Community Health Response Worker

PROGRAM SUMMARY

Despite the City’s equity-focused response, COVID-19 disease and pandemic impacts have expanded the racial life expectancy gap in Chicago and deepened underlying inequities. There is more work to do to build a healthier and more equitable city. The Community Health Response Corps will cultivate a public health workforce to tackle the drivers of disparity between White communities compared to Black and Hispanic/Latinx communities, with a major focus on chronic disease and communicable diseases including COVID-19, and additional efforts on other drivers of the life expectancy gap (infant mortality, violence, and opioid overdose). This strategy unites CDPH’s commitment to improving public health with the City’s commitment to racial and economic equity across neighborhoods. The Response Corps is a major step toward achieving the vision of Healthy Chicago 2025: Creating a city where all people and all communities are empowered, free from oppression, and strengthened by equitable access to resources, opportunities, and environments and opportunities that promote optimal health and well-being.

CDPH (Chicago Department of Public Health) selected the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) through a procurement process to serve as the Lead Coordinating Organization to continue the work under the Chicago Community Health Response Corps. In 2020, The Partnership led the former Chi Tracing Contact Tracing and Chicago COVID-19 Community Response Corps. The Corps was comprised of over 800 Chicago residents who responded to the call to help protect Chicago communities that have been most devasted by the pandemic. The Corps consisted of a variety of positions including Community Response Workers and Supervising Community Response Workers. The Corps Members conducted targeted activities that limited the spread of COVID-19. They were employed by 31 Community Based Organizations and supported by The Partnership and the following Project Partners that deliver training, professional development, and resource coordination: the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, NORC at the University of Chicago, Malcolm X College of the City Colleges of Chicago, and Sinai Urban Health Institute.

With the new Chicago Community Health Response Corps, 11 Community Based Organizations (CBO) will hire a total of approximately 150 Community Health Response Workers and Supervisors to enter the new phase of the COVID-19 Recovery phase. They will continue Community Health work in the most needed priority and economic hardship communities in the City of Chicago. The Corps will provide basic chronic disease prevention and health promotion, as well as COVID-19 education and health literacy work through community outreach engagement and the City’s Call Center and Resource Coordination Hub. The project partners for this Corps are The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Sinai Urban Health Institute, Malcolm X College of the City Colleges of Chicago, and the Illinois Community Health Workers Association.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Community Health Response Workers (CHRW) are responsible for connecting with Chicago communities as frontline workers who have a close understanding of the community they serve. They serve as the liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and resources to improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. The CHRW will build individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, and resource navigation. The CHRW will serve as a bridge between the community and the healthcare, government, and other social service systems.

Community Health Response Workers may support with any or all the following, as needed:

• Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
• COVID-19 Community Education and Prevention
• Community Expertise
• Community Health Work
• Resource Navigation (Healthcare, Mental health, Housing, Rental Assistance, Food Support)
• Event outreach and in-person community canvassing
• Call Center and Resource Coordination Hub (inbound and outbound calls)
• Testing sites
• Vaccination scheduling and sites
• Employment Resources
• Other activities as determined by CDPH, including case investigation and/or contact tracing for COVID-19 and other communicable diseases

Community Health Response Workers must comply with all CDPH and Community Health Response Corps training regarding confidentiality and the handling of personally identifiable information; and follow all scripts, policies, and procedures established for the program.

This position offers full-time work, with shifts available seven days a week, including evenings and weekends (Mondays through Saturdays, 8am-8pm; Sundays, 8am-5pm). The position is grant funded through June 30, 2023. Continuation of the position after June 30, 2023 is dependent upon sustained grant funding and public health needs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Community Health Response Worker may be assigned to multiple sets of responsibilities and is expected to be prepared to carry out the following:

Promote COVID-19 Related Topics & Vaccination Knowledge

• Stay up to date on all COVID-19-related news and developments from reliable sources, including: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC (Centers for Disease Control)), World Health Organization (WHO), Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH)
• Visit the CDC, IDPH, CDPH websites on a regular basis to be kept up to date with COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates and implement work plans to support communities with COVID testing and vaccination resources
• Monitor CDPH’s COVID Dashboard on a weekly basis to track the City’s current cases, hospitalizations, positivity rate, and vaccination percentage by zip code
• Represent the Corps as a vaccine ambassador
• Communicate gaps in community knowledge and information sharing to the Partnership, to inform training requests and additional learning/professional development

Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion

• Deliver health information using culturally appropriate terms and concepts related to chronic disease prevention, physical activity and nutrition, and cultural competence
• Advocate for underserved individuals to receive appropriate services
• Help to build understanding and social capital to support healthier behaviors and lifestyle choices
• Help individuals, families, groups, and communities develop their capacity and access to resources, including health insurance, food, housing, quality care, and heath information
• Link people to health care/social services resources
• Collect data to help identify Community Health needs

Community Health Work, Outreach, and Canvassing

• Conduct community outreach in needed communities to discuss COVID-related topics, chronic disease prevention, vaccination hesitancy, and resources available.
• Discuss risk of chronic disease, COVID-19 exposure, and/or other health issues and share approved information on quarantine procedures, what to do if symptoms develop, and, if appropriate, make referrals for testing or other resources for assistance.
• Support planning and execution of health-related events/sites including city events and weekend/evening events.
• Collaborate with CDPH and other city emergency operations centers, local health providers, and community-based organizations to design and implement activities, events, and interventions.
• Conduct outreach in the community to promote, maintain, and improve individual and Community Health
• Connect community members to resources to meet the full range of their needs such as food security, health, and mental health, employment, housing, childcare, and other resources

Staff Chicago’s Call Center and Resource Coordination Hub

• Staff the Call Center and Resource Coordination Hub’s Inbound Hotline
• Answer inbound calls from community members calling the hotline. Provide services, including but not limited to responding to questions/answers on COVID-related issues, scheduling for city vaccination sites, directing to helpful local resources
• Conduct outbound calls via special assigned projects by CDPH or by CBO work plans

Ongoing Expectations

• Systematically collect and record information in corresponding centralized databases.
• Communicate with colleagues, supervisors, leads, and the public in a professional and empathetic manner.
• Collaborate with supervisor(s) in identifying and meeting project goals.
• Maintain regular, frequent contact with supervisor and/or leads for special initiatives
• Participate in ongoing professional development and related training.
• Participate in Earn and Learn opportunities*
• Attending all team meetings
• Conduct other COVID-19 and Community Health related duties as assigned.

*NOTE: Earn and Learn training opportunities prepare Corps members for permanent, full-time placement in public health and related fields. These opportunities are being continuously developed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact professionally, appropriately, and effectively with a wide range of culturally diverse individuals during a time of crisis and distress.
• Excellent ability to communicate both verbally and in writing in a professional and empathetic manner.
• Ability to think critically and assess multiple perspectives of a given situation.
• Computer skills are necessary and should include the ability to access and navigate Microsoft programs, email accounts, web browsers, as well as gain knowledge of and efficiency with various databases and software programs following training.
• Equal comfort with working individually and within a team environment that emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Applicants must reside in the City of Chicago, preferably in the priority and/or high economic hardship communities identified by the Chicago Department of Public Health for the purposes of this grant program (see attached list).
• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• A background check is required. However, the circumstances of prior justice involvement will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will not necessarily disqualify a candidate.
• Present evidence of identity and authorization to work in the United States (I-9 documentation) is required.
• Interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, public health, or social services.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Community engagement and/or outreach experience.
• Call center experience.
• Customer service experience.
• Experience working with people of diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds
• Fluency in Spanish, Polish, Mandarin, Cantonese, or additional languages highly valuable.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The position consists of remote work, in office work, in-person outreach, or a combination of all as determined based on the needs of the initiatives assigned by the funders and the requirements of the CBO of employment. The position requires responding to public health emergencies and at times requires a rapid turnaround of communications on short notice. All Community Health Response Workers are required to provide proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination.

EEO STATEMENT

The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, its partners, and subcontractors are committed to a policy that provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition, including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation; and to making all employment decisions so as to further this principle of equal employment opportunity.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Community Health Response Workers will earn $22.25 per hour with benefits. All payroll and benefits will be administered by the CBO as the direct employer.

Ability to work in a racially diverse environment in which working towards racial equity in workforce or economic development, or social service sectors is key.

The duties listed are not set forth for purposes of limiting the assignment of work. They are not to be construed as a complete list of the many duties normally to be performed under a job title or those to be performed temporarily outside an employee's normal line of work.