DEPARTMENT: Clinical Services
BASE RATE: $17.47 per hour, with potential for additional compensation based on qualifications.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Community Health Worker (CHW) supports the goals of the organization’s Community Health Worker Program. This position supports members across a variety of settings—including primary care, dental, behavioral health, and community environments—by executing designated projects and engaging in targeted outreach efforts. The CHW works directly with individuals to promote health education, encourage self-management, and connect them to needed resources. A key focus of this role is supporting at-risk populations, particularly those experiencing racial and ethnic disparities, complex behavioral health conditions, or multiple chronic illnesses, with the goal of improving health outcomes and reducing barriers to care.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Follows established Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) policies and procedures, objectives, safety standards, and sensitivity to confidential information.
2. Serves as a liaison between physical health, behavioral health, and service providers in communities, acting as a key knowledge source for services and information needed by members for improved health and stability in their lives.
3. Serves as key knowledge source for community resources, UPHP health plan benefits, and other services. Builds individual and community capacity to identify and address barriers to health care and improve member quality of life.
4. Conducts telephonic and face-to-face Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) screenings and outreach to address gaps in care and assist with benefit navigation and care coordination needs; engages members in care coordination through various outreach activities and arranges services to meet social needs including housing, utility, food, transportation assistance, and surrounding support services. Collaborates with UPHP care management staff and refers members with ongoing complex needs for care management.
5. Provides culturally responsive services and advocates for members; develops relationships and maintains communication with members and providers. Serves as a trusted, reliable, non-judgmental resource.
6. Assists with self-management of chronic conditions including lifestyle strategies, risk factors, self-monitoring, medications, treatment adherence, health promotion, and screening recommendations.
7. May conduct face-to-face home visits to assess barriers to healthy living and healthcare access.
8. Facilitates medical, behavioral, and dental office visits; explains importance of keeping scheduled visits, reminds member of scheduled visits, and accompanies member to office visits, as necessary.
9. Develops activities to improve member self-sufficiency by fostering member self-management skills resulting in the creation of goals and action plans.
10. Collaborates with the UPHP Quality Management Department team to advise on, develop, and evaluate interventions designed to improve member health literacy and population health outcomes; assists with the preparation of documents and provider and member communications related to these activities.
11. Provides culturally responsive services and advocates for members; develops relationships and maintains communication with members and providers.
12. Demonstrates knowledge of and performs all assigned tasks in accordance with UPHP plans, policies, and procedures, as well as accrediting and regulatory requirements.
13. Participates in departmental and interdepartmental process improvements; recommends improvements in clinical processes as opportunities are identified.
14. Participates in and plans community resource fairs and events that support health literacy, disease management education, and health promotion.
15. Prepares reports as required.
16. Maintains confidentiality of member and client data.
17. Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.
POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:
Education:
Minimum:
High school diploma or GED
Preferred:
Associate or bachelor’s degree in health care or related field plus CHW certification**
Experience:
Minimum:
Two (2) years of general or health or dental related experience or equivalent combination of
education and experience
Preferred:
Three (3) to five (5) years of general healthcare field experience or equivalent combination of
education and experience
Required Skills:
Exceptional customer service skills and telephone etiquette
Composition and proofreading skills
Excellent organizational abilities and attention to detail
Excellent human relation and oral/written communication
Knowledge of filing systems and copier operation
Keyboarding proficiency and working knowledge of MS Office (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Digital dexterity
The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The qualifications should not be viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but as general guidelines that should be considered along with other job-related selection or promotional criteria.
Physical Requirements:
[This job requires the ability to perform the essential functions contained in the description. These include, but are not limited to, the following requirements. Reasonable accommodations may be made for otherwise qualified applicants unable to fulfill one or more of these requirements]:
Ability to access departmental files
Ability to enter and access information from a computer
Occasionally lifts supplies/equipment
Prolonged periods of sitting
Manual dexterity and mobility
Working Conditions:
Works in office conditions and frequent travel will be required
Exposure to situations requiring exceptional interpersonal skills or periods of intense concentration
Subject to many interruptions
Occasional irregular hours
May work in outdoor conditions dependent on community event
**Candidates who do not currently hold a Community Health Worker certification will be required to complete the certification program or relevant training, provided by the employer, as a condition of continued employment.
