Community Health Worker

Northern Light Health

Department: Community Care Team

Position is located: Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital

Work Type: Full Time

Hours Per Week: 32.00

Work Schedule: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Summary :

Community Health Workers (CHWs) provide social support, health coaching and navigation to access healthcare and community-based services. They also advocate for systems change, connect patients to high-quality health care services. CHWs do what is needed to help each patient improve their health and well-being. They take a holistic approach that allows them to provide patient support across multiple domains, based on what the patients need. Community Health Workers often have life experiences that have helped them to develop innate empathy, making them highly effective at developing connections and relationships with patients to help promote change. CHWs are good listeners. They are able to reflect back what they have heard from patients, and they are good at helping to set goals and action steps to achieve those goals. Community Health Workers work with patients in multiple settings, including patient homes and communities, healthcare facilities (primary care offices, hospitals, emergency departments), and community settings such as grocery stores, gyms, or other locations where patients might need support/help. They also use the telephone and telehealth to provide patient outreach and support.

Responsibilities :

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to carry out written and oral instructions.
• Ability to exercise judgment in the application of professional services.
• Comfortable with home visits and outreach; Make weekly follow-up calls and home visits to patients.
• Comfortable with computer data entry; Document each patient encounter in detail, using technology and the electronic medical record.
• Complete referrals to programs and supports that the patient needs to improve their health or social situations; Help patients fill out applications for benefits like insurance and food stamps.
• Meet patients in a clinic or hospital and conduct a needs assessment, including helping patients to set health goals.
• Motivate patients to meet their health goals.
• Help patients with social issues like homelessness, substance abuse and hunger.
• Assist patients with organizing their records, making follow-up appointments, and obtaining prescriptions.
• Other duties.

Other Information :

Competencies and Skills

• Demonstrates Adaptability: Learns quickly when facing a new problem or unfamiliar task; is flexible in their approach with changing priorities and ambiguity. Manages change effectively and does not give up during adversity. Capable of changing one's behavioral style and/or views in order to attain a goal. Absorbs new information readily and puts it into practice effectively.
• Effectively Communicates: Listens, speaks and writes appropriately, using clear language. Communication methods are fitting to the message(s), audience, and situation and follow-ups are regular and timely. Shows that important (non-) verbal information is absorbed and understood and asks further questions to clarify when necessary. Expresses ideas and views clearly to others and has ability to adjust use of language to the audiences' level.
• No previous experience required.
• Provides Patient-Centered Care: Demonstrates understanding of patient care quality and service as organizational priority. Proactively supports change to improve patient experience and results. Exhibits the ability and willingness to find out what the patient wants and needs and to act accordingly, taking the organizational and outside resources into account. Cooperates, collaborates, communicates, and integrates care within and between teams to ensure that care is continuous and reliable.
• Serves Others: Strives to understand, meet and exceed the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers which may include the people and communities in our service areas. Develops and maintains relationships, alliances and coalitions within and outside the organization and leverages them in order to obtain information, support, and promote cooperation and collaboration.
• Behaves with Integrity and Builds Trust: Acts consistently in line with the core values, commitments and rules of conduct. Leads by example and tells the truth. Does what they say they will, when and how they say they will, or communicates an alternate plan.
• Cultivates Respect: Treats others fairly, embraces and values differences, and contributes to a culture of belonging, empowerment, and cooperation.
• Fosters Accountability: Creates and participates in a work environment where people hold themselves and others accountable for processes, results and behaviors. Takes appropriate ownership not only of successes but also mistakes and works to correct them in a timely manner. Demonstrates understanding that we all work as a team and the quality and timeliness of work impacts everyone involved.
• Practices Compassion: Exhibits genuine care for people and is available and ready to help; displays a deep awareness of and strong willingness to relieve the suffering of others.

Credentials

• Required Driver's License

Education

• Required No Minimum Requirement

Working Conditions

• Need to travel to perform responsible duties
• Work with computers, typing, reading or writing.
• Prolonged periods of sitting.
• Lifting, moving and loading less than 20 pounds.
Potential exposure to abusive and/or aggressive people.

As an integrated health delivery system serving Maine, Northern Light Health is raising the bar with no-nonsense solutions that are leading the way to a healthier future for our state. Our care team—in hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, long-term and home healthcare, behavioral healthcare, and ground and air medical transport and emergency care—are committed to making healthcare work for you: our patients, communities, and employees.

Questions? Contact Talent Acquisition:
phone: 207-973-7100
email: talentacquisition@northernlight.org

Brewer, Maine, Corporate Office, Cianchette, Foundation, Finance, Human Resources, Legal Services