Community Health Worker

The Community Health Worker will be the primary liaison to women in high need geographic locations in the community. Primary work scope will require recruitment, engagement, and support of individuals from within the identified target communities to increase health literacy, retain healthcare coverage and maintain health and community supportive service care throughout the life course.

Responsibilities will include, but may not be limited to:

· Conduct neighborhood “on the ground” outreach and networking to find and connect with high-need individuals, with particular emphasis on those not yet engaged in mainstream service systems.

· Use client-centered approaches to identify individual client and family needs, goals, strengths and challenges.

· For clients that are not enrolled in other home visiting programs, offer and provide regular home visits that include client-centered provision of health information, modeling and demonstrating skills, and reinforcing positive health choices and behaviors.

· Refer and provide direct 1:1 assistance to help clients obtain and consistently utilize health insurance (including FPBP), primary care and/or prenatal care services, family planning services and other needed community services such as WIC, substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health, etc.

· Provide and disseminate written and oral information about available family planning health services in the community to prevent unintended pregnancies and promote spacing of subsequent pregnancies.

Provide individualized social support to encourage and reinforce health promoting behaviors by clients, including personal and family health behaviors, consistent use of effective contraception to prevent unintended pregnancy or support birth spacing, utilization of needed health and supportive services, and communicating their questions and needs to service providers.

· Link families to other family resources within the community such as libraries, museums, Family Resource Centers, Child Care Resource and Referral agencies, play groups, breastfeeding support groups, etc.

· In collaboration with CHW coordinator and MICHC Director, convene or arrange group educational sessions for expectant and new families.

Areas of Expertise:

< Knowledge of the organization and delivery of health care services, NYS public health insurance programs, Family Planning Benefit programs, Health Care Exchange Information.

< Knowledge of community support systems and how to access these services.

< Strong oral and written communication skills.

< Flexibility and ability to work as a team member.

< Computer proficiency – Microsoft Word.

Minimum Qualifications:

< HS education or above and strong understanding of needs of women in the identified target area.

< 1-5 years related work experience; preferably at least 2 years experience working high need women or in a home visiting capacity

< Preference will be given to bi-lingual candidates (Spanish preferred)

< Ability to work independently and as a team

< No travel restrictions, personal reliable vehicle and car insurance

< Dependability

THE POSITION OF CHW IS FULL_TIME and CLASSIFIED AS A NON- EXEMPT POSITION.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $16.00 - $18.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: One location