Community Health Worker - Harlem Health Advoc

Public Health Solutions • New York, NY

10d • Hybrid

About The Position

Public Health Solutions (PHS) is hiring 2 full-time Community Health Workers – Harlem Health Advocates (CHW-HHA) to conduct health coaching, wellness activities, outreach, engagement, and advocacy in East and Central Harlem for the Harlem Health Advocacy Partners (HHAP) program. Funded by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH), the HHAP program aims to improve the health of NYC residents by supporting access to health and social services, providing health coaching to individuals to increase self-efficacy for healthy behavioral changes and disease management, building community capacity to seek and/or create healthy conditions and acceptable services through advocacy, and providing Group Wellness Activities and educational workshops. The CHW-HHA works independently with clients on outreach, engagement, case management, and follow-up, and collaborates closely with the HHAP team and supervisor to share experiences, identify issues, and participate in problem-solving. They will work under the supervision of a CHW-HHA Supervisor and interact with other teams within PHS’ Neighborhood Health Division as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree, Community Health Worker certificate, or equivalent combination of education and practical experience in community health work, case management, health coaching/ health education, or care coordination.
• Experience in public health, community development and health issues in urban, underserved neighborhoods preferred but not required.
• Bilingual Spanish or Chinese Mandarin/ Cantonese preferred.
• Experience working and/or living in East or Central Harlem or within NYCHA preferred.
• Experience supporting individuals and families to meet their goals.
• Knowledge of social services navigation and community-based organization landscape in NYC preferred.
• Possess strong communication skills (listening, written, oral, and public speaking).
• Must be reliable and very organized with strong time management.
• Must be detail-oriented and able to work independently.
• Fluent in standard computer operation with good data entry skills.
• Ability to travel around New York City’s five boroughs.
• Ability to lift and carry personal equipment (e.g. laptop) and outreach materials as needed.
• A positive, helpful, service orientation.
• Dedicated to helping improve the lives of disenfranchised and marginalized communities.
• Excellent team player with the ability to be flexible and work collaboratively and respectfully.
• Ability to embrace diversity; possess good people and cultural competency skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in public health, community development and health issues in urban, underserved neighborhoods
• Bilingual Spanish or Chinese Mandarin/ Cantonese
• Experience working and/or living in East or Central Harlem or within NYCHA
• Knowledge of social services navigation and community-based organization landscape in NYC

Responsibilities

• Provide in-person or remote health coaching services, maintaining an annual caseload as determined by supervisor (maximum 30 health coaching enrollees at one time).
• Conduct established educational curriculum for Health Coaching, including delivery of peer health/education coaching support to chronically ill participants and residents in need of assistance with social determinants of health, following the Health Coaching protocol developed and provided by DOHMH.
• Perform initial and exit assessments of all health coaching enrollees.
• Create an action plan and reinforcement sessions to help participants achieve their health goals.
• Help connect residents to social services and supports (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, legal aide, employment resources, etc.).
• Occasionally accompany participants to medical and social services visits as needed.
• Attend disease and wellness specific trainings, including on asthma, diabetes, hypertension, tobacco, mental health, and other trainings as identified by PHS or DOHMH.
• Promote HHAP to community residents, local health systems, managed care organizations and others and increase participation in HHAP through various outreach strategies including door knocking, lobbying meetings, social media, telephonic outreach, email, posting program information in buildings, and tabling inside and outside community and senior centers.
• Distribute marketing materials to promote the program and incentivize target residents to take advantage of HHAP services and take part in workshop activities.
• Attend health fairs and other events in the community.
• Foster partnerships with community-based organizations, health systems, and community stakeholders to establish and support referral pipelines of residents into HHAP health coaching and wellness services.
• Coordinate farmers’ market tours and distribute DOHMH’s health bucks to incentivize purchasing and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Build residents’ capacity to seek and demand healthy conditions and acceptable services through advocacy and work with existing Resident Associations and grass roots organizing groups.
• Support development of an annual Community Organizing Plan.
• Educate residents on community organizing and mobilization basics.
• Support development of advocacy campaigns with local leaders and residents in order to address issues in public housing.
• Help residents to identify tools they can use to ensure their voices are heard, including linking them to local legislators and advocacy groups to address issues and concerns.
• Attend community meetings and events to increase knowledge of community issues and concerns.
• Help residents to strengthen and build community groups through base building and grass roots organizing, including promoting leadership opportunities for residents to guide and spearhead advocacy activities.
• Be assigned to a minimum of two NYCHA developments, where they will be responsible for facilitating and conducting regular wellness, outreach, and community engagement activities and engaging with Resident Association (RA) leaders and resident participants on an on-going basis.
• Facilitate and/or support educational workshops and group wellness activities, including peer support groups, walking groups, blood pressure monitoring, and workshops/classes covering food and nutrition access, chronic disease management and control, mental health and stress management, and more.
• Facilitate engagement for participants across multiple program activities (e.g. health coaching, workshops, and advocacy activities).
• Implement strategies for gathering feedback from participants to inform program activities, including advocacy focus areas and workshop offerings.
• Consistently track all required outcomes, using Salesforce, Excel, Unite Us, and other software as required.
• Maintain updated records of contacts, partners, and events, and facilitate information-sharing and community awareness of all HHAP services and activities.
• Active participation in all HHAP meetings.
• Attend all required trainings and maintain current knowledge of information relevant to the project.
• Conduct outreach and follow-up to participants and partners.
• Provide bilingual assistance and remote assistance to clients as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Hybrid Work Schedule
• Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays
• An attractive and comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental and Vision
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Commuter Benefits
• Company Paid Life Insurance and Disability Coverage
• 403(b) + employer matching and discretionary company contributions
• College Savings Plan
• Ongoing trainings and continuous opportunities for professional growth and development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree