Community Health Worker - 1

Company: Oklahoma City County Health Department
Location: Oklahoma City
Posted on: November 22, 2021

Job Description:

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER-1 Mental Health Emphasis Starting at: 33,912.00 Annual Position Type: Full-Time/Non-Exempt SUMMARY: The Community Health Worker is located in the Performance Management Division with the Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD). The Community Health Worker (CHW) fulfills a unique role in the support and recovery from mental illness and substance abuse disorders. A CHW is a person in recovery from a mental illness and/or substance abuse disorder, who has been training to work with others on his/her road to recovery. The CHW works in collaboration with the clients we serve as well as clinical staff in the best interests of the individual's recovery process. The CHW will navigate community residents through the health and social service system. Community residents will be referred to a Community Health Worker upon release to start the process of identifying resource supports (including health care coverage, health and behavioral health appoints, referrals for housing assistance, employment, etc.). The CHW will follow community reentrants for 6 months during the most vulnerable months of transition back to the community. The CHW responsibilities include serving as a bridge to help community reentrants connect to community health/social supports. The CHW will work in coordination with the community reentrant and other program stakeholders to complete wellness planning, navigate to care/resources, promote health and wellness, facilitate continuity of care, advocate and coach, support individuals to set goals. The CHW will provide ongoing follow up and outreach and complete regular data entry. Responsibilities will include case management, documentation of each contact, general health management, skill building and the reduction of barriers to appropriate health care/ social support services. Implements effective strategies for linking "non-violent, high risk, high need" residents to primary care/ medical homes; increases access to appropriate venues of health care and community-based services; assists individuals in improving health status; and promotes behavior change through education and outreach. PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: This is a summary of the duties and responsibilities commonly found within this classification. All employees must maintain a commitment to the OCCHD's mission, vision and strategic goals. This summary is not meant to be all-inclusive, thus, other related activities or tasks may be assigned. This position functions at the entry level (Tier 1) as defined by the Council on Linkages Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals. An emphasis on the following domains is important in this role: * Analytic Assessment Skills * Communication Skills * Cultural Competency Skills * Community Dimensions of Practice Skills * Community Engagement * Community Health Assessment * Community Health Improvement Planning and Action * Health Equity and Cultural Awareness * Systems Thinking * Organizational Planning and Management ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: * Responsible for the implementation of the goals and objectives set forth by the Population Health Division. * Executes the day-to-day implementation of OCCHD Opioid Use Prevention Program. * Provide outreach, education, referral and follow-up, advocacy and home visiting services as needed to participants of the Opioid Use Prevention Program. * Provides basic health literacy and information about how to best access and utilize the health and social service system. * Works together with residents to develop a wellness plan. Coaches and supports community residents to set and accomplish wellness goals. * Facilitates appointments to health and social service organizations. Follows up on appointments or other instructions from health homes and community providers by call, text or home visit. Works to ensure the resident attends and has access to scheduled appointments. * Communicates with providers about barriers to self-management and access to care. Assists with post-hospitalization or emergency department visit follow up. * Assists in completing all required forms, agreements, case notes, etc., supplies them to client when appropriate, and keeps proper documentation organized in a system. * Effectively communicates and coordinates with all program-related stakeholders (Discharge Planner, attorney, case workers, family, etc.) to facilitate supports before and after release. * Provides timely and relevant reports to Population Health Division Manager, regarding the status of the goals and objectives established. * Collect and document data. Complete data entry in a timely manner. * Maintains confidentiality and uses only the minimum amount of protected health information (PHI) necessary to accomplish job related responsibilities. * Perform other duties as assigned. * Interventions may be one-on-one or group level. * Assist clients with making referrals and gaining access to primary health care and other community based and social services. * Provide focused case management and risk reduction services by linking clients to the most appropriate venue for entry into the health care delivery system to include primary health care providers, medical home, specialty care services, and emergency department utilization. * Help coordinate patient transportation and accompaniment as needed, to scheduled appointments. * Increase patient understanding of preventative and maintenance health care. * Act as patient advocate. * Provide social support. * Assist in setting follow-up appointments. * Conduct patient/health education. * Help patients develop chronic disease management plans/goals. * Assists families (with appropriate release of information) in implementing measures to decrease risk of further problems. * Assure patients get appropriate and timely services by making referrals and motivating/teaching patients to seek care. * May make home visits within the community with the purpose of providing education and/or engaging "high-risk, high-need" populations into treatment, a. Utilizes pathways to guide decision making and actions b. Provides education and resource information c. Assists clients in building a support system and bridge gaps in client's services d. Provides support and link to appropriate community/social resources e. Works with a multidisciplinary health care provider team * Notifies clinical team and supervisor regarding changes in behavior, nutrition, exercise, substance abuse, medication compliance, and other issues as related to the care plan for the patient. * Coordinate patient care with other clinic personnel. * Participate in regularly scheduled staff development trainings to maintain and improve personal knowledge base of various chronic diseases. * Participates and attend regularly scheduled supervision meetings; be prepared to share both successes and pitfalls of case management. * Communicate all concerns to supervisor as necessary, seeking support and guidance proactively. * Maintain appropriate confidentiality and follow agency guidelines and regulations regarding the release of patient, provider, or agency information. * Provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services to assigned clients. * Complete required documentation of community resident encounters. * Travel to off-site locations to perform job duties as needed; occasionally this may require employee to work on evenings or weekends. * Complete required training in support of duties and responsibilities of this position. * Travel to all required meetings and events. * At the direction of OCCHD Chief Executive Officer or designee, the employee will be assigned a variety of specific job duties and responsibilities as a member of the OCCHD Emergency Preparedness and Response Program Team, the employee is required to complete all necessary emergency responder training and may be designated as a member of the first-responder team. * In accordance with our designation of a PHAB Accredited health department and explicit commitment to a culture of continuous quality improvement, employees will receive Quality Improvement (QI) training deemed necessary by their supervisor. QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS: -High School diploma or GED required -One year of experience -Community Health Worker Certificate required within twelve (12) weeks of hire is a condition of continued employment -Demonstrated recovery from mental illness, substance use disorder or both -Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) preferred -Complete agency transportation training -Valid Oklahoma driver license required SKILLS AND ABILITIES: -Skill in operating a personal computer -Ability and willingness to maintain confidentiality -Ability and willingness to communicate with persons of diverse backgrounds both orally and in writing using tact and diplomacy -Ability and willingness to follow established policies and procedures -Ability and willingness to develop and maintain effective working relationships -Ability and willingness to follow safe working practices and procedures -Ability and willingness to assume responsibility for work product -Ability to exercise judgment in the application of professional services -Ability and willingness to develop and maintain effective working relationships -Willing to self-disclose about personal recovery journey -Has a genuine desire to help others, especially those in need. Derives satisfaction from serving others. Understands people's needs and overcomes obstacles in serving them. -Adapts to and works effectively with a variety of situations, individuals, groups and systems. -Takes initiative to do more than the minimum requirements of the job. Expresses self- confidence in stating opinions and when called upon to make decisions. -Builds and maintains positive relationships with people on the job. Listens effectively to understand others. -Treats all people with respect; seeks and considers diverse perspectives and ideas; provides a supportive work environment for a multicultural workforce; shows sensitivity to individual differences; treats others fairly without regard to race, sex, color, religion or sexual orientation; engages in personal reflection and development to address unconscious bias, demonstrates no tolerance for micro-aggressions; recognizes differences as opportunities to learn and gain by working together. -Minimizes errors and maintains high quality by checking or monitoring data and work in a timely manner, and by developing and maintaining systems for organizing work and information. Actively explores ways to improve quality of output. -Uses data and analytical thinking to identify problems and develop solutions. -Acts resourcefully to ensure that work is accomplished within specified time and quality parameters. Is able to focus effectively on more than one task or project at a time. WORKING CONDITIONS: -Primarily indoors in climate-controlled building -No smoking or use of non-smoking tobacco products is allowed at any time while conducting agency business or in agency vehicles -No use of cell phones or the use of electronic wireless communications devices used to write, send or read a text-based communication while driving a motor vehicle on agency business -May be subject to sitting and/or standing for prolonged periods of time -May be exposed to prolonged glare from computer monitor -OSHA category: performs tasks that may involve exposure to blood. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: -Arm/hand steadiness and digital dexterity enough to use equipment such as personal computer, ten-key, typewriter, FAX machine, etc. -Vision enough to read computer printouts, hand- or machine-generated documents, etc., as well as print on computer monitor -Speech and hearing enough to communicate with others, both via telephone and face-to-face -Flexibility to bend, stoop, and pull to perform tasks such as filing documents -Flexibility and strength enough to lift and move equipment and supplies weighing up to 35 pounds WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: This position requires frequent contact with other employees, visitors, clients, applicants, etc., to give and receive information and/or to provide assistance. SUPERVISION GIVEN AND RECEIVED/ACCOUNTABILITY: This employee is under the direction of an immediate supervisor. Work product is subject to both specific and general review. The incumbent has no supervisory responsibilities and no direct accountability for budget, money or materials. OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: -Must have an operating vehicle available for use when field duties are required -May be required to take the smallpox vaccination, and other vaccinations or inoculations, as a member of the first-responder team -May be required to work occasional evenings and weekends due to job responsibilities Employees who fall into the following categories are in conditional employment positions: a) Executive Management; b) Deputy/Assistant Directors; c) certain other OCCHD employees individually designated by position number whose salaries, benefits, and/or overhead are based on revenue generating contracts, grants, or fee-for-service revenue. In other words, this means that if the funding or the program is terminated, cancelled, or non-renewed, your employment terminates automatically. This position is conditional. Interested candidates should apply online. Select Careers at the top of the web page, select Current Jobs, select the position you are applying for, and select "apply". You will be directed to our Career Center. Get started by uploading your resume with your profile. Otherwise, click "skip" to continue. The first step is to register with the Career Center, again you will click on apply for an active position. You may search for open positions by name or select "show all positions." You may select "view" to read the details regarding the position. Again, you will click on "apply now". You will be directed to the second step of the application process. Please complete the entire application. Do not substitute a resume for your employment history. You may attach a cover letter, resume, an official transcript, if applicable. You will save an complete your application. You will be directed to the final step of answering job specific questions, if applicable. Once you have finished the process, you should receive a message stating, "Successfully applied". You will also receive an email stating your application has been received for the position you selected. If you do not receive this message, then there has been a step not completed. You will need to review your record. The position will be open for 30 days or until filled. Please be advised that applications will periodically be considered, as such this position could be filled any time before the closing date. AA/EOE
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Keywords: Oklahoma City County Health Department, Oklahoma City , Community Health Worker - 1, Healthcare , Oklahoma City, Oklahoma