Community Health Worker

Are you ready to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and families in our community? If you are passionate about making a positive impact on the health and well-being of individuals, have a strong commitment to promoting preventive care, and bridging the gap between healthcare services and those who need them most, we invite you to join our team as a Community Health Worker.

Full-time benefits include medical/vision/dental/RX, HSA/FSA, life insurance, long-term disability, retirement, and a generous amount of Paid Time Off.
 

Klickitat Valley Health is a rural, critical-access hospital located in scenic Goldendale, Washington only two hours from Portland along the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge. KVH offers emergency and acute inpatient care and a full scope of ancillary services including General Surgery, Diagnostic Imaging, Laboratory, Respiratory Therapy, PT / OT, Behavioral Health, Dental, Pain Management, Optometry and Hospice. The hospital also owns a busy, well-established primary clinic that is located on hospital campus. Inpatient care is managed by 24/7 Hospitalist staff. KVH employs over 300 staff.

GENERAL SUMMARY:

KVH Family Medicine is seeking a Community Health Worker to initiate treatment services and support treatment success for patients experiencing substance use disorder. This position focuses on helping individuals identify their needs and connect them with appropriate resources to stay engaged with clinical care and other social and/or community-based services while working collaboratively with an interdisciplinary care team, including prescribing providers, Substance Use Disorder Professionals, nurse care managers, medical assistants, and/or other care navigators. 

Education:

High School Graduate or GED

Licensure / Certifications:

• Current State of Washington CHW or SUD Peer license or ability to obtain within 90 days from a formal training program, college, and/or institution.
• Certified Tobacco Cessation Specialist; or ability to obtain certification within one year of hire (training provided).
• Valid Washington driver’s license, proof of insurance, and reliable transportation.
• Preferred if certified for CHW to become cross-certified as SUD Peer or vice versa
• Optional: Dually Credentialed as a SUDP/T

Experience:

Minimum one year of experience providing these duties and responsibilities OR an equivalent combination of education, job training, and experience which provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position requirements. Bilingual preferred. Strong communication and interpersonal skills Enthusiasm to work with underserved and oppressed populations. Commitment to maintaining cultural competency.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS / RESPONSIBILITIES (but not limited to):

• Provide client-centered, non-judgmental information about substance use disorder and the range of treatment options including the medications methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.

• Guide participants through a treatment decision-making model to determine the intervention(s) that are most appropriate for them at the time of assessment. Repeat this process as needed.

• Actively help refer participants to treatment programs including facilitating intake scheduling.

• Provide ongoing treatment navigation services including ongoing communication, information, and support via in-person, text, email, or phone.

• Assess patient’s or client’s understanding of their illnesses and potential barriers to health, and how discrimination and personal experiences can affect their health.

• Conduct outreach to agencies and individuals to identify appropriate candidates for SUD treatment.

• Assist patients in understanding and selecting from SUD treatment options.

• Work with patients to assess other health care, SUD treatment, and psychosocial needs and provide direct referrals to agencies agreeable to the patient to address these concerns.

• Facilitate patients’ direct connection to these services (may include making referrals, facilitating or directly providing transportation, coordinating and accompanying patients to appointments, etc.)

• Follow up and attempt to reconnect with patients who have disengaged from clinical and/or social services

• Provide education about health, mental health, SUD treatment, harm reduction, and general wellness to patients. Assist patients in becoming an effective self-advocate in the health care system.

• Coordinate closely with patients’ care team to support engagement with care.

• Assist in the development of strategies to address or eliminate barriers to care. Work collaboratively with supervisor, coworkers, and community partners to make sure that all client needs are identified and addressed.

• Diligence, accuracy, and professionalism with billing and record keeping with an emphasis on individualized care in the documentation of individual and group notes, consultations, service plans, emails, etc. (Following federal, state, and KVH guidelines).

• Document all care navigation activities (in electronic health records, treatment plans, other tracking systems, etc.).

• Liaise with other community service providers and collaborate in local advocacy efforts on behalf of people affected by SUD, becoming knowledgeable about community resources.

• Assess client needs for substance abuse services, particularly MAT for SUD as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team.

• Assist SUDP in the care of patients with SUD, including urine drug testing and record-keeping.

• Collect and manage Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) surveys, including intake, follow-up, and discharge surveys.

• Collaborate with and support other Behavioral Health Staff via regular meetings and other methods of communication.

• Maintain and share current information about new referral resources and protocols.

• Comply with Program data collection requirements, documenting connections to both ongoing MAT services and other treatments in the patient recovery plans. Assist in meeting target goals of inducting 5 new patients or more for grant activities.

• Help ensure the stability of the program by developing creative strategies for the retention of enrolled participants throughout the project.

• Work with the Behavioral Health, Chemical Dependency Provider, and MAT teams to develop, implement, and/or upgrade systems that affect and/or enhance grant activities.

• Support, facilitate, and coordinate care for patients in all integrated programs with a focus on primary care for a very diverse patient population.

• Maintain professional demeanor including email, phone, and in-person communication.

• Participate in the integrated program's quality improvement and quality collaborative initiative outcomes as well as help to monitor outcomes and utilization data.

• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos.  Ability to write simple correspondence.  Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.  Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft and Google products.  Able to learn and navigate through the organizational computer system.

• Attend staff meetings, and in-service meetings and participate in agency committees or task force activities.

• Be fluid and adaptable within the work environment as the program changes to meet the needs of the individual and community.

• Willingness to work some evening and weekend hours for special events.

• Keeps up to date with continued education and credentialing while seeking out opportunities for self to improve efficacy within the field.

• Abides by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 in reference to all confidential information obtained through job tasks.

• Exercise sound judgment, including maintaining professional boundaries

• As grant activities evolve and change other duties may be assigned or removed.

• Performs other duties as assigned.