PoWER Lead Community Health Worker (CHW)

CDC Foundation•Kentucky, KY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The CDC Foundation is seeking a mission-driven Lead Community Health Worker (CHW) to support the Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Kentucky’s RHTP launches five interrelated programs designed to build rural health infrastructure and provide sustainable, long-term improvements. This plan directly supports Kentucky’s rural counties while advancing statewide impact through innovation, technology-enabled care and strengthened workforce recruitment pipelines for both clinical and non-clinical staff. This strategy will help build a resilient, integrated and technology-forward health system across the Commonwealth. PoWERing (People who Work for Engagement and Resilience) Maternal and Infant Health is one of these programs and aims to expand timely prenatal and postpartum care by deploying telehealth-enabled maternal care teams who will serve maternity-care deserts and high-risk regions, to help mothers and infants receive seamless, high-quality support. The PoWER Lead CHW will bring strong expertise in community-based care, wraparound support services, and maternal and infant health service delivery, serving as a key member of the PoWER Program Team and supporting the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Program statewide. The role will function as a liaison between the pilot site-based PoWER CHWs and the PoWER Program Team leadership, helping translate program design into consistent, effective practices across pilot sites. The Lead CHW will provide guidance and coordination to support effective implementation of PoWER CHW led activities at pilot sites, promote alignment with PoWER Program goals, and ensure consistent documentation and data collection to inform performance monitoring and program improvement. This position provides leadership, technical assistance, and implementation support to pilot site CHWs to ensure services are delivered consistently, within the Kentucky CHW scope of practice established by Kentucky Administrative Regulations, and in alignment with the goals, standards, and evidence-based model of the PoWER program. The American Public Health Association defines a Community Health Worker (CHW) as a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has a uniquely close understanding of the communities served. This trusting relationship enables the PoWER Lead CHW to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery for the PoWER Program.

Requirements

Active Kentucky CHW Certification issued by the Kentucky Office of Community Health Workers
Maternal/infant/child work experience
Minimum of five years of relevant experience as a Community Health Worker, social worker, public health professional, or in a related field.
HIPAA training/certification
Microsoft office proficiency
Demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to effectively communicate with diverse audiences, facilitate trainings and presentations, solve problems collaboratively, and drive successful implementation of community-based programs and initiatives.
Strong understanding of the CHW certification, continuing education, and certification renewal requirements as outlined by the Kentucky Office of Community Health Workers.
Demonstrated ability to facilitate productive conversations, navigate conflict, and build consensus among diverse stakeholders while maintaining positive, collaborative relationships.

Nice To Haves

A bachelor's degree in public health, social work, or a related field is preferred; however, equivalent experience may substitute for formal education.
Rural healthcare experience.
Experience supporting program implementation, quality improvement, program evaluation, data collection, or performance monitoring preferred. Examples may include collecting participant outcomes, documenting client encounters, tracking program metrics, or using data to inform continuous improvement efforts.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary liaison between pilot site-based PoWER CHWs and the PoWER Program Team.
Provide leadership in the development and continuous improvement of the PoWER CHW model by informing workflows, implementation strategies, training and mentorship programs, operational standards, and best practices to ensure consistent, high-quality implementation across pilot sites.
Partner closely with the Program Team’s Medical Director, Lead Doula, Lead Nurse, and Peer Support Specialist to support coordinated design, implementation, and achievement of program outcomes.
Partner with RHT CHW program leadership and the Kentucky Office of CHW to align PoWER CHW expectations with perinatal training / certification direction and ensure CHWs are prepared for perinatal-specific home visiting work.
Provide strategic guidance on CHW home visiting, wraparound service coordination, and family engagement by standardizing visit approaches, strengthening navigation of Kentucky‑based resources, and supporting CHWs in effectively engaging families and caregivers to ensure services are accessible, coordinated, and sustained.
Coordinate with pilot site PoWER CHWs on a regularly scheduled basis to support consistent application of the PoWER model across sites.
Conduct site visits with each PoWER Team at least once per quarter to support implementation, gather feedback, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Elevate barriers to care and implementation challenges identified by PoWER site CHWs to the Program Team for resolution and follow-up.
Use emotionally intelligent communication skills to support collaboration, shared problem solving, and alignment across pilot site teams.
Collect, review, and analyze data from PoWER sites, as appropriate.
Collaborate and maintain regular communication with the Kentucky Office of Community Health Workers, Department for Public Health programs, and other Cabinet for Health and Family Services partners whose work aligns with and supports PoWER program goals.