Community Health Worker

Yale New Haven Health•New London, CT

About The Position

Under the supervision of the Manager of Patient Navigation, the Community Health Worker provides community service navigation for eligible beneficiaries. The role engages community members and helps individuals navigate and access community services and resources, adopt healthy behaviors, and obtain primary care. The Community Health Worker provides education and advocacy to support access to services and must be committed to providing health care to families in medically underserved communities while demonstrating outstanding customer service and the Yale New Haven Hospital core success factors and standards of professional behavior. The position involves working with individuals during hospitalizations, outpatient appointments, and community outreach visits; coordinating with care teams and community agencies; helping people connect with health and social services; and documenting interactions and care coordination activities in the electronic health record. Extensive travel to patients' homes, medical appointments, agencies, and other community locations is required.

Requirements

Associate degree required.
A minimum of 1–3 years of experience, preferably in a health care or human service setting, or applicable volunteer experience.
Valid driver's license.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to lift 10–15 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree preferred.
Bilingual Spanish strongly preferred; bilingual candidates preferred.
Completion of a Patient Navigator or Community Health Worker Training Program preferred.

Responsibilities

Engages individuals during inpatient hospitalization, outpatient appointments, and community outreach visits.
Informs individuals and families about relevant resources, refers them to resources for which they may be eligible, and assists them in navigating the process.
Assists clients and patients in accessing health-related services, including obtaining a medical home, understanding its appropriate use, and overcoming barriers to medical care or social services.
Coaches and assists patients with MyChart sign-up.
Works collaboratively and effectively with the care team, including patient navigators and clinical staff.
Maintains knowledge of community resources and services and helps clients access housing, food, clothing, financial assistance, life-skills instruction, and relevant mental health services.
Helps clients use community services, including scheduling appointments with social service agencies and completing applications for eligible programs.
Travels to outreach destinations, including patients' homes, medical appointments, agencies, and other community locations.
Makes reminder and follow-up calls for medical appointments and referrals to community resources.
Provides education, advocacy, and referrals to support healthy behaviors.
Documents client interactions and coordination with patients and community-based organizations in the electronic health record using accurate and timely notes.
Completes documentation using established workflows for care coordination, outreach, patient support, and care management activities for reporting and tracking.
Attends prepared for scheduled one-to-one meetings, team meetings, staff meetings, and rounds.
Seeks additional supervision or consultation as needed and follows supervisory directives.
Builds and maintains positive working relationships with providers and agency representatives to support comprehensive patient services.