Community Healthcare Worker

United Family Medicine is a Federally Qualified Health Center in St. Paul, where patients receive community-based Family Practice medical care in addition to mental health, dentistry, social work, and other integrated services. When joining UFM, you become part of a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming team who are dedicated to serving our patients and pursuing our mission to deliver excellent healthcare for all and training for the providers of tomorrow.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Community Healthcare Worker will work closely with the clinical care team and mental health professionals to connect UFM patients to a wide variety of community resources. The CHW will work with the respective care teams on goal setting, monitoring of goals with the intent of bettering patient experience, care, and outcomes.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Collaborates with clinic providers to identify patients in need of community services.
• Assists patients to understand health management plans and goals.
• Coaches patients in effective management of their chronic health conditions and self-care.
• Provides training on disease management and healthy living skills.
• Assist patients with connecting to resources for housing, financial assistance, food and other critical needs.
• Assists patients in utilizing resources, including scheduling appointments, assisting with applications for programs and follow-up referrals and appointments.
• Advocates on behalf of the patients to secure community resources.
• Provides family support and education as needed.
• Works collaboratively and effectively within a team.
• Motivates patients to be active and engaged participants in their health.
• Facilitates communication and coordinates services between providers.
• Delivers or arranges clinically necessary transportation.
• Effectively collaborates with the treatment team members and outside sources in the delivery of care management services.
• Collaborates and consults with the team, including clinicians and pharmacists, and outside sources in the delivery of services.
• Competently screens for suicide risk and other safety assessments for patients.
• Completes pre-intake forms and assessments for psychiatry and takes actions needed to connect patients to appropriate levels of care.
• Continuously expand knowledge and understanding of community resources, services and programs provided.
• Coordinate and support providers and patients in completion of N-648 citizenship application.
• Demonstrates the ability to recognize key elements of a crisis state and identify the appropriate people to contact to handle the situation.
• Register and enroll patients into the HCH programs and collaborate in a team effort with the RN’s.
• Work with Practice Manager for outreach projects, such as SAGE, C & TC, and other projects as assigned.
• Identify and report barriers for our patients. Work toward solutions with other clinic resources to remove these barriers (e.g., transportation needs).

Supervision and Consultation:

• Seeks clinical supervision and consultation as needed.
• Regularly communicates concerns regarding patients with supervisor and/or team.
• Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement.
• Actively works to enhance skills.

Clinical Record Keeping:

• Documents in a timely manner per UFM standards.
• Documents in a clear and concise manner, addressing interventions used, response to interventions, progress and plan for follow through and referrals.
• Documents legibly.
• Documents using the EMR system appropriately.
• Obtains signatures for patient contact.

Performs other tasks as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently or on a team.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced clinic environment as a piece of a care team.
• Personal resourcefulness and the ability to collaborate with team members and patients.
• Knowledge of local population demographics, assets and needs.
• Knowledge and ability to facilitate use of health care system (e.g. primary care and specialty linkages; appointment scheduling etc.)
• Knowledge of available social services and resources.
• Health education skills, knowledge of health promotion and wellness, knowledge of chronic disease prevention and management and knowledge of health condition-specific treatment or management.
• Skill in identifying problems, problem solving and resolution.
• Demonstrate sound judgement and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective communication.
• Ability to perform the job in accordance with United Family Medicine’s Standards of Business Conduct, which includes compliance, ethics and integrity, confidentiality, protection of assets and avoidance of conflicts of interest and inappropriate business relationships. Specifically, work processes that involve billing/collections practices for avoiding activities that constitute fraud and abuse.
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to prioritize workflow and meet stringent deadlines.
• Previous experience working with Microsoft Windows and Excel.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

• Completion of GED or high school diploma is required.
• Bachelor’s Degree in a health-related field preferred.
• One year of community-based experience providing advocacy and support which has included significant public contact is required.
• One year of community healthcare work in a medical clinic is preferred.
• Proven flexibility and experience in a diverse patient environment is strongly preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

Community Health Worker Certification preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work is performed in a clinic office environment. Contact with staff, patients and outside agencies. Possible exposure to communicable disease and medical preparations common to clinic environment.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

Beginning January 4, 2022, all job offers are conditioned on the candidate being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a vaccine authorized for emergency use or FDA-approved. A person is only considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after receiving a single J&J vaccine or a second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine shot.

In addition, job offers made during flu season are conditioned on the candidate receiving the annual flu vaccination before their start date.

UFM is an equal opportunity employer.