Lead Care Manager / Community Health Worker (Street Medicine)

Shelby American, Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a pioneering organization dedicated to delivering equitable healthcare to underserved communities. As a Community Health Worker/Care Manager, you'll play a vital role in our innovative Street Medicine program, reaching individuals experiencing homelessness directly in their environments. This position is not just about providing medical services; it's about building trust and advocating for health needs, ensuring that every individual receives the compassionate care they deserve. You'll collaborate with a diverse team, utilize evidence-based techniques, and engage with the community to promote health and well-being. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who need it most, all while working in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in developing outreach programs and engaging communities.
• 5+ years of relevant professional or lived experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist with daily site operations and evaluate program performance.
• Conduct outreach activities and provide health coaching.

Skills

Community Engagement

Motivational Interviewing

Health Coaching

Data Evaluation

Interpersonal Skills

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Associate's Degree in Healthcare or Social Work

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Business Suite

Job description

Description

Wellness Equity Alliance (WEA) is a novel national public health organization comprised of a multidisciplinary team of population and public health experts with backgrounds in infectious disease, public health, emergency medicine, primary care, cardiology, pediatrics, psychiatry, community health work (CHW), nursing and advanced practice pharmacy. We work nearly exclusively with underrepresented communities, fundamentally addressing health-care disparities and the social determinants of health (SDoH) that have been amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing the following:

• People experiencing homelessness
• Indigenous communities
• Immigrant communities
• Rural communities
• BIPoC communities
• LGBTQIA+ communities
• Justice-impacted communities

The WEA team is diverse, inclusive, and nimble enough to assemble teams of healthcare professionals within days using our proven local staff recruitment models to address population health crises and communicable disease outbreaks. The WEA team’s partnership model is collaborative and allows hospitals, health jurisdictions, state/local government agencies to provide timely care using equity-based strategies for individuals and marginalized communities.

Wellness Equity Alliance is actively seeking compassionate and driven individuals for several pivotal roles in our groundbreaking Street Medicine program. Street Medicine is an innovative and compassionate approach to healthcare, designed to meet individuals experiencing homelessness right where they are: on the streets, in shelters, or within underserved communities. This model reaches outside the walls of traditional medical facilities to deliver direct, comprehensive care to those who are homeless or experiencing housing instability.

Purpose of the Position

We are looking for a Community Health Worker (CHW)/ Care Manager, that embraces our mission, which is deeply rooted in delivering equitable healthcare to underserved communities, right where they live. By joining our dedicated team, you'll not only provide critical medical services but also become a beacon of hope and change, ensuring every individual receives the compassionate care they deserve, regardless of their circumstances.

This Care Coordinator will serve as an advocate for the health needs of individuals by assisting community residents in effectively communicating with healthcare providers or social service agencies, and also as a key member of the site leadership team, assisting with logistics and program evaluation. Acting as liaison and advocate to implement programs that promote, maintain, and improve individual and overall community health. May deliver health-related preventive services such as blood pressure, glaucoma, and hearing screenings. This individual will also have a keen eye on data for program evaluation and understanding of team deployment and supply management.

Staff identified to be a part of this operation will be a part of an important and sustainable street medicine program aimed at serving the unhoused populations in Riverside. The street medicine team will work to build trusting relationships with people who are in need of medical services, work to decrease the logistical barriers that block access to health care and provide care directly to the places where unhoused individuals live.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of the community served. This trusting relationship enables CHWs to serve as a liaison between health & social services to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. CHWs also build individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through various activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support, and advocacy.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with daily site/program operations, such as mapping team efforts for the day or week
• Review supplies needed for each patient outreach encounter
• Evaluate program performance through key performance indicators and monitor for improvement opportunities
• Conduct outreach activities within a specific health program and/or defined patient populations
• Conduct telephonic and/or face-to-face outreach with patients to identify social determinants of health impacting patient's health and overall wellness
• Utilize coaching, motivational interviewing, and other evidence-based techniques to support patients in achieving their goals
• Utilize technology and digital resources to monitor ongoing care activities
• Identify barriers to achieving targeted clinical or social outcomes, and engage the care team to revise the care plan when necessary
• Document all participant encounters; completes and submits monthly reports; maintains comprehensive electronic participant files
• Assist participants in accessing health-related services
• Assist participants in utilizing community services
• Work collaboratively and effectively within a team
• Provide health coaching, patient navigation, health education and/or health promotion for a diverse patient panel within assigned health program
• Responsible for coordinating with those individuals and/or entities to ensure a seamless experience for the member
• Advocate on behalf of members with health care professionals
• Use motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and harm-reduction approaches
• Monitor treatment adherence (including medication)
• Provide health promotion and self-management training
• Manage monthly and quarterly report requests from local, state and Federal entities
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Business Suite Programs
• Collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs) to articulate complex facets of WEA services offerings
• Assist with proposal knowledge management and retention of content for future use
• Conduct regular meetings with team members to provide guidance and leadership

Requirements

Essential Skills and Qualifications:

As these positions represent some of the early roles to help build this program, we are specifically seeking individuals with experience developing outreach programs and engaging communities.

Minimum Qualifications One of the Following

• CHW Certificate
• Violence Prevention Professional Certificate
• Work Experience Pathway

Education Experience

• High School diploma or GED; Associate's degree in a healthcare, social work, or related field (Preferred)
• Must possess either a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience or lived experience
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively using a solution-oriented approach.
• Preference given to candidates with Community Support Worker (CSW) and/or Certified Peer Support Worker (CPSW) credentials/certifications.

Preferred Skills

• Demonstrated history of strong interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated knowledge of local and regional community resources
• Demonstrated knowledge of public health programs
• Skilled in utilizing appropriate industry standard assessment techniques
• Demonstrated ability to provide appropriate guidance and positive customer service
• Must possess a comprehensive knowledge of the local community based on personal lived experience
• Preference given to bilingual Spanish speakers
• Preference to cultural competence with LatinX communities