Community Health Worker

Why work with YWCA Seattle King Snohomish? YWCA SKS is the region’s largest non-profit organization with a 120+ year legacy, focused on the needs of women, with programs serving 7,000 people each year. When you work with YWCA, you make a difference. We’re women and BIPOC-led, family-centered, and supportive of employees. As a full-time YWCA employee (30+ hours), you’ll enjoy a benefits package including medical insurance, generous vacation, holiday, sick leave plans, and an outstanding retirement plan. Put your passion for racial equity and social justice to work – apply today!



What You'll Do
The Edmonds New Start Center (EDNSC) is a new 24/7 Emergency Housing facility operated by the YWCA of Seattle, King, and Snohomish County, located in Edmonds, WA. The center provides safe, supportive housing for up to 45 individuals who are transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. Clients have access to a range of on-site services, including case management, life skills training, and connections to healthcare and employment resources, all designed to support their journey toward stability and self-sufficiency. The center emphasizes a compassionate, community-focused approach, fostering an environment where clients can rebuild their lives with dignity, independence, and hope.
This Community Health Worker I (CHW-I) provides health education, health care advocacy, telehealth and health care system navigation, psycho-social emotional support to unhoused/unstably housed individuals virtually and/or in-person at the Edmonds New Start Center, improving access to health services for this population. The CHW-I also conducts focused community outreach, provides 1:1 health insurance enrollment through WA Health Plan Finder, and supports access to health appointments and behavioral health services. Lived experience and demonstrated community involvement highly desirable. This position will receive significant on the job training and there are potential advancement opportunities with long term tenure.
This position has a social justice component that requires critical thinking through the lens of racism and intersections with poverty. Knowing the core principles of antiracism and grounding those principles in everyday work are required job skills and core values.
As an equal opportunity employer, we highly encourage people of color to apply.

Recommendation: Please submit both updated resume & cover letter

Responsibilities

• Assesses health coverage, health care access history, and resource needs of program participants.
• Provides referrals and coordination of medical, vision, dental, mental health care, along with referrals to other social services that address the social determinants of health.
• Provides program participants with education and advocacy about managed care, health insurance coverage and health care system utilization.
• Trouble shoots with medical providers and billing departments at clinics and medical centers.
• Facilitates WA Apple Health (Medicaid) and Qualified Health Plan enrollment and recertification through WAHealthPlanFinder
• Attends regular YWCA and occasional stakeholders meetings for training and service coordination.
• Documents all program participant casework according to best practice standards.
• Meets regularly with supervisor and team for updates, collaboration, case management and review.
• Incorporates the YWCA’s Race and Social Workplan by understanding how racism, sexism, classism, and other oppressions intersect and are embedded in institutions.
• Assure that program participants, staff, volunteers, and community partners are treated with respect and dignity regardless of race, ethnic background, gender, or socio-economic background.
• Provide psycho-social emotional support to program participants as needed and necessary.
• Maintains working knowledge of fire, safety and disaster plans related to emergency situations and conditions
• Understands and follows all policies in the Staff Handbook as well as other YWCA policies and procedures

CHW-I Requirements

• At least (1) year of direct social service or health care related experience & at least (1) year of experience with low-income and/or unhoused individuals/families
• Lived experience and/or membership in communities the program supports.
OR
• A bachelor’s degree in social services or a related field with at least (2) years of direct social service experience with low-income and/or unhoused families & shows a deep commitment to racial equity and social justice, and an understanding of the interconnected impacts of racism and poverty.
• Demonstrated commitment to providing health education, outreach, or health promotion to diverse or underserved communities
• Know