Community Health Worker

Title of Position:                     Community Health Worker                                  
Location:                                Chinatown Service Center                
Exempt/Non-Exempt:             Non-Exempt  
Union/ Non-Union:                  Non-Union
Supervisor:                             Program Director

Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center's Enhanced Care Management (ECM) program is a newly certified program serving Managed Care Plan members with chronic mental health and social support needs. Candidates will have the opportunity to be a part of an exciting startup phase which will include new program operations infrastructure development and implementation, recruiting, hiring and training program staff, interface with managed care plan managers, supporting in-community client outreach and engagement, and establishing collaborative partnerships with community stakeholders to enhance closed loop referrals and whole person client services.

SUMMARY OF POSITION
The Community Health Worker (CHW) is responsible for helping clients and their families to navigate and access community services, other resources, and adopt healthy behaviors. CHW supports providers and the care managers through an integrated approach to care management and community outreach. As a priority, activities will promote, maintain, and improve the health of clients and their families. The CHW provides social support and informal counseling, advocates for individuals and community health needs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES       

• Educating clients about ECM services, assisting them with enrollment and serving as the primary liaison between the client and any services they may need
• Facilitate outreach and engagement activities internally/externally to generate referrals and enrollment into ECM; including but not limited to member information lists provided by Managed Care Plans, street outreach, participation in resource fairs, and/or co-location at partner sites.
• Act as liaison across internal programs to promote intra-agency referrals into ECM.
• Responsible for building trusting relationships with partners and referring parties to facilitate enrollment in ECM.
• Responsible for establishing trusting relationships with clients and their families while providing general support and encouragement
• Provide ongoing follow-up, basic motivational interviewing, and goal setting with clients/families
• Helping bridge conversations with clients, in partnership with Lead Care Manager, and removing barriers that prevent them from accessing health and social services; and conduct face-to-face outreach to a panel of clients for appointment scheduling, needs assessment, and care gap closure
• Meeting clients in clinic, facility or at home to help identify social determinants of health impacting their health and general well-being
• Collaborate with the full care team to create an individualized, linguistically, and culturally appropriate care plan for every enrolled client
• Assists clients in accessing health-related services and community resources, such as accompaniment to specialist appointments and assistance with enrollment forms
• Facilitate communication between all parties (clients, families, colleagues, and community-based organizations), as needed, ensuring that provided information, and reports clearly describe progress
• Follow-up with clients via phone calls, home visits and visits to other settings where clients can be found
• Help clients set personal health related goals and attend appointments
• Provide referrals for services to community agencies as appropriate
• Help clients connect with transportation resources and provide appointment reminders in special circumstances
• Knowledgeable about community resources appropriate to address the needs of the client
• Act as a client advocate and liaison between the client/family and community service agencies
• Record all client care management information in the Care Management System and other software no later than 24 hours after client contact
• Manage assigned caseload of clients
• Maintain HIPAA compliance at all times
• Performs other additional tasks as directed.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

• Demonstrable knowledge and skill in case management and supervision, social services, and organization skills
• Good organizational skills to handle multiple priorities while remaining professional and calm
• Ability to work with many diverse people, including children and adolescents
• Effective telephone skills
• Strong level of confidentiality due to the sensitivity of materials and information handled
• Ability to make suggestions on workflow or system efficiency and effectiveness
• Ability to work independently and be self-directed and flexible
• Ability to perform functions with minimal supervision
• Ability to work at a high-volume level of accuracy
• Behave in a professional manner and consistently demonstrate and promote the values of respect, honesty, and dignity for the patient, families, and all members of the health care team
• Committed to the constant pursuit of excellence and teamwork in improving the care of the patient and families in the community.
• Be punctual for scheduled work and use time appropriately
• Perform required amount of work in a timely fashion
• Be neat and maintain a professional appearance
• Maintain confidentiality and protect the program by abiding by laws and principles related to confidentiality; keep information concerning program operations, patients, and employees confidential

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATES
Minimum Education Required:

• High School Diploma/GED with comparable years of experience in related field

Desired Education:

• Associate's Degree in Public Health, Social work, Psychology or related field preferred
• Successful completion of a Community Health Worker formal training program such as from a college or other education institution is preferred

EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONSMinimum Experience Required:

• 2 years case management experience required
• 1 years experience working with Justice-Involved/Re-Entry populations & Serious Mental Illness (Youth & Adult)
• Willing to learn and understand a variety of different cultures, perspectives and norms
• Experience working in a community-based setting for at least 1 to 2 years
• Basic computer skills required; electronic medical record (EMR) experience
• Understand the community served, community connectedness
• Good communication skills, such as listening well, and using language appropriately
• Ability and willingness to provide emotional support, encouragement and motivation to members

Desired Experience:

• 1 years of experience with Justice-Involved/Re-Entry and/or Serious Mental Illness populations preferred
• Lived experience related to serious mental illness, justice-involvement, and/or substance use disorders
• Written and oral fluency in English and Spanish is preferred

REQUIREMENTS

• Must pass Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and Community Care Licensing (CCL) background clearance.
• Valid California Driver’s license.
• TB clearance.
• Driving record acceptable for coverage by Gateways insurance carrier.

Gateways believes that our people are our greatest asset and is proud to offer competitive benefits that support their health, happiness and career development. 

• Cover 100% Medical/Dental/Vision Premiums for all Full-Time Employees and 1 Dependent 
• 8 Paid Holidays 4 Personal Holidays in Calendar Year
• 2-4 Weeks of Vacation based on role
• 403b Retirement Plan Company Match 8%
• Annual Company Events 

Salary : $24 - $26