Community Resource Specialist

Children's Mercy KC•Kansas City, MO

About The Position

The ICS Community Resource Specialist collaborates with care teams to support population health initiatives. The role shares pertinent patient information with the team, conducts outreach and education for patients and families, assists with care-team tasks, and identifies opportunities to improve care coordination. The specialist works with the Care Integration department and its stakeholders, including providers, patients, families, and other healthcare professionals. For the Home Visiting Team, the position primarily involves scheduled community visits supporting children and families involved in foster care. Approximately 60–75% of the workweek is spent in the field, with daily travel in Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Douglas, Johnson, Franklin, and Miami counties in Kansas. The specialist coordinates closely with an assigned clinical counterpart and the home-office clinical team, communicating visit outcomes, changing needs, barriers, safety concerns, and follow-up needs. A personal vehicle is required upon hire.

Requirements

Master’s degree and 1–2 years of experience; or bachelor’s degree and 3–5 years of experience; or high school diploma or equivalent and 5–7 years of experience.
Flexibility working with various team members and groups, with excellent communication even during stressful interactions.
Personal vehicle required upon hire.
Ability to work independently, manage a field-based schedule, and follow established processes with limited supervision.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including clear and timely updates to families, community partners, and the clinical team.
Adaptability and sound judgment when schedules, family needs, or visit circumstances change unexpectedly.
Technology proficiency and ability to complete accurate, timely field documentation.
Ability to identify and manage safety risks respectfully and assertively.
Proactive problem-solving, resource coordination, and appropriate escalation of concerns.
Ability to build trust, maintain professional boundaries, and form positive working relationships with children, families, caregivers, providers, and team partners.
Warm, patient interactions with children and families, including when invited into their homes.
Ability to work with healthcare teams, foster care systems, or vulnerable populations and navigate varied home and community environments, pets, and cultural differences.
Seasonal influenza vaccination is a condition of employment. New employees must be willing to receive specified vaccinations if found non-immune or without evidence of vaccination; medical and religious exemptions may be discussed with Human Resources.
A drug screen is performed upon hire.

Responsibilities

Support population health initiatives of assigned care teams.
Support care-team functions needed to manage the assigned population.
Conduct scheduled community visits and provide support to children and families involved in foster care.
Share pertinent patient information with the care team and communicate visit outcomes, changing needs, barriers, safety concerns, and follow-up requirements to the home-office clinical team.
Conduct outreach and education for patients and families.
Assist with care-team tasks and identify opportunities to improve care coordination.
Coordinate services and foster care population needs with the assigned clinical counterpart and other ICS foster care team partners.
Process inpatient and outpatient prior authorization requests.
Complete accurate and timely documentation while working in the field.
Escalate concerns appropriately and coordinate resources and follow-up.