Community Health Worker

Childrens Home of Jefferson•Watertown, NY

About The Position

The Community Health Worker (CHW) is a non-clinical member of CHJC’s MHOTRS treatment team. The CHW works with individuals and families to reduce barriers to healthcare, behavioral health treatment, and community-based services, serving as a link among individuals, the treatment team, healthcare providers, and community resources. Through outreach, education, advocacy, resource navigation, and practical support, the CHW helps address health-related social needs that may affect access to or participation in care. CHW services provide targeted support and navigation and do not replace comprehensive or ongoing care management. Individuals enrolled in Medicaid Health Home Care Management are directed to their assigned Care Manager for services within that program’s scope. When an individual may need ongoing, comprehensive care management, the CHW assists with referral and linkage to an appropriate program when eligible. The CHW collaborates with clinicians, medical providers, nursing, clinic operations, Care Management, and community partners, while maintaining non-clinical role boundaries and avoiding duplication of services. The CHW does not provide clinical assessment, psychotherapy, medication management, or services requiring professional licensure. Work is performed in CHJC’s MHOTRS outpatient clinics and throughout the community as needed. Community-based work may involve travel to healthcare providers, community organizations, and other approved locations within CHJC’s service area. This is a full-time, temporary position requiring traditional business hours, with flexibility for non-traditional hours as needed. Travel throughout the designated service area is required, along with a valid New York State driver’s license and the ability to meet agency driving requirements. A high school diploma or equivalent is required. A bachelor’s degree in human services, public health, psychology, sociology, social work, healthcare, or a related field is preferred. Relevant experience in healthcare, behavioral health, community outreach, care navigation, or human services; experience supporting people facing barriers to healthcare or social services; and knowledge of community resources in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties are preferred. Successful completion of required pre-employment screenings and clearances is required. Following hire, the employee must complete required agency training, including Corporate Compliance, HIPAA Privacy and Security, Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Prevention, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, First Aid, and CPR. Starting salary is $42,000.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Valid New York State driver’s license and ability to meet agency driving requirements.
Ability to travel throughout the designated service area.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills and ability to establish trusting relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to engage individuals who may have difficulty accessing or navigating healthcare and social-service systems.
Strong advocacy, problem-solving, and resource-navigation skills.
Ability to communicate effectively with individuals, families, healthcare providers, behavioral health professionals, and community organizations.
Ability to work collaboratively on an interdisciplinary team while maintaining the boundaries of a non-clinical role.
Strong organizational and time-management skills.
Ability to independently manage outreach, referrals, follow-up, and documentation.
Ability to maintain accurate and timely electronic documentation and appropriately handle protected health information.
Cultural responsiveness and ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences.
Ability to recognize situations requiring clinical or supervisory involvement and appropriately escalate concerns.
Successful completion of required pre-employment health requirements, reference checks, criminal background checks and fingerprinting, SCR clearance, New York State Sex Offender Registry checks, Justice Center Staff Exclusion List checks, OMIG Medicaid Exclusion List checks, work-eligibility verification, and other applicable screenings and clearances.
Completion following hire of required agency trainings, including Corporate Compliance, HIPAA Privacy and Security, Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Prevention, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, First Aid, and CPR.
Ability to meet the described physical demands, including sitting, standing, walking, lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling, climbing, bending, stooping, fine motor tasks, reading, typing, and sitting for extended periods.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in human services, public health, psychology, sociology, social work, healthcare, or a related field.
Relevant experience in healthcare, behavioral health, community outreach, care navigation, or human services.
Experience working with individuals and families experiencing barriers to healthcare or social services.
Knowledge of community resources in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties.

Responsibilities

Conduct outreach and engagement with individuals referred for CHW services.
Identify and assist with health-related social needs and barriers to healthcare and behavioral health access, including transportation, food, housing, insurance and benefits, and community resources.
Help individuals navigate healthcare and social-service systems and connect with primary care, specialty care, behavioral health, preventive healthcare, and other appropriate services.
Make referrals, coordinate warm handoffs, and follow up to support successful connections with healthcare and community resources.
Assist with transportation coordination and other practical barriers to accessing or participating in care.
Assist with insurance, benefits, community-resource applications, and other service-navigation needs within the CHW role.
Provide accessible, culturally responsive health education and information about accessing healthcare resources.
Advocate for individuals and support communication among individuals, families, healthcare and behavioral health providers, and community organizations.
Collaborate with the MHOTRS treatment team and share relevant updates about referrals, barriers, interventions, and outcomes.
Support patient engagement and re-engagement by addressing non-clinical barriers to behavioral health treatment.
Support transitions of care by helping individuals access recommended follow-up services and community resources after hospitalization, emergency department use, or other care transitions.
Identify individuals who may need comprehensive care management and assist eligible individuals with referral and linkage to Medicaid Health Home Care Management or other appropriate services.
Verify and coordinate with the treatment team regarding existing care management involvement when appropriate, and direct individuals enrolled in Medicaid Health Home Care Management to their assigned Care Manager for services within that program’s scope.
Facilitate warm handoffs to Care Management and communicate relevant information to support continuity of care.
Participate in treatment team meetings, case reviews, and other interdisciplinary meetings as appropriate.
Maintain timely, accurate, and professional documentation of outreach, engagement, referrals, interventions, and outcomes in the designated electronic medical record and/or required reporting systems.
Maintain and develop knowledge of healthcare, care management, and community resources in CHJC’s service area and develop collaborative relationships with providers, social-service organizations, and community partners.
Assist with health-related social-needs screening and follow-up processes established by the program.
Participate in development, implementation, and evaluation of CHW workflows, referral processes, documentation standards, and service-delivery practices.
Participate in required CHW training, supervision, program meetings, and professional-development activities.
Complete required program and grant-related data collection and reporting.
Maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA, applicable New York State confidentiality requirements, agency policies, and professional boundaries.
Recognize concerns outside the CHW’s non-clinical scope and promptly communicate or escalate them to appropriate clinical, care management, or supervisory staff.
Perform other duties consistent with the position’s scope and purpose as assigned.