Community Health Worker - Health Access

Site: Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Inc.

 

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

 

Job Summary

Summary
The Community Health Worker - Health Access is a key member of A Positive Place's interdisciplinary HIV care and prevention team integrating community health work into clinical care by addressing social determinants of health and health equity. In general, CHWs partner with individuals living with HIV in managing medical care, social services coordination, disease education, trauma and recovery, positive prevention, sexual health promotion, housing, and substance use risk reduction. The Community Health Worker - Health Access works collaboratively with clients and other APP Care team members (case management, housing, recovery coaching, peer advocacy, health navigation), and partners with Infectious Disease specialists, PCPs, and other providers to ensure equitable access to health insurance, the HIV Drug Assistance Program, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) medications. Does this position require Patient Care? Yes E
Essential Functions
Partner with Infectious Disease Specialists and patients to ensure equitable access to health care via assistance in completing and updating applications to MassHealth, Health Connector, Health Safety Net, and the statewide HIV drug assistance program.
-Conduct needs assessments, co-create health and well-being plans with individuals, addressing clinical and psychosocial drivers of health and barriers to access.
-Facilitate communications and serve as a point of contact between clients, medical providers, insurers, and the statewide HIV Drug Assistance Program to support clear decision-making and problem-solving and meet health goals.
-Navigate complex local, state, and federal resources/programs available to clients, bridging gaps in access to services, and improving client experience.
-Offer Advocacy & Support to amplify the voice of clients, empower individuals to understand their rights, and achieve self-identified goals.
-Provide ongoing follow-up and support to individuals to ensure continuity of care and successful achievement of health and well-being goals.
-Provide supportive referrals to community health centers for primary care, behavioral health, and dental services.
-Advance health equity by bridging gaps between minoritized communities and health systems.
-Collect data and maintain accurate records of interactions and outcomes to improve client outcomes, reduce health disparities in diverse populations, inform improvement strategies, and design new services.

 

Education
High School Diploma or Equivalent required

Can this role accept experience in lieu of a degree?
No

Licenses and Credentials

Experience
Experience working with individuals living with HIV, and/or unhoused individuals/families, people in recovery, trauma survivors, members of Black, Latine, GBTQ communities, formerly incarcerated individuals, and/or other historically minoritized populations with cultural humility 1-2 years required and Financial counseling for uninsured/underinsured, case management, client advocacy, systems’ navigation or other related community health work 1-2 years required and Crisis intervention, goal planning, mediating, sexual health promotion, substance use harm reduction, disease management, medication education 1-2 years required and Community-based and/or clinical care work settings, home visits, and other off-site locations 1-2 years required

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Demonstrated knowledge of local resources and government programs available to support individuals who are uninsured/underinsured.
- Skilled in strength-based, people-first, harm reduction, culturally humble, and restorative approaches to equitable community health care and prevention.
- Current driver’s license, good driving record, and reliable transportation.
- Bilingual (Spanish) required.
- A person with lived experience of populations served is a plus.
- Strong cross-cultural interpersonal, organizational, and oral and written communication skills.
- Basic-Intermediate digital literacy required.