Community Health Worker - Full time - Detroit metro area
GENERAL SUMMARY:
A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. Under the leadership of the Office of Community Health, Equity & Wellness’ CHW Hub Manager, and in partnership with designated onsite leaders as needed, the CHW role serves as a trusted liaison between healthcare, social services, the community and patients to promote access to healthcare services, improve health and equity outcomes, increase access and utilization of primary care services, and support cost-savings and quality related objectives. The CHW advocates for patients, providing culturally appropriate health education, information, and support. Either integrated directly within a clinical care team or assigned to a specific project, they play a critical role by addressing social determinants of health (SDOH), connecting individuals to services, and ensuring the delivery of patient-centered, culturally relevant care.
PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
· Identify patients' non-medical/social determinant of health needs such as food security, housing, transportation, and social support. Provide referrals to appropriate social service agencies and track outcomes.
· Collaborate and liaise with the clinical care team to ensure continuity of care, help develop personalized care plans, and provide follow-up support, including conducting home visits and telephonic check-ins.
· Provide direct outreach and support to care teams and patients to improve patient recruitment and retention, adherence to care instructions and utilization of primary and preventive care services, aiming to reduce no-show rates and unnecessary emergency department usage.
· Conduct community outreach to engage patients and foster trust within the community, helping to connect healthcare services with the community.
· Provide culturally competent health education and coaching to patients, both individually and in group settings, focusing on disease prevention, health promotion, and chronic disease management.
· Advocate for patients by identifying barriers to care (e.g., insurance enrollment, transportation, housing, language), facilitating access to resources, and supporting individuals in navigating both healthcare and social service systems.
· Empower patients by promoting health literacy and providing guidance on effective self-management of chronic conditions, system navigation systems and selfadvocacy.
· Document patient encounters, maintain accurate records, and contribute to the evaluation of community and/or population health initiatives by collecting relevant data to monitor health outcomes within Henry Ford’s electronic health record and/or other prescribed documentation tools.
· Provide patients with information on HFH classes, support groups and related services and assist with recruitment and enrollment, if necessary.
· Attends on-going trainings and continuously expands knowledge and understanding of community resources, prescribed curriculums, IRB protocols and other related policies and procedures of assigned caseload or project.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
• High school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent.
• Previous experience as a community health worker, preferred.
• Previous experience conducting health education, or working with underserved populations, preferred.
• Previous experience conducting home and/or clinic visits with patients and their primary care providers, preferred.
CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSURES REQUIRED:
Certification as a Community Health Worker or a willingness to become certified within six months of hire.
SKILLS & COMPETENCIES:
• Ability to build trust with the community and maintain ethical standards of care.
• Knowledge of local health resources and the social service system.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with diverse communities.
• Cultural competency, particularly with underserved or marginalized populations.
Must meet or exceed core customer service responsibilities, standards and behaviors as outlined in the Henry Ford Health Customer Service Policy
Must practice the customer skills as provided through on-going training and in-services.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORKING CONDITIONS:
Depending on the specific needs of assigned work, there may be variations of inperson, hybrid or remote office-based work with frequent community outreach, including home visits and attendance at community events. Must have a valid State of Michigan driver’s license and automobile insurance.
Additional Details
This posting represents the major duties, responsibilities, and authorities of this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. It should be understood, therefore, that incumbents may be asked to perform job-related duties beyond those explicitly described above.
Overview
Henry Ford Health partners with millions of people on their health journey, across Michigan and around the world. We offer a full continuum of services – from primary and preventative care to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other health care retail. With former Ascension southeast Michigan and Flint region locations now part of our team, Henry Ford’s care is available in 13 hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory care locations. Based in Detroit, Henry Ford is one of the nation’s most respected academic medical centers and is leading the Future of Health: Detroit, a $3 billion investment anchored by a reimagined Henry Ford academic healthcare campus. Learn more at henryford.com/careers.
Benefits
The health and overall well-being of our team members is our priority. That’s why we offer support in the various components of our team’s well-being: physical, emotional, social, financial and spiritual. Our Total Rewards program includes competitive health plan options, with three consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs), a PPO plan and an HMO plan. Our team members enjoy a number of additional benefits, ranging from dental and eye care coverage to tuition assistance, family forming benefits, discounts to dozens of businesses and more. Employees classified as contingent status are not eligible for benefits.
Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer Henry Ford Health is
committed to the hiring, advancement and fair treatment of all individuals without regard to
race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, size, height,
weight, marital status, family status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and genetic information,
or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.