Community Health Worker

About the role

As a Community Health Worker (CHW), you'll be a trusted bridge between healthcare, social services, and the communities we serve—making a real difference in people's lives every day. Under the leadership of the Office of Community Health, Equity & Wellness' CHW Hub Manager, and in partnership with designated onsite leaders, you'll serve as a vital liaison who promotes access to healthcare services, improves health and equity outcomes, and helps patients navigate the systems that support their wellbeing. Whether integrated directly within a clinical care team or assigned to a specific project, you'll play a critical role in addressing social determinants of health (SDOH), connecting individuals to essential services, and delivering patient-centered, culturally relevant care that truly matters.

Responsibilities

• Identify and address patients' non-medical and social determinant of health needs—including food security, housing, transportation, and social support—by providing meaningful referrals to appropriate social service agencies and tracking positive outcomes.
• Collaborate with clinical care teams to ensure seamless continuity of care, co-develop personalized care plans, and provide compassionate follow-up support through home visits and telephonic check-ins that strengthen patient relationships.
• Drive patient engagement and retention by conducting direct outreach that improves recruitment, supports adherence to care instructions, and increases utilization of primary and preventive care services—ultimately reducing no-show rates and unnecessary emergency department visits.
• Build trust and foster community connections through authentic outreach that helps bridge healthcare services with the communities we serve.
• Empower patients through culturally competent health education and coaching—delivered individually and in group settings—that focuses on disease prevention, health promotion, and effective chronic disease management.
• Advocate for patients by identifying and removing barriers to care (such as insurance enrollment, transportation, housing, and language access), facilitating connections to resources, and supporting individuals in confidently navigating both healthcare and social service systems.
• Promote health literacy and patient self-advocacy by providing guidance on self-management of chronic conditions, system navigation, and personal empowerment strategies.
• Maintain accurate, timely documentation of patient encounters and contribute to the evaluation of community and population health initiatives by collecting and analyzing relevant data within Henry Ford's electronic health record and other prescribed documentation tools.
• Connect patients with HFH classes, support groups, and related services, assisting with recruitment and enrollment to expand access to care resources.
• Continuously expand your knowledge and expertise through ongoing training, staying current with community resources, prescribed curriculums, IRB protocols, and organizational policies relevant to your caseload or project.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent.
• Previous experience as a community health worker, preferred.
• Previous experience conducting health education, or working with underserved populations, preferred.
• Previous experience conducting home and/or clinic visits with patients and their primary care providers, preferred.

Certification

• Certification as a Community Health Worker or a willingness to become certified within six months of hire.

Skills

• Ability to build trust with the community and maintain ethical standards of care.
• Knowledge of local health resources and the social service system.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with diverse communities.
• Cultural competency, particularly with underserved or marginalized populations.
• Must meet or exceed core customer service responsibilities, standards and behaviors as outlined in the Henry Ford Health Customer Service Policy.
• Must practice the customer skills as provided through on-going training and in-services.

Work environment

Depending on the specific needs of assigned work, there may be variations of in-person, hybrid or remote office-based work with frequent community outreach, including home visits and attendance at community events. Must have a valid State of Michigan driver's license and automobile insurance.