connect with needed community and social supports. The Community Health Worker serves as a trusted liaison between patients, families, clinical teams, and community resources, with a focus on reducing barriers to care and improving continuity for pregnant and postpartum patients. This position works closely with OB/GYN providers, nurses, medical assistants, care coordinators, registration staff, behavioral health referral resources, and community partners. The role requires strong communication skills, cultural responsiveness, attention to detail, and the ability to support patients who may face challenges related to transportation, insurance, language access, cost, food insecurity, behavioral health needs, or difficulty navigating the healthcare system.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Experience working with patients, families, or community members in a healthcare, public health, social service, community outreach, care coordination, or patient navigation setting.
Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
Ability and willingness to conduct community-based outreach and accompany patients to appointments or community resource locations when appropriate.
Ability to work effectively with diverse patients, including low-income, uninsured, underinsured, immigrant, limited-English-proficient, pregnant, and postpartum patients.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise good judgment when handling sensitive patient information.
Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation, or ability to travel locally within the service area.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple follow-up tasks.
Basic computer skills, including the ability to document activities in electronic systems, spreadsheets, databases, or electronic health record platforms.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred.
Community Health Worker certification preferred, or willingness to complete CHW training after hire if required.
Experience in women’s health, maternal health, prenatal care, postpartum care, behavioral health navigation, insurance assistance, WIC linkage, transportation coordination, or social needs screening.
Knowledge of Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, and local community resources preferred.
Experience working in a Federally Qualified Health Center, community clinic, hospital outpatient department, or safety-net healthcare setting preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide patient navigation and support for pregnant and postpartum patients receiving care through CJMC’s women’s health and OB/GYN services.
Assist patients with scheduling, rescheduling, appointment reminders, and follow-up related to prenatal, postpartum, reproductive health, behavioral health, newborn care, and specialty care appointments.
Conduct outreach to patients by phone, text, portal message, mail, or in person, consistent with CJMC policies and patient communication preferences.
Help patients identify and address barriers to care, including transportation, insurance, pharmacy access, language access, childcare, food insecurity, housing instability, and difficulty understanding referral or follow-up steps.
Provide community-based support to patients when needed, including helping patients prepare for appointments, navigate referral steps, access community resources, and attend appointments or service visits when appropriate and approved by CJMC.
Connect patients to appropriate internal and external resources, including WIC, transportation assistance, insurance enrollment support, behavioral health services, lactation support, newborn care resources, social services, and community-based organizations.
Provide culturally appropriate education and information to help patients understand available services, care instructions, referral processes, and how to access support.
Document patient contacts, referrals, barriers, follow-up attempts, and outcomes in CJMC’s designated tracking system or electronic health record, as required.
Coordinate with clinical staff when patients present urgent medical, behavioral health, safety, or social needs.
Maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA, CJMC policies, and all applicable privacy and documentation standards.
Participate in team huddles, case discussions, trainings, supervision, and quality improvement activities as requested.
Support a patient-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive care environment.
Perform other related duties as assigned.