How to apply

Family Bridge Community Health Worker

Family Bridge Background:

The Family Bridge project will focus on families residing in the towns of Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, and Trumbull, who give birth in either of two birthing hospitals in Bridgeport—Bridgeport Hospital or St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Every family in the Greater Bridgeport Region who gives birth at either hospital will be offered a home visit by a Registered Nurse through the Universal Nurse Home Visiting program within the first weeks after birth. Families benefitting from additional community resources may receive 1-2 visits and be connected to community health worker services under the CHW program component. The pilot program will utilize the Family Connects model, an evidence-based and successfully demonstrated program that connects parents of newborns to the community resources they need through postpartum nurse home visits. Connecticut has chosen to add CHW services to support families to complement the program. As a community-based program, the program supports new parents in caring for their newborn(s), offers physical assessments of the mother and the baby, addresses questions about caring for the newborn(s), identifies parents’ needs, and helps to identify community services or resources gaps in critical community-wide resources with the goal of working toward increasing needed services locally.

Purpose of Position:
A Family Bridge Community Health Worker (CHW) will be key in conducting outreach and education for the project in the Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, and Trumbull cities and towns. The CHW will be the. primary liaison to the target communities and will work closely with the nurses providing universal home visiting nurses services to individuals with newborns delivered in Bridgeport Hospital or St. Vincent's Medical Center. The CHW will provide support and referrals to families elected to participate in the Family Bridge pilot demonstration project.

 CHW's duties will aligned with the Family Connects model. A Family Bridge Community Health Worker works closely with Family Bridge Home Visiting Nurses, health care providers and social services agencies to coordinate short-term care and connect to resources for families participating in the Family Bridge pilot program. The CHW works in both clinical and community-based settings, including clients' homes.

Unusual Working Conditions
Additional hours are occasionally required to meet peak workloads and emergencies, and to participate in home visits. Occasional local travel may be required for which a reliable means of personal transportation is necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Working under the supervision of the Southwestern AHEC Lead Community Health Worker, the Family Bridge Community Health Worker's responsibilities include:

Duties include:

• Conducts outreach and education for the project.
• Works with another project, Family Bridge CHWs, and Family Bridge Home Visiting Nurses.
  
• Participates in all project-related training, including CHW Core Competencies, CHW maternal and child specialty knowledge and skills, Family Connects model, and project data collection and processes/workflows.
  
• Assists clients in their homes, community, or clinic setting.
• Communicates to clients/patients the purposes of the program and the impact it may have on their family’s health and well-being.
  
• Helps clients identify socio-economic issues that affect their overall health and develop health/social management plans and goals.
• Documents all client encounters and contracts made on behalf of clients; completes and submits monthly reports; maintains comprehensive electronic client files, which include client notes, the release of information, assessments, and other documents acquired on behalf of the client.
• Documents activities, service plans, and outcomes achieved by clients in an effective manner.
• Collects and compiles community resources in their assigned geographic area.
• Facilitates communication and coordinates services between providers and clients/patients.
• Coordinates and monitors services, including comprehensive tracking of clients' progress e in relation to care plan objectives.

Other relevant duties as assigned by the supervisor to support the program and agency.

Work Experience Requirements:

• At least two years of experience with community outreach, community education and community organizing.
• Experience and knowledge of public health and community health work.
• Knowledge of the community and organizations that serve target populations.
• Multicultural and/or bilingual capabilities are highly desirable.
• Strong interpersonal and writing skills are essential.
• Experience with outreach.
• Experience with child and material health preferred.
• Proficiency with computers and data collection.

Educational Requirements:

• A minimum of a High School diploma or GED; an associate degree preferred.
• CHW Certification preferred or be willing to become certified.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Must be trusted members of the communities they will be assigned to serve.
• Considerable knowledge and experience working with community-based organizations and clinical settings.
• Training and experience working as a Community Health Worker is required.
• Knowledge of relationships between risk factors and evidence of health problems.
• Knowledge of evaluation and assessment design methodologies.
• Considerable oral and written communication skills and computer skills.
• Cultural competency skills in working with under-served communities.
• Knowledge of public health systems and public health promotion.
• Proficiency in computer use and all Microsoft Office and other database software programs.