Community Health Worker, Department of Women's Health, Dell Medical School

Job Posting Title:

Community Health Worker, Department of Women's Health, Dell Medical School

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Hiring Department:

Department of Women's Health

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Feb 01, 2026

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Location:

AUSTIN, TX

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Job Details:

General Notes

Limited funds, 18 to 24 months.

Work related to the pilot will be conducted over at least two years.  The Dell Medical School will partner with CommUnityCare (CUC), a local federally qualified health center (FQHC), and other subspecialists, to expand access to comprehensive postpartum care for the most vulnerable mothers in our community. Most of the new mothers served by CUC either are enrolled in Medicaid coverage or have their babies enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Perinatal program. Overall project goals include a new standard of care for mental health assessment in the postpartum period, improved maternal health outcomes in mental health and birth spacing, and a proposed new care model for the twelve months following birth. The CHW will be a critical part of the team seeking to achieve these goals.  

Purpose

The Dell Medical School is seeking a promotora/community health worker (CHW) to serve as a critical member of an interdisciplinary team working on a pilot to improve postpartum care for a caseload of at least 200 Central Texas women. The primary role of the CHW will be to assist mothers who have recently given birth to identify the resources they need to ensure social determinants of health barriers -- like lack of adequate food, transportation, housing, or child care -- do not prevent patients from receiving the care they need, including adequate mental health services.  

Responsibilities

Service Coordination, Navigation and Direct Service Skills:  

• Assist women in filling out applications for benefits and services as appropriate. 

• Maintain an understanding of Medicaid, CHIP-Perinatal, SNAP, WIC, and other program benefits to assist patients with resource allocation and choices. 

• Maintain an understanding of other Central Texas community resources that can assist women in overcoming social barriers that could interfere with them receiving the care they need.   

Capacity Building and Advocacy Skills:  

• Establish trusting, supportive, collaborative relationships with women who have recently given birth.  

• Engage patients and family in discharge planning, health promotion, and health education. Support and provide general health related education and counseling, especially in unhoused patients. Promote individual and collective empowerment through health education, skill development, advocacy, organizing and collaboration with strategic partners.   

Education and Facilitation Skills:  

• Provide patient education on general health, postpartum care, and chronic disease management, as directed by the care team.  

Individual and Community Assessment Skills; Outreach, Evaluation and Research Skills:  

• Assess the social care needs of the research participants (women who have recently given birth) and their families, based on the outcome of the research study’s screening process.  

• Identify and connect women with the community and government resources that will fulfill their needs. 

• Provide assessment and documentation of patients’ health-related social needs and assets; participate in family and community assessments.  

• Coordinate with team members across various project requirements.  

• Assist with developing assessment and evaluation tools for project longevity and maximum positive patient outcomes.  

• Will also be responsible for documentation of participant social needs, resources connected to, encounters, and follow-ups using software tools adapted with the University and care teams. As this documentation will be used for program evaluation and assessment, accuracy and timeliness will be critical.  

Communication and Organizing Skills:  

• Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary project team to understand and communicate patient and project needs.  

• Coordinate with community partners, serve as liaison between Ascension Seton Medical Center, UTHA, CommUnityCare (CUC), and other community partners, utilize written and verbal communication, and assist with building a foundation for long term solutions.  

• Work closely with above partners to improve the local health care system’s ability to serve houseless patients during