Community Health Worker

About the role

The Community Health Worker (CHW) is a trusted member of the local community who helps the community improve their health through a range of outreach, education, prevention, and patient navigation service activities. They seek to promote the community’s voice within the health care system, while playing an active role on patients’ care teams. The CHW will have a regular presence in the community they serve and will provide patient support in accessing and using appropriate medical and behavioral health care as well as specialty services and help improve their understanding of chronic disease management and preventive health care. The CHW should be a “natural helper” in the local community, exhibiting good rapport with patients, as well as acting as a liaison among individuals, the health center and area social service providers. The CHW will have the skills and life experience necessary to understand what patients are going through in relation to health challenges and will help them get through difficult times. CHWs act as caring neighbors to help patients address the social and medical problems that lead to poor health outcomes. This CHW position is funded through the PHA CARES (Community Action Response and Educational Services) Program, a partnership led by Temple University’s Lenfest Center for Community Workforce Partnerships in collaboration with the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). As a Family Practice & Counseling Services Network (FPCSN) employee based at Health Annex, the CHW serves as a full member of the FPCSN care team while dedicating their effort to support PHA residents and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) recipients. In this role, the CHW conducts group and individual health promotion and education focused on chronic disease, leads PHA CARES outreach events, and connects PHA/HCV residents to medical, behavioral health, and social service resources. The position is grant-funded and contingent upon continued PHA CARES funding.

LOCATION: This position is on-site in our Health Annex center: 6120B Woodland Ave., Philadelphia

Responsibilities

• Engage Patients Assist patients in making and keeping appointments including diagnostic screenings for breast, colon or cervical cancer, and specialty medical care.
• Motivate patients to be active and engage participants in their health by developing health management plans and goals including exercise and diet.
• Coach patients in effective management of their chronic health conditions and self-care, assisting them in understanding care plans and instructions.
• Accompany residents to their appointments at the health center and support them in communicating with their health care provider.
• Contact clients in person, by phone, or in writing to ensure they have completed the required or recommended actions.
• Assess barriers and connect to resources as appropriate.
• Call patients and assess barriers to health and connect patients to resources and make referrals to resources, as needed.
• Conduct and support group or individual health promotion and education related to chronic diseases for PHA/HCV residents, including virtual or