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SalaryDATE: Thursday, March 14, 2024
POSITION: Community Health Worker
DEPARTMENT: Clinical Services
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Community Health Worker (CHW) performs assigned functions in accordance with the Upper Peninsula Health Plan Community Health Worker Program: completes designated projects within primary care and community based settings and conducts Social Determinant of Health (SDoH) screenings and Health Risk Assessments (HRAs); assists all members, and other at-risk populations, in achieving self-management goals and improved health outcomes, with increased emphasis on those members with racial and ethnic disparities, significant behavioral conditions and complex co-morbidities.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Follows established Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) policies and procedures, objectives, safety standards, and sensitivity to confidential information.
2. Serves as a liaison between physical health, behavioral health, and service providers in communities, acting as a key knowledge source for services and information needed by members for improved health and stability in their lives.
3. Serves as key knowledge source for community resources, UPHP health plan benefits, and other services. Builds individual and community capacity to identify and address barriers to health care and improve member quality of life.
4. Conducts SDoH screenings and HRAs; engages members in care coordination through various outreach activities and arranges services to meet social needs including housing, utility, food, transportation assistance, and surrounding support services. Collaborates with UPHP care management staff and refers members with ongoing complex needs for care management.
5. Provides culturally responsive services and advocates for members; develops relationships and maintains communication with member and providers. Serves as a trusted, reliable, non-judgmental resource.
6. Assists with self-management of chronic conditions including lifestyle strategies, risk factors, self-monitoring, medications, treatment adherence, health promotion, and screening recommendations. Conducts home visits to assess barriers to healthy living and healthcare access.
7. Facilitates medical, behavioral, and dental office visits; explains importance of keeping scheduled visits, reminds member of scheduled visits, and accompanies member to office visits as necessary.
8. Develops activities to improve member self-sufficiency by fostering member self-management skills resulting in the creation of goals and action plans.
9. Provides culturally responsive services and advocates for members; develops relationships and maintains communication with member and providers.
10. Facilitates timely responses to requests for personal care services. Conducts home visits when necessary to assess barriers to personal care services, healthy living, and healthcare access. Provides support to locate personal care service providers when needed by members and agencies.
11. Required, frequent face-to-face visits with beneficiaries in member homes and in various care settings in the community.
12. Demonstrates knowledge of and performs all assigned tasks in accordance with UPHP plans, policies, and procedures, as well as accrediting and regulatory requirements.
13. Participates in departmental and interdepartmental process improvements; recommends improvements in clinical processes as opportunities are identified.
14. Participates in and plans community resource fairs and events.
15. Develops new outreach programs and fosters relationships with community based organizations.
16. Prepares reports as required.
17. Maintains confidentiality of member and client data.
18. Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.
POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:
Education:
Minimum:
Post high school vocational/specialized training in health care or related field plus CHW certification**
Preferred:
Associate or bachelor’s degree in health care education or related field plus CHW certification**
Experience:
Minimum:
Two (2) years of general or health related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
Preferred:
Three (3) to five (5) years of general or personal care service experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
Required Skills:
Exceptional customer service skills and telephone etiquette
Composition and proofreading skills
Excellent organizational abilities and attention to detail
Excellent human relation and oral/written communication
Knowledge of filing systems and copier operation
Keyboarding proficiency and working knowledge of MS Office (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Internet proficient
The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The qualifications should not be viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but as general guidelines that should be considered along with other job-related selection or promotional criteria.
Physical Requirements:
[This job requires the ability to perform the essential functions contained in the description. These include, but are not limited to, the following requirements. Reasonable accommodations may be made for otherwise qualified applicants unable to fulfill one or more of these requirements]:
Ability to access departmental files
Ability to enter and access information from a computer
Ability to access all areas of the UPHP offices
Moderate physical effort (lift/carry up to 25 pounds)
Occasionally lifts supplies/equipment
Occasional reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching
Prolonged periods of sitting
Occasional prolonged standing
Manual dexterity and mobility
Working Conditions:
Works in office conditions and frequent travel will be required
Exposure to situations requiring exceptional interpersonal skills or periods of intense concentration
Subject to many interruptions
Occasional irregular hours
May work in outdoor conditions dependent on community event
**If applicant does not possess Community Health Worker certification, employee will be required to complete the certification program or applicable training(s) to maintain employment, which will be furnished by the employer.
