Community Health Worker (Childhood Onset Chronic Healthcare Needs)

About the role

This part-time, fully remote position is designed for someone with lived experience managing a chronic health condition or developmental disability or supporting someone with special healthcare needs. You will join an interdisciplinary team within the Duke University School of Nursing’s Positive Youth Development (PYD) Lab, contributing to research and clinical programs that support adolescents and young adults with childhood-onset chronic conditions and developmental disabilities and their families. The role involves 6–8 hours of work per week.

Responsibilities

• Provide peer health and wellness coaching to adolescents, young adults, and families via telephone and virtual platforms, using lived experience to promote engagement and self-management.
• Support patients in navigating healthcare systems and community resources, helping them understand available services and overcome barriers to care.
• Guide individuals toward achieving self-identified goals by encouraging self-advocacy, self-management, and active participation in healthcare decision-making.
• Offer socio-emotional support and mentorship during healthcare, educational, and life transitions while promoting resilience and independence.
• Encourage appropriate clinical follow-up by directing patients to medical, behavioral health, and other professionals when concerns arise.
• Maintain accurate documentation and records of coaching encounters, services provided, and patient progress in accordance with program requirements.
• Participate in required trainings and supervision, including regular meetings with program leadership and the peer coach team to ensure quality and consistency of services.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary researchers, clinicians, and program staff to support clinical programs and research initiatives focused on improving outcomes for youth with chronic healthcare needs.

Minimum Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One year of experience in a position involving patient, family, public, or community contact.
• Knowledge of and experience navigating one or more youth-serving systems on behalf of yourself or your child with special healthcare needs related to spina bifida.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and demonstrate professional boundaries.
• Ability to build trusting relationships with patients, families, and healthcare team members.
• Basic computer skills and ability to document services and interactions accurately.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience providing peer support, mentoring, advocacy, coaching, or community-based services.
• Experience working with adolescents, young adults, and families managing chronic health conditions or developmental disabilities.
• Familiarity with healthcare, educational, behavioral health, and community support resources.
• Demonstrated ability to encourage self-advocacy and patient engagement.
• Experience participating in research studies, community programs, or healthcare initiatives.

Other Requirements

• Successful completion of initial and ongoing peer coaching training provided by the PYD Lab.
• Ability to participate in regular supervision meetings and team activities.
• Ability to communicate effectively via telephone, virtual platforms, and other distance technologies.
• Maintain accurate records of coaching services and patient interactions.
• May require occasional attendance at meetings or training activities at Duke University locations.

Pay

Duke University provides an annual base salary range for this position of USD $20.00 to USD $25.06 per hour. The final offer will consider factors such as scope of responsibilities, candidate’s work experience, education/training, internal peer equity, market and organizational considerations.