Health Related Social Needs Community Health Worker

Title: Health Related Social Needs Community Health Worker

Reports To: Community Health Response Manager

Classification: Full-Time 1.0 FTE Non- Exempt

Location: Portland OR

Compensation: $23.08 - $24.60 hourly DOE

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND

Latino Networks mission is to provide transformative opportunities services and advocacy for the education leadership and civic engagement of our youth families and communities. Our work springs from the core belief in Latino community self-determination that is the ability of community members to participate meaningfully in the decisions that affect their lives and the lives of their families. We actively partner across a variety of city county state and community organizations to deliver training and support a wide range of services as well as influence policy.

BENEFITS & PERKS

Latino Network provides a generous benefits package that includes:

• Health Plans including Medical Dental Vision and Alternative Care
• FSA - Flexible Spending Account for Medical & Dependent Care expenses
• 401k Plan with Match
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employer sponsored Life AD&D and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Leave (Vacation Sick Sabbatical)
• Self - Care perks
• Team and family events

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of and/or have an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables CHWs 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.

The Health Related Social Needs Community Health Worker will work with community members virtually and in-person at walk-up clinics or community outreach events such as but not limited to: safety-net clinics shelters/missions libraries DHS offices health fairs and employment offices.

This position requires a bilingual flexible self-directed person with bi-cultural familiarity who is excellent at handling various situations. They must have strong skills to search and resource needed information. The CHW must be able to empower clients to manage their health and to face difficult health issues and overall wellbeing to expand on housing and other services. 3 years of relevant experience and knowledge of the health care system and social service resource navigation is required.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Health Related Social Needs CHW will provide the following services including but not limited to:

• Conduct community outreach and education at community events to promote HRSN services
• Perform internal assessments to determine eligibility for HRSN services including verifying OHP enrollment income housing stability and medical needs.
• Submit requests for HRSN services to CCO on behalf of eligible clients.
• Assist clients in collecting required documents such as income verification lease agreements housing arrears notices W9 forms and utility bills acting as a liaison with landlords and utility companies.
• Submit HRSN service requests to 211 for review monitor applications through Unitus and provide clients with updates during the review process.
• Support clients with immediate basic needs and guide them through resource navigation while their applications are processed.
• Receive approved HRSN service referrals through Unitus from CCO.
• Provide tenancy support utility payments assistance with client arrears housing modifications for severe weather eligible home repairs as per HRSN contracts referrals for nutrition support and medically tailored meals and other referral benefits as applicable.
• Maintain detailed documentation and notes of client interactions and support provided.
• Enter client/referral data into Latino Networks Efforts to Outcomes database Unitus and other databases when necessary.
• Track and manage data collection related to applications and interactions with clients.
• Ensure accurate and timely data entry for time spent for Medicaid reimbursement based on time spent with each individual client based on services provided.
• Refer eligible participants and households to Latino Network OPH CHW Assister in Oregon Health Plan via online or paper applications renewing/re-enrolling existing OHP members and updating changes to client accounts. Ensure the information is accurate complete and legible.
• Ability to patiently work with community members who may be experiencing trauma are houseless and/or suffering from mental illness or substance use.
• Refer applicants to community resources to assist them with dealing with substance use mental and physical illness poverty food deserts and other social barriers.
• Refer clients to other social service needs such as SNAP benefits career coaching youth programing preschool etc.
• Navigate advocate problem solve and follow-up with members to help ensure they obtain or retain benefits.
• Assist walk-in or walk-ups at partner offices and sites.
• Travel to and participate in outreach and enrollment events off-site.
• Proactively create and distribute project outreach and information materials as needed.
• Provide regular reporting to supervisor regarding problems applications and other data/information as requested.
• Build collaborative relationships with community stakeholders partners and team.
• Contribute to training materials and phone scripts/memos for customer service staff.
• Develop processes and tactics for performing job effectively and efficiently; document and share with team
• Attend partner meetings and required training as requested.
• Coordinate and facilitate other health promotion and health education related classes when needed.
• Provide timely success and challenge anecdotal data and lessons learned for HRSN reporting monthly reports.
• Communicate the progress on all tasks and relay any urgent information in a timely manner to Manager and Department Director.

REQUIRED SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge skill and/or ability required for this position.

• Education in social work public health or community health OR 3 years of equivalent work experience
• Certification as a Community Health Worker required or to be completed within 6 months of hire.
• Minimum of three years of experience in community outreach services providing health information advocacy social support and assistance in using the health care system to groups and families; AND demonstrated experience working with the Latinx community within the medical system.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish with the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Additionally Indigenous languages from Latin America are a plus.
• Understanding of medical terminology and ability to convey the concepts to clients in Spanish.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and follow HIPAA policies and procedures.
• Bicultural understanding/familiarity required: knowledge of Latinx culturally based world view adaptive reasoning and problem-solving practices of Latinx individuals families and community living in urban neighborhoods impacted by crime poverty and racial inequity.
• Strong communication skills including active listening ability to demonstrate cultural humility and respect for people of diverse racial social economic and cultural backgrounds.
• Reliable patient and able to cope with high stress situations.
• Self-motivation and the ability to work independently with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Possess excellent attention to detail good organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple tasks.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office Google suite and data entry skills.
• Excellent phone and computer skills are required.
• Reliable transportation valid driver license and automobile liability insurance required; eligibility to be an insured driver under Latino Networks Commercial Auto Liability preferred.
• Ability to perform essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of employee or others. To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each essential duty.
• Ability to pass a criminal background check as needed.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this job. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential duties of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties of this role.

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit stand walk use stairways to climb to multiple floors within office building and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to use hands and fingers to type or dial climb or balance stoop kneel crouch or crawl and reach with hands and arms. The employee may be required to perform minimal heavy lifting and walking during peak events.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the duties of this job the employee is occasionally exposed to wet or humid conditions (non-weather); outdoor weather conditions; extreme cold (non-weather) and extreme heat (non-weather). This position requires frequent computer use. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision color vision distance vision depth perception and ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

TO APPLY

If you or anyone you know are interested in joining us in supporting our mission to positively transform the lives of Latino Youth families and communities please submit your application resume and cover letter at: Careers

Successful completion of initial and ongoing employment screens including but not limited to criminal background and vehicle record as required. Latino Network is an equal opportunity employer. We value and support diversity and inclusion to create a culture of dignity and respect.