Community Health Worker

Purpose: The Community Health Worker (CHW) works to improve the health and wellbeing of peers who are PHA residents in public housing and Leased Housing (Section8) participants by connecting them to health and social services, providing social support, and helping them to advocate for their health needs. Our CHW focuses on public safety, safe & healthy housing, and how the physical environment affects the health and wellbeing of families. They engage in community building efforts to improve the safety of the neighborhoods that they serve, and to help residents come together to advocate for their housing rights.

Essential Tasks of the Position:

The Community Health Worker supports the PHA residents by addressing the social and health care needs of the PHA residents; connecting residents to primary care, behavioral health, and other resources either within the PHA organization or within the community.

• Work one-on-one with residents to address health concerns.
• Work one-on-one with residents to assess their healthcare and social service needs and to refer and connect to services whenever possible.
• Work one-to-one with residents to set health-promoting goals and help them to meet these goals.
• Document all client progress in the case management database.
• Maintain confidentiality of client information, processes, and data.
• Meet regularly with Resident Services Department (RSD) Wellness Team and other PHA staff for program development and event planning and to monitor and evaluate program success.
• Communicate regularly with community partners, service providers and PHA staff.
• Attend monthly networking meetings convened by Community Health Worker Association of Rhode Island (CHWARI); to collectively problem solve and to share resources.
• Network with existing health and community-based organizations to learn about opportunities for their clients and share their clients' needs with these agencies.
• Support the work of other Resident Services Department staff and Property Management staff to address resident social determinants of health.

Position Requirements and Qualifications:

Education Level

• High school diploma or GED

Experience in Related Field

• CHWARI CORE Community Health Worker Certification is required.
• Experience with customer service, social services, health care or community-related work is preferred.

Knowledge, skills, abilities, licenses and certifications

• Ability to speak both Spanish and English fluently and to write English fluently, required.
• Strong preference will be given to individuals living in public housing and participants in the Section 8 Program.
• Determination to make a difference in their own community.
• Excellent listening and communication skills.
• Compassionate, empathetic, respectful & logical.
• Open to working closely with clients who struggle with health-related issues of all kinds, including mental illness and addiction at all levels.
• Respectful, sensitive and non-judgmental towards individuals who may suffer from traumas and/or disabilities.
• Strong interpersonal and social skills with an ability to collaborate with a variety of individuals from a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds.
• Strong presence in one-on-one meetings.

Working Conditions:

Environmental Parameters

• Ability to work in an office environment.

Physical Demands (Modify for position)

• Type: sedentary and manual work.
• Strength: Ability to lift up to 50 lb.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move an object.

Work Schedule:

• Ability to work 35 hours week.
• Ability to work flexible hours, occasionally.

Equipment Used:

• Competency in operating computers, printers and general office equipment.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

The requirements for this position are indicative of the physical and mental capacities needed to satisfactorily perform the duties for the position. Reasonable accommodations, as required by the Americans With Disabilities Act will be granted wherever possible