The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) seeks an experienced Community Health Worker (CHW), to provide outreach and education services for the Division of Global Populations and Infectious Disease Prevention primarily in the Western region of Massachusetts. The incumbent assists in the community oversight of individuals with suspected and confirmed tuberculosis (TB) and other conditions (as assigned) and increases understanding of and adherence to public health recommendations. The incumbent contacts and connects with newly arrived immigrants and refugees, as assigned, to provide education on refugee health assessment services and the United States Health care system. The incumbent also provides language support, treatment monitoring, direct observation therapy, and follow-up. This position supports tuberculosis and other infectious disease response in the Division of Global Populations and Infectious Disease Prevention and with local public health partners.

Learn more about what it’s like to work as a DPH nurse.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Provide person-centered services that support disease investigation and engagement and retention in care for identified individuals at risk for, or confirmed with, tuberculosis (TB) or other assigned infectious disease.
• Provide education, directly observed therapy (DOT), system navigation support, and interpreting or using over-the-phone interpreter service as needed.
• Conduct home visits, and engage directly with persons in the community to:
  • Support persons with active/suspected active TB or high priority TB infection in medication adherence, side effects, and continuity of care.
  • Support persons with possible TB or persons identified as having had contact with someone with infectious TB in engagement in care, medical evaluation, and follow-up.
  • Provide health education and orientation about refugee health assessment and United States health care system to new arrivals (immigrants/refugees/asylees).
  • Provide education and referrals for new immigrant arrivals with TB conditions identified overseas to promote timely evaluation, and acceptance and completion of treatment, as appropriate.
  • Provide education to assigned hepatitis B cases and support adherence to recommended vaccination and screening protocols for close contacts.
• Participate as a member of the Division’s interdisciplinary disease response team(s) to discuss treatment adherence, medication side effects, home environment, social service needs, patient concerns, and other topics related to case management.
• Assist, and work with, local public health nurses to provide community-based follow-up of high-priority and high-risk persons for continued adherence with prescribed TB treatment or other assigned infectious diseases.
• Follow Division standards to report any medication, adherence, or other treatment concerns.
• Apply strategies that are designed to build the capacity of individuals to effectively participate in key decisions regarding their own health.
• Use educational materials and other strategies to reinforce information on TB and other priority conditions, including disease prevention and treatment, with persons, families, and communities of diverse backgrounds; using over-the-phone interpreter service as needed.
• Provide health education and promote health and wellness to the Division’s priority populations including populations for whom English fluency is limited.
• Participate in community prevention activities to increase community awareness and understanding of TB, its treatment and prevention initiatives, and reduce stigma associated with TB.
• Maintain all materials with personal information in a confidential manner.
• Document all outreach, community, program, and other person-related activities in accordance with Division protocols.
• Establish trusting relationships with clients/patients, maintains confidentiality, and protects personal health information.
• Attend all meetings and trainings as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Ability to effectively communicate orally (in-person or by phone) and in writing.
• Capacity to gather information through examining records and documents and observing and questioning individuals.
• Capability to give written and oral instructions in an understandable manner.
• Ability to establish rapport and deal tactfully with persons from varied backgrounds.
• Capacity to interact with people who are under physical and/or emotional stress.
• Ability to maintain a calm manner in stressful and emergency situations.
• Capacity to maintain accurate records.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and protect personal information.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Basic knowledge of tuberculosis, as well as concepts of tuberculosis prevention, control, and surveillance.
• Basic knowledge of hepatitis B, HIV, and other relevant health topics.
• Ability to conduct training or instruction.
• In-depth knowledge of diverse communities, access to health care, and obstacles to obtaining services.
• Bilingual in one or more of the following languages: Swahili, Haitian Creole, and French with a strong preference for Swahili.

Special Requirements:

• This position requires regular travel and vehicle access to travel within the assigned region in Massachusetts.

About the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences (BIDLS):

The DPH Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences (BIDLS), predominantly located in Jamaica Plain, provides public health response to infectious disease. These services include programmatic and epidemiologic response, as well as laboratory testing through the State Public Health Laboratory (SPHL).

Infectious disease response services address concerns of the general public as well as those disproportionately affected by infectious disease through a variety of risk factors. BIDLS administers ongoing disease reporting for over 90 reportable diseases in the state. Disease reporting review and follow-up with clinical providers and local boards of health is a central function of the bureau. Surveillance activity is complemented by an extensive contracted service system. These services are funded through state and federal resources and include prevention education, community outreach screening for infectious disease, immunization services, health service navigation, medical case management, insurance enrollment, housing assistance, and referral and linkage to infectious disease treatment.

The SPHL provides scientific expertise and capacity to identify infectious agents, chemical agents, and other toxins that cause human disease. The SPHL is an active partner in joint activities with other bureaus/agencies such as environmental health, food and drug, agriculture, disease prevention and health promotion programs, and public safety. The SPHL is a reference laboratory of the national Laboratory Response Network (LRN) and is a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Select Agent laboratory. SPHL staff work closely with laboratory and disease prevention programs at the CDC, and partners with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

About the Department of Public Health:

The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high quality public health and health care services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth. We envision a Commonwealth in which all people enjoy optimal health. Massachusetts ranks among the healthiest of states according to comparative analyses, but we face numerous challenges, including chronic and infectious disease, substance abuse, violence, preventable hospitalizations, and health disparities.
DPH coordinates programs and policies to address specific diseases and conditions and offer services to address the needs of vulnerable populations. We also develop, implement, promote, and enforce regulations and policies to assure that the conditions under which people live are most conducive to health and enable people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families. We license health professionals, healthcare facilities and a variety of businesses that impact public health. We operate the state laboratory and four public health hospitals. We monitor health status and manage vital records including births, marriages and deaths. We educate people about public health issues and work closely with local boards of health and community partners to identify and solve public health problems.

More information can be found at:MA Department of Public Health

Pre-Hire Process:

A criminal background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services prior to the candidate being hired. For more information, please visit http://www.mass.gov/hhs/cori

Education, licensure, and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines.

Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.

If you require assistance with the application/interview process and would like to request an ADA accommodation, please click on the link and complete the Reasonable Accommodation Online Request Form

For questions regarding this requisition, please contact the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Human Resources at 1-800-510-4122 Ext. #4

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

Minimum Entrance Requirements: Applicants must have at least (A) one year of full-time, or equivalent part-time, professional, paraprofessional or technical experience in a hospital, clinic or medical facility, the major duties of which included providing nursing care, medical and/or paramedical services to clients/patients, or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. An Associate's degree or higher with a major in medical technology, medical assistant, nursing, nurse education or medicine may be substituted for the required experience.*

II. Registration as a Certified Medical Assistant by the American Association of Medical assistants may be substituted for the required experience.

• Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.

Special Requirements: None

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!