Community Health Advocate, Experienced - San Diego

About the role

The Community Health Advocate, Experienced will report to the Sr. Director, Community Programs. In this role, you will conduct field-based outreach with Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan members through regular home visits, in-person support at medical appointments, and comprehensive assessments of social drivers of health (SDOH). You will identify resource gaps in medical and community services, assess barriers impacting member well-being, and connect members to appropriate health and social services. This position requires frequent local travel throughout San Diego County.

Our leadership model focuses on developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for personal, professional, and financial growth. We seek leaders energized by creative and critical thinking, building high-performing teams, achieving results ethically, and fostering continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Assess psychosocial and social drivers of health needs for moderate-risk members through in-person engagement, including home visits and medical appointments, and document assessment results or augment available information in appropriate systems.
• Conduct routine and as-needed home visits to provide hands-on support, assess living conditions, and identify barriers to care.
• Accompany members to medical appointments as needed to provide support, facilitate communication with providers, and help ensure understanding of care plans and follow-up actions.
• Establish relationships and partner with community organizations, health plans, and providers by participating in community engagement activities with local agencies (e.g., faith-based organizations, community centers, government agencies, parks, recreation centers, and schools).
• Assist members with moderate health conditions in problem-solving to address barriers by identifying, locating, connecting to, and navigating needed community and medical system services, including visiting members at their homes, accompanying members to medical appointments, and assisting with completing forms to access services.
• Actively engage, build rapport, and establish trusting relationships while facilitating collaborative communication with members and their family support systems.
• Identify social drivers of health concerns/gaps and develop and document an associated plan to address moderate social and health disparities in accessing appropriate care and services.
• Document member updates and progress notes in appropriate systems, submit timely reports, and provide recommendations for improved member outcomes.
• File and follow up on mandated reporting (e.g., Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services).
• Perform other duties as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Biology, Public Health, Nursing, Community Health, or a health-allied field preferred, OR equivalent experience in a related field.
• At least 3 years of prior relevant experience working with people who need assistance with complex health and social issues.
• Experience conducting home visits and field-based assessments, including assessing social drivers of health (SDOH), psychosocial needs, and barriers to care.
• Valid CA Driver’s License and proof of auto insurance coverage.
• Experience working with Medi-Cal populations preferred.
• Bilingual Spanish speaking preferred.
• Proficient skills with computer programs, including Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of health disparities in diverse communities.
• Effective time management skills and ability to define and act on priorities amid multiple responsibilities.

About Us

As of January 2025, Blue Shield of California became a subsidiary of Ascendiun. Ascendiun is a nonprofit corporate entity that is the parent to a family of organizations including Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan; Altais, a clinical services company; and Stellarus, a company designed to scale healthcare solutions. Together, these organizations are referred to as the Ascendiun Family of Companies.

At Blue Shield of California, our mission is to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable. We are transforming healthcare to lower costs, improve quality, and enhance the member and physician experience while upholding our nonprofit mission. To achieve this, we foster an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute fully to the needs of the communities we serve.

Blue Shield is recognized as a U.S. News Best Company to work for, a Deloitte U.S. Best Managed Company, and a Top 100 Inspiring Workplace. We were also recognized by Fair360 as a Top Regional Company and by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.

Our Values

• Honest: We hold ourselves to the highest ethical and integrity standards. We build trust by doing what we say we will and acknowledging and correcting where we fall short.
• Human: We strive to listen and communicate effectively, showing empathy by understanding others' perspectives.
• Courageous: We stand up for what we believe in and are committed to the hard work necessary to achieve our ambitious goals.

Our Workplace Model

We believe in fostering a workplace environment that balances purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility. Our model is designed around intentional in-person interaction, collaboration, connection, creativity, and flexibility:

• For most teams, this means coming into the office two days per week.
• Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location, out-of-state employees, and those in certain member-facing roles should work with their manager to determine in-office time based on business need.
• For employees with medical conditions that may impact their ability to work in-office, we are committed to engaging in an interactive process and providing reasonable accommodations.

The Company reserves the right to require more presence in the office based on business needs, and requirements are subject to change with periodic reviews.

Physical Requirements

Office Environment – roles involving part to full-time schedule in an office environment. Based in our physical offices and work from home office/deskwork. Activity level: Sedentary, frequency most of the workday.

Pay

Pay Range for California: $32.03 to $48.04 per hour

Pay Range for Bay Area: $36.10 to $54.16 per hour

Note: This range represents the pay range for this and many other positions at Blue Shield that fall into this pay grade. Salaries are based on candidate experience, location (California, Bay Area, or outside California), and current employee salaries for similar roles.

Schedule

Full time