Black Infant Health Community Health Worker

Tacoma--pierce-County-Health-Department; Tacoma (WA); On-site; USD 44,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is seeking a Community Health Worker (1.0 FTE) to support the Black Infant Health Program in Pierce County. The role focuses on outreach, client support, and contributing to program planning, implementation, and evaluation.

This entry-level professional position will engage with diverse communities, provide health education, and coordinate with partner organizations to promote department initiatives.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree.
• 3 years of relevant public health or related experience.
• 1 year of experience working with underserved communities preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience considered.

Responsibilities

• Builds rapport with clients and provides health education and information.
• Gathers and assesses information to identify interventions that are evidence-based and culturally responsive and trauma informed.
• Conducts educational and informational programs for culturally diverse audiences.
• Collaborates with clients, community members and coalitions, businesses, schools, partner providers, and other organizations to plan, coordinate, and staff community events.
• Assist in program evaluation and data collection.

Skills

Health education

Outreach

Cultural competency

Trauma-informed care

Client support

Community engagement

Education

Associate’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Virtual meeting software

Job description

Our Strengthening Families Division is looking for a Project, Full-Time (1.0 FTE) Community Health Worker to support the Black Infant Health Program. This position will conduct program outreach, support clients, and assist with program planning, implementation, and evaluation. This is an entry‑professional classification that supports the implementation of prevention strategies, community health promotion programs, and policy development efforts. Responsibilities include considerable individual client contact, managing referrals to community programs and resources, and extensive contact with community groups and organizations to promote Department initiatives. This position has a project end date of 12/19/2027.

Based on our internal compensation review process, the starting hourly wage for this position is $31.87- $34.12. We make decisions on higher starting salaries based on experience, education, and qualifications.

The full salary range for this position is $31.87- $43.11 per hour. This position also includes a comprehensive benefits package that includes insurance (health, dental, vision, life), retirement plan options, generous leave accruals, annual cost of living salary increases, employee programs, and more. Visit our benefits webpage to learn more.

Distinguishing Characteristics

This position is the second level role of the Health Promotion Coordinator (HPC) series. An employee assigned to this classification will work independently under the supervision of a supervisor. This role requires strict adherence to well‑defined directives, instructions, and procedures, and complies with local, state, and federal confidentiality policies.

Position Series

• Health Promotion Technician
• Health Promotion Coordinator I
• Health Promotion Coordinator II
• Health Promotion Coordinator III

Career Path Options

Options to continue your career at the Health Department depend on your interest, education, and training. Possibilities beyond the position series include:

• Office Administrator
• Communications Specialist I, II
• Executive Assistant II
• Technical Assistant

Essential Functions

• Builds rapport with clients and provides health education, instruction, and information in a manner that clients can easily understand and addresses barriers to access to services.
• Gathers, shares, and assesses information to identify efficient and effective interventions utilizing strategies that are evidence-based and culturally responsive and trauma informed.
• Conducts educational and informational programs for culturally diverse audiences of staff, clients, community groups, and professionals.
• Collaborates with clients, community members and coalitions, businesses, schools, partner providers, and other organizations to plan, coordinate, and staff community events.

Examples of Key Duties

The items in this section are the key duties and responsibilities for this job and do not represent an exhaustive list. Our organization is dynamic, and duties may change based on business needs. Any new duties will remain within the scope of the job.

• Provide direct support to Black pregnant and parenting individuals in Pierce County by linking them to culturally relevant behavioral health support, perinatal group peer support, prenatal care, spiritual support, and other social and material supports through text, email, phone, and in‑person contact. Providing one-on-one resource navigation when needed.
• Facilitate care conferences with client providers when needed.
• Provide client health education on many topics including but not limited to: pregnancy, lactation, when to go to the hospital, child development, family planning, and attachment.
• Link clients to nursing and behavioral health support when needed.
• Support clients to reach their economic and education goals.
• Support the exploration and development of sustainable funding strategies for doula services, including researching Medicaid reimbursement requirements, billing processes, and implementation models.
• Collaborate with internal staff, healthcare providers, community partners, and other stakeholders to assess opportunities for integrating doula services into program operations, develop recommendations, and support planning for potential implementation.
• Monitor relevant policy, regulatory, and funding developments and help translate findings into practical program strategies and workflows.
• Attend meetings and trainings as required, including but not limited to Community Health Worker meetings, Pierce County Community Health Worker Collaborative meetings, Perinatal Collaborative of Pierce County quarterly general membership meetings, Community Engagement team meetings, all trainings for TPCHD staff and Community Health Workers, and various community meetings.
• Support program activities by providing technical assistance for client social events and support groups, Community Health Worker trainings, community meetings, and other activities.
• Assist in program evaluation and contract reporting to include data collection and reporting, utilizing basic data collection tools.
• Builds rapport with clients and provides health education, instruction, and information in a manner that clients can easily understand and addresses barriers to access to services.
• Gather, share, and assess information to identify efficient and effective interventions utilizing strategies that are evidence-based and culturally responsive and trauma informed.
• Assist clients in navigating the healthcare system and public health programs by phone and in person to help clients successfully participate in medical and/or behavioral care. Connects clients to community resources necessary to achieve healthy outcomes.
• Engage with community partners to increase awareness and prevention of public health issues, such as violence, childhood health and mortality, oral health, and substance use (tobacco, opioids, alcohol, etc.).
• Identify and address health‑related social needs. Make referrals to local human service systems to support clients and address their needs, including housing, food, personal safety, transportation, childcare, chronic disease management, maternal and child health, behavioral health, and medical treatment and intervention.
• Collect and maintain accurate program data and records.
• Gather and maintain information relevant to the needs of target populations and communities.
• Conduct educational and informational programs for culturally diverse audiences of staff, clients, community groups, and professionals.
• Build and maintain relationships with community partners.
• Collaborate with clients, community members and coalitions, businesses, schools, partner providers, and other organizations to plan, coordinate, and staff community events.
• The work you do might require you to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid Claiming Program.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Safety & Emergency Preparedness

• Adheres to all workplace and trade safety laws, regulations, standards, and practices.
• Understands and properly follows established procedures in preventing and responding to unsafe or emergency situations. Identifies and reports potentially unsafe practices or conditions.
• Operates equipment, tools, machinery, and vehicles safely and understands processes for reporting an accident or injury.
• Understands and applies knowledge and skills necessary to successfully perform assigned emergency response role during an emergency.

When public health responds to an emergency, you may be assigned duties and responsibilities that are outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time and reporting to a location other than the department with different working conditions and physical requirements. You are expected to participate in emergency preparedness activities including our emergency notification system, WA SECURES. Drills and real‑world events may take place at any time.

For a full description of the Classification Specifications click here.

• Intermediate knowledge of standard Microsoft Office programs, databases, virtual meeting software
• Knowledge of marketing and communications principles and presentation techniques for culturally diverse audiences.
• Skill in meeting facilitation.
• Knowledge of health promotion education principles, practices, methods, and materials creation.
• Knowledge of social science assessment, intervention, and consultation principles and practices.
• Strong organizational skills
• Skilled in interviewing and assessment techniques for culturally and socio‑economically diverse populations.
• Knowledge of resources and agencies available within the community.
• Skilled in maintaining sensitive and confidential data and using discretion when sharing information.
• Skilled in communication:
  1. Listens to others and communicates in an effective manner.
  2. Asks questions in ways that enhance the clarity, quality, and reliability of information.
  3. Understands and learns from what others say, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  4. Grasps the meaning of written information and applies it to work situations.
  5. Conveys ideas and facts using language the audience will best understand, taking into consideration the audience and nature of the information.
  6. Writes in a clear, concise, and organized manner for the intended audience.

Foundational Competencies

• Knowing and managing oneself: Understands that all equity, trauma-informed, and restorative practices start with oneself. Exercises a high degree of self-reflection, personal accountability, resilience, flexibility, and adaptability. Is willing to learn, apply, and model agency values and ethical standards.
• Restorative practices and conflict resolution: Articulates through words and actions authentic commitment to create an environment in which all people are treated with dignity and respect and afforded equal opportunities and impartial treatment. Centers work inequity and trauma informed and restorative practices to achieve and maintain collaboration and teamwork and to effectively work with historically underrepresented and/or underserved populations to advance community health. Utilizes restorative practices to address harm and promote healing to strengthen relationships between individuals and social connections within communities.
• Collaboration and engagement: Provides balanced and objective information to help teammates, partners, and the public understand problems, alternatives, opportunities, and solutions. Works directly with partners within the Department, in the community, and members of the public affected by the work to obtain feedback and understand diverse points of view, concerns, and aspirations. Identifies preferred solutions together, incorporating advice and recommendations to the maximum extent possible.
• Evidence informed practices and decision‑making: Applies evidence informed practices and methodologies to achieve the greatest impact in delivery of services to internal and external customers and partners. Incorporates the social determinants of health into public health work. Integrates research and evidence into the decision‑making process. Seeks to systematically identify and eliminate inequities resulting in differences in health and in overall living conditions. Utilizes evidence informed practices to increase equity in systems and policy. Creates a robust culture of assessment and evaluation and continuous process improvement.
• Cross cultural communication and Engagement: Understands that cultural awareness, appreciation, and humility can only occur when you practice curiosity and open-mindedness. Operates with a high level of humility and cultural agility to achieve effective intercultural communication, engagement, and collaboration in the workplace and in the community. Is open to feedback and continuously self‑reflects on one’s own actions and responses. Centers personal accountability on the Department’s mission, values, and ethical standards.

The items below are the requirements for the job and are relevant to this position. The organization values work experience, lived experience, and education and realizes that people take different paths to acquire knowledge.

• Associate’s degree.
• 3 years of relevant experience in a health, environmental, education, government, or other public sector organization.
• 1 year of experience working with underserved communities preferred.

We will consider any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Professional Certifications, Licensure, and Other Requirements

We require the below for this classification:

• Valid driver's license and an acceptable driver's abstract required prior to employment.
• Birth doula certification required.
  • There is a possibility of providing doula services once research, assessment, and feasibility exploration projects are complete. This work is not expected to happen immediately, and possibly may not happen during the funding cycle for this role.
• Close experience living and/or working directly with Black or African American communities.
• At least 1 year experience working in maternal child health or related field.
• Completion of Community Health Worker Training Program within first 6 months of hire

Preferred experience

• Peer lactation specialist certification or higher.
• Childbirth education training
• Past recipient of services.

Work Environment

• Work is performed in a variety of settings: in an office, out in the community, nursing facilities, cultural centers, etc. Exposure to hazards is limited to those commonly found in office environments and in the community.