Community Health Worker, Pre-Release Care Coordinator

Community HealthWorks; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

Community HealthWorks is seeking a Community Health Worker, Pre-Release Care Coordinator to support clients returning to the community from incarceration. The role emphasizes health and social needs assessment, planning, and connection to services across correctional health, housing, employment, and benefits.

The position requires working inside Sacramento County correctional facilities, coordinating with jail health staff, health plans, and community partners, and maintaining accurate records

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Ability to work non-traditional daytime/evening hours, including late shifts.
• Experience in community health, reentry, or related fields preferred.

Responsibilities

• Meet clients preparing to return to the community and build respectful, person-centered relationships.
• Develop an individualized Reentry Care Plan with client and partners.
• Coordinate referrals for medical, behavioral health, housing, transportation, and benefits.
• Document the client’s goals, plans, and coordination in required systems.
• Follow facility safety and security requirements while working inside correctional facilities.

Skills

Active listening

Relationship building

Care coordination

Communication

Independence

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Electronic documentation systems

Email

Microsoft Office

Job description

Description

FLSA Status: Full-time, Non-Exempt

Compensation: $25.00-$31.00 per hour

Post Date: October 07, 2026

Close Date: October 23, 2026

Report to: Project Manager

About Community HealthWorks

Community HealthWorks (CoHeWo) advances health equity by helping individuals and families access the health coverage, care, and community services they need to thrive. We partner with health plans, health systems, government agencies, community-based organizations, and other service providers to remove barriers to care. Community Health Workers are central to this work. They serve as trusted connectors who help people understand complex systems, identify their needs and goals, and take practical next steps toward greater health and stability.

Position Summary

The Community Health Worker, Pre-Release Care Coordinator works with people preparing to return to the community after incarceration. The CHW helps each person identify their health and social needs, understand available options, prepare for release, and connect with services that can support stability and continuity of care. This role includes working inside Sacramento County correctional facilities and coordinating with clients, jail health staff, health plans, behavioral-health providers, housing and employment programs, justice partners, community organizations, and other CoHeWo teams. The CHW helps develop and carry out individualized reentry care plans that reflect each client’s goals and priorities. Support may include healthcare, behavioral health, medications, medical equipment, housing, transportation, employment, health coverage, public benefits, and other community resources. This is a non-clinical, non-supervisory role. While some assignments are supported through California’s CalAIM Justice-Involved initiative, CoHeWo’s reentry work may also include other programs, partnerships, and funding sources serving people preparing for or navigating a return to the community.

What This Work Looks Like

This role combines in-person work inside correctional facilities, client assessment and planning, documentation, communication across multiple systems, and coordination of services before and after release. Because this work is aligned with correctional-facility operations and client reentry needs, assigned schedules may include non-traditional daytime and evening hours, with some shifts extending as late as 10:00 p.m. A significant portion of an assigned shift may be spent working inside a correctional facility. The CHW may meet with a client inside the Sacramento County Main Jail or Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center to understand their goals, health needs, living situation, benefits, employment interests, and anticipated needs after release. The CHW then works with the client and appropriate partners to develop practical next steps. Release plans and circumstances may change quickly. A release date may move, a service may not be immediately available, or a client’s priorities may change. The work requires flexibility, accurate documentation, clear communication, professional boundaries, and the ability to coordinate with multiple partners without losing sight of the person at the center of the plan. The CHW works as part of a team. Clients may work with one CHW over multiple interactions, but clear records and team communication allow another qualified team member to assist when needed.

A Day in the Life

You may begin your day by reviewing assigned client appointments, release information, follow-up tasks, and messages from CoHeWo colleagues or community partners. Before entering a correctional facility, you will follow all required check-in, identification, safety, and security procedures. Inside the facility, you might meet with a client to discuss their health, medications, housing, employment, benefits, transportation, and personal goals for returning to the community. Together, you may identify priorities and document an individualized Reentry Care Plan. Later, you may coordinate with jail health staff, a health plan, behavioral-health provider, housing program, pharmacy, probation or parole, or another community partner. You may initiate referrals, confirm appointment availability, help address missing information, or arrange a connection intended to take place after release. You will also document services, client consent, referrals, coordination, and outstanding next steps in the required systems. No two days will look exactly the same, but preparation, accuracy, follow-through, and respect for both client autonomy and facility requirements are always part of the work.

What You’ll Do

Reentry planning and client support

• Meet with clients preparing to return to the community and build respectful, person-centered relationships.
• Listen to each client’s goals, priorities, strengths, concerns, and anticipated needs after release.
• Complete required assessments and work with the client and appropriate partners to develop an individualized Reentry Care Plan.
• Help clients understand available services, what can be arranged before release, and what steps may need to occur after release.
• Update plans when release circumstances, client needs, or available resources change.
• Support continued follow-through when a need cannot be addressed during one meeting or by one service provider.

Healthcare and community coordination

• Initiate and coordinate referrals for medical, behavioral-health, pharmacy, durable medical equipment, and community-based services.
• Help clients connect with housing, transportation, employment, health coverage, public benefits, and other social supports.
• Coordinate with Sacramento County Adult Correctional Health, health plans, providers, justice partners, community-based organizations, and other CoHeWo teams.
• Support timely connections to care and services following release.
• Recognize when a need is outside the CHW’s role and involve an appropriate supervisor, clinical provider, subject-matter expert, or community partner.

Consent, confidentiality, and documentation

• Explain and obtain required client consent for information sharing.
• Protect client privacy and comply with HIPAA, confidentiality requirements, program standards, and organizational policies.
• Maintain timely and accurate Reentry Care Plans, service notes, referrals, follow-up tasks, client consents, coordination records, and outcomes.
• Use required CoHeWo, County, health-plan, and electronic health-record systems according to established workflows.
• Document the client’s goals, assistance provided, outstanding items, and next steps so another team member can provide informed support when needed.

Facility safety and professional conduct

• Follow all Sacramento Sheriff’s Office safety, custody, access, and security requirements while working inside correctional facilities.
• Follow Sacramento County Adult Correctional Health policies, procedures, documentation standards, and electronic health-record workflows.
• Maintain awareness of the correctional environment and follow staff instructions related to movement, access, prohibited items, emergencies, and client contact.
• Maintain professional boundaries and communicate safety, security, confidentiality, or client-care concerns through the appropriate channels.
• Participate in supervision, team meetings, training, consultation, and program data-quality activities.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role includes:

• Helping clients understand and participate in their own reentry plans.
• Developing plans that reflect the client’s goals while identifying practical next steps for health and stability.
• Completing referrals and coordination early enough to support a safe transition when circumstances allow.
• Providing accurate information and being clear about what CoHeWo can and cannot control.
• Following through on commitments and communicating when release plans, services, or timelines change.
• Creating clear records so clients can receive coordinated support without having to start over.
• Working effectively with correctional, healthcare, community, and justice partners while keeping the client’s dignity and priorities at the center.
• Following facility safety and security requirements consistently and knowing when to ask for guidance or elevate a concern.

What Can Be Challenging About This Work

People preparing to leave custody may be managing complex medical conditions, behavioral-health needs, substance use, housing instability, disrupted family relationships, employment barriers, or uncertainty about what will happen after release. Release dates and circumstances may change with limited notice. Community services may have waitlists or eligibility requirements, and some resources may not be available when needed. A carefully developed plan may need to change quickly, and clients may make decisions that differ from what others recommend. Working inside a correctional facility also requires strict adherence to security procedures. Entry may take time, access may be delayed or restricted, scheduled meetings may change, and employees must remain aware of their surroundings and follow facility instructions. The work requires patience, adaptability, emotional steadiness, sound judgment, and professional boundaries. CHWs must remain helpful and respectful without taking sole responsibility for another system’s decision or a client’s outcome.

How CoHeWo Supports You

Employees are expected to ask questions and are not expected to navigate complex reentry situations alone. Support includes:

• Structured onboarding, shadowing, and guided practice.
• Required orientation and training for working inside correctional facilities.
• Training on reentry planning, client navigation, confidentiality, consent, documentation, and required systems.
• Regular supervision, consultation, and team-based problem-solving.
• Access to colleagues with healthcare, behavioral-health, housing, benefits, and other subject-matter expertise.
• Clear pathways for escalating clinical, safety, security, confidentiality, or coordination concerns.
• Updated guidance when program, County, facility, health-plan, or community requirements change.

Requirements

What We’re Looking For

Required

• High school diploma or GED.
• Ability to work an assigned schedule that may include daytime and evening hours, including shifts that may extend as late as 10:00 p.m., based on program and service needs.
• Ability to build respectful relationships with people from varied backgrounds and life circumstances, including people preparing to return to the community after incarceration.
• Ability to listen, identify needs and goals, explain complex information clearly, and support practical next steps.
• Clear communication, organization, confidentiality, attention to detail, and consistent follow-through.
• Ability to work respectfully within both person-centered service practices and correctional-facility requirements.
• Ability to coordinate with healthcare, government, justice, and community partners.
• Comfort learning and using electronic documentation systems, email, Microsoft Office tools, and other assigned technology.
• Ability to work independently while remaining accountable and connected to a team.
• Ability and willingness to work regularly inside Sacramento County correctional facilities.

Relevant experience that may help you succeed

Relevant experience may come from paid work, volunteering, education, caregiving, community involvement, or lived experience you choose to share. Applicants do not need to meet every preferred qualification to be considered.

• Community health, reentry services, healthcare navigation, behavioral health, substance-use services, housing support, employment services, public benefits, peer support, or care coordination.
• Experience working with people affected by incarceration or returning to the community.
• Experience coordinating across healthcare, social-service, government, or justice systems.
• Knowledge of Medi-Cal, CalAIM, managed-care plans, behavioral-health services, housing resources, or Sacramento-area community services.
• Community Health Worker, peer-support, health-coverage enrollment, behavioral-health, substance-use, or related training or certification.
• Postsecondary education in social services, psychology, behavioral health, public health, criminal justice, or a related field.

Requirements and Conditions of Employment

• Ability to obtain and maintain the security clearance required by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office for access to assigned correctional facilities.
• Completion of CoHeWo’s standard pre-employment background-check process. Findings will be reviewed in relation to the position and in accordance with organizational policy and applicable law.
• Compliance with Sacramento Sheriff’s Office and County Adult Correctional Health identification, access, orientation, safety, security, confidentiality, and documentation requirements.
• Valid California driver’s license, current auto insurance, reliable transportation, and ability to travel throughout Sacramento County and surrounding areas. Mileage reimbursement is provided in accordance with organizational policy.
• Compliance with health-screening, immunization, certification, and partner-site requirements applicable to the assignment.
• Maintenance of required training, certifications, facility clearance, and renewals associated with the role.

Work Environment & Schedule

This is a full-time, non-exempt position. Work schedules are based on program, correctional-facility, and client needs and may include non-traditional daytime and evening hours. Assigned shifts may extend as late as 10:00 p.m.; for example, a scheduled shift may be approximately 1:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m. A significant portion of an assigned shift may take place inside Sacramento County correctional facilities, including the Sacramento County Main Jail and Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center. Depending on the assignment and schedule, employees may spend most of an assigned shift working inside a correctional facility. Work may also take place at CoHeWo offices and service sites, healthcare settings, community-based organizations, government offices, and other assigned partner locations. The position requires regular entry into secured correctional facilities and compliance with facility schedules and access requirements. Employees may encounter delays, changes in access, controlled movement, security screenings, noise, limited privacy, and other conditions typical of a correctional environment. Flexibility is required to support client engagement, reentry planning, care coordination, and transitions back into the community. Regular local travel may also be required between assigned locations. Approved overtime will be compensated in accordance with applicable law and organizational policy.

Physical & Emotional Demands

The position requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, speaking, listening, computer and telephone use, writing, and operation of standard office equipment. Work inside correctional facilities and at community locations may involve security screening, controlled movement, periods of standing or walking, noise, interruptions, and varying workspace conditions. The employee may occasionally bend, reach, and lift or move approximately 10–15 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. The role includes interaction with people experiencing health, behavioral-health, social, economic, or reentry-related stress. The employee must be able to communicate calmly, use sound judgment, maintain professional boundaries, follow safety and security procedures, protect confidentiality, and seek support when needed.