Community Healthcare Worker-Bowdoin Street

Beth Israel Lahey Health•Boston, MA

36d•$29 - $38•Onsite

About The Position

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives. Licensed and operated by BIDMC, Bowdoin Street Health Center has been an integral part of the Dorchester community since 1973. Multi-lingual, multi-ethnic services include: pediatric and adult preventive and primary care, family practice, geriatrics, OB/GYN, physical therapy, optometry, behavioral health, nutrition services and a variety of community health programs. The Community Health Worker (CHW) is an integral member of our medical home teams. This particular CHW position will work closely with our Behavioral Health Team to provide high quality support to patients with behavioral health diagnoses. The CHW engages in team-based care coordination with clinical social workers, psychiatrists, and primary care providers, and outside providers. Supporting patients includes patient advocacy, health system navigation, and outreach with a focus on illness management and wellness promotion. Our wonderful CHW Team provides a number of services to our patients including connection to resources, some accompaniment to specialty medical appointments and to services in the community, assistance with housing application process, insurance enrollment, transportation, emotional support, financial needs assistance, appointment reminders, and enhancing communication with the care team. This Community Health Worker will primarily support Bowdoin Street Health Center's food access programming and support patients experiencing food insecurity. The CHW works in close collaboration with Nurse Care Managers, Social Workers, Primary Care Providers, and other health center staff to assist patients with resources, navigating healthcare and social service systems, advocacy, and issues related to the social determinants of health. Under the direction of a manager or supervising social worker, the Community Healthcare Worker conducts resource assessments and collaborates with social work and/or medical staff to obtain community resources for community health center patients and families. Within developed area of expertise, provides orientation and ongoing training related to community resources to staff, medical providers, patients and families.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED required.
1-3 years related work experience required.
Minimum 2 years of related work experience without a related Associate's degree
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Experience with computer systems required, including web based applications and some Microsoft Office applications which may include Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Access.
familiarity with healthcare system
strong ability to connect and partner with culturally diverse individuals and families
work effectively with staff across the health center and in the community
a strong commitment to interdisciplinary care
experience with care coordination
a commitment to quality improvement

Nice To Haves

Associate's degree preferred in Human Services field.
Bilingual in English and Spanish and/or Cape Verdean Creole.

Responsibilities

Determines, independently or in collaboration with other staff, the resources that will optimally meet patients' and families' needs.
Develops a multifaceted service plan to meet complex patients' needs.
Acts as case manager to coordinate care with medical providers.
Makes independent decisions about services to recommend to a patient/family and how to teach them to become self-reliant.
Maintains a caseload with many patient contacts per day including phone calls, paperwork and face to face contacts.
Provides timely and appropriate documentation in the online medical record.
As part of the patient centered medical home, takes part in team meetings to coordinate care with medical and mental health providers.
Advocates on the patient's behalf in written and verbal communications.
Assists patients with such tasks as accessing entitlement programs and provides such information as requested by outside facilities who are helping the patient.
Documents and advises supervisor and clinical staff of obstacles to obtaining services and potential ways to manage them.
Develops liaisons with community and state agencies to facilitate negotiation of complex systems.
Visits relevant agencies to broaden knowledge and relationships.
Makes home visits as needed and appropriate.
Masters specific areas of expertise such as domestic violence, childhood trauma, fitness or HIV and family planning.

Benefits

As a health care organization, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to care for and protect our patients, our colleagues and our communities.
Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) as a condition of employment.
At Beth Israel Lahey Health, we are driving the change in health care that Massachusetts wants and needs. Our culture promotes continuous learning, growth, innovation and a sense of belonging. We make it a priority to offer comprehensive compensation and benefits and help you achieve a healthy and balanced life. While you're busy caring for and supporting our patients, we take care of you.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

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