Community Health Worker

University Health Network; Toronto; On-site; CAD 66,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HOOPP pension

Transit access

Flexible work environment

Development opportunities

Job summary

University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto seeks a Community Health Worker to collaborate with clinicians and community partners. The role provides direct 1:1 support to marginalized clients, coordinating health and social services, and ensuring access to information, resources and advocacy.

The CHW will contribute to UHN Social Medicine programs, including supportive housing, building and sustaining relationships with community partners while addressing health equity and social determinants of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant health or social work field is required.
• Registered Social Service Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, if applicable.
• Minimum 2 years of practical experience or 1 year on-the-job training.
• Strong knowledge of community resources addressing social determinants of health.
• Experience in supportive housing environments.
• Trauma-informed, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.
• Public speaking and facilitation/teaching experience.

Responsibilities

• Complete assessments of social issues to help outpatients live in the community.
• Educate patients, families and hospital staff on a consultation basis.
• Engage Social Medicine patients and housing initiative tenants to promote wellbeing and stability.
• Assist in accessing government, charitable and private resources and supports.
• Advocate for patients/families in accessing resources and services.
• Assist with application forms and letter writing (e.g. TDP, ODSP, EI, CPP-D).
• Perform cross-functional duties as assigned.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Public speaking

Teamwork

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in health or social work

Lived/work experience equivalent

Job description

Company Description

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

UHN’s vision is to build A Healthier World and it’s only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality.

www.uhn.ca

Job Description

Union: Non-Union
Number of vacancies: 1
New or Replacement Position: Replacement
Site: UHN All Sites & Community
Department: Social Medicine & Population Health
Reports to: Senior Manager, Social Medicine & Population Health
Salary range: $65,919 - $82,389 per annum
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Status: Permanent Full-Time
Closing Date: August 10, 2026

Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine
The Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine seeks to address health inequities, working alongside community organizations, UHN clinicians, marginalized populations, persons with lived experience, patients, and all levels of policymaking to co-design, evaluate, and scale innovative data-driven programs that lead to better health. Applying a social determinants of health approach, the Social Medicine and Population Health Program aims to bridge health services and the broader social environment of UHN’s most medically and socially complex patients with the highest needs through the design, implementation, research and evaluation of new care models and initiatives to address the health implications of inequity.
Position Summary
The Community Health Worker will collaborate with clinicians, Peer Workers, and community-led organizations on the development of a comprehensive plan to help address individual client’s social and other needs.
The Community Health Worker will work at UHN and in community settings to provide direct 1:1 support to marginalized clients through the collaborative coordination of health and social services. The CHW will support the provision of information, resources, and advocacy, and will participate in case discussions and debriefs. The Community Health Worker will provide support to UHN Social Medicine programs, including supportive housing areas, to build, grow, strengthen, and sustain relationships with community partners; and provide supports to staff around the needs of marginalized clients.
This position recognizes UHN’s commitment to health equity, to create a culturally safe institution for structurally marginalized people, and to educating future health care providers about health equity.

• Completing assessments of social issues and interventions in order to facilitate outpatients to continue to live in their community as well as supporting inpatients transitioning from the hospital back to the community
• Educating patients/families/support persons and hospital staff, on a consultation basis
• Facilitate engagement of Social Medicine patients and housing initiative tenants in health and social care services to promote wellbeing, stability, and positive outcomes.
• Regarding financial resources available (both in the community and privately), assisting in accessing government, charitable and private resources, support services, such as housing and transportation
• Advocating at organizational and community levels on behalf of patients/families/support person in accessing resources appropriate to their needs, including document replacement, citizenship and health coverage;
• Assisting with application forms and letter writing (e.g. TDP, ODSP, EI, CPP-D, WheelTrans, Immigration Visa), food assistance and employment support
• Performs cross-functional and/or other duties consistent with the job classification, as assigned or requested

Qualifications

• At minimum, completion of a bachelors degree in a relevant health or social work field, or recognized equivalent of lived or work experience
• Registered Social Service Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, if applicable
• Minimum 2 years of practical and related experience and/or 1-year on-the-job training required
• Strong knowledge of, and familiarity with, community resources to address the social determinants of health, including housing, poverty, and food insecurity
• Experience working in a supportive housing environment
• Dynamic knowledge of community engagement principles
• Experience with the provision of trauma-informed care and anti-racist, anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive practices
• Well-developed decision-making, problem-solving, and judgement skills
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
• Well-developed public speaking abilities
• Facilitation and/or teaching experience
• Proven ability to work as a team member and independently
• Ability to have and use diplomacy and tact at all times
• Strong understanding of acute care setting and ability to navigate hospital systems an asset

We encourage anyone who has lived experience of structural marginalization including homelessness or substance use to apply.

Additional Information

Why join UHN?

In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.

• Competitive offer packages
• Government organization and a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP https://hoopp.com/)
• Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
• Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.)

Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN's attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.

All applications must be submitted before the posting close date.
UHN uses email to communicate with selected candidates. Please ensure you check your email regularly. At University Health Network (UHN), artificial intelligence technologies may be used to assist in the screening, assessment, and selection of candidates for this position.
Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any information provided by a candidate be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, UHN reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of their application.
UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.