Title: Community Health Worker
State Role Title: Direct Service Associate III
Hiring Range: 46,000 - 55,000
Pay Band: 3
Agency: Virginia Department of Health
Location: RAP-RAP-FAUQUIER
Agency Website: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/rappahannock-rapidan/
Recruitment Type: General Public - G
Job Duties
A. Service Coordination & Client Care
• Assists clients in completing forms/applications, eligibility documents, and referrals required to receive needed services or community resources, as required by state/federal agencies.
• Assist clients with navigation of the healthcare systems and processes.
• Participates in care coordination and/or case management for district core programs.
• Speaks with diverse populations in a sensitive and culturally competent manner.
• Performs administrative tasks related to client navigation and outreach event management.
B. Community Health Education
• Develops and delivers individual and community-based education on diseases, prevention and health promotion practices to encourage clients to adopt positive health behaviors.
• Educates individuals and communities on how to navigate health and social services systems to achieve improved health outcomes.
• Fosters relationships and works with community partners to provide a wide range of educational activities for vulnerable populations.
• Participates in and collaborates with local coalitions and groups focused on health, aligning efforts with the agency’s needs.
• Documents and responds to requests from community groups and organizations for information on health department programs and services.
• Coordinates and supports community-based initiatives focused on the social determinants of health to address health disparities.
• Develops and/or acquires educational materials from credible healthcare and community sources for public use.
C. Clinical/Community Outreach & Engagement
• Utilizes evidence-based strategies to improve population/community health.
• Employs policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to effectively address health disparities.
• Identifies target audiences, strategies, interventions and programmatic problems. Provides guidance in determining effective resolutions.
• Integrates building health literacy and cross-cultural communication across all sectors of work.
• With proper training and competency validation, may perform client measurements (temperature, pulse, blood pressure, height, weight), support comprehensive risk reduction strategies, and assist with point of care testing/laboratory specimen collection.
• Supports the clinical and outreach teams with inventory management of outreach and educational supplies.
• Serves as a liaison between district programs, schools, community and other local agencies.
D. Community Health Assessment Support
• Participates in the design, implementation and analysis of individual-level and community level assessments, community health assessments (CHA) and improvement plans (CHIP).
E. Program Support
• Participates in the evaluation of CHW services and programs.
• May assist in preparing required reports for local, state, and/or federal funders.
• May support the team in preparing requests for proposals during the grant application process.
• Participates in the sharing of results and findings through various methods of communication (oral presentation, social media posting, journal article, etc.) to identified stakeholders.
• May assist with language interpretation.
Minimum Qualifications
• Knowledge of Social Determinants of Health: Knowledge of the various social, economic, and environmental factors that influence individual and community health, including disparities in access to resources and services.
• Knowledge of Mental/Behavioral Health: Familiarity with the impact of mental and behavioral health on physical health outcomes, including an understanding of common mental health issues and how they intersect with physical health needs.
• Knowledge of Public Health Principles: Basic knowledge of public health practices, epidemiology, disease prevention, health promotion, and social service systems, including the roles of government agencies and community organizations in addressing health needs.
• Community Experience: Experience working with priority or underserved communities, with an understanding of relevant unique challenges and resources.
• Cultural Competency: Ability to communicate effectively with diverse populations, recognizing and respecting cultural norms, practices, and values within the community.
• Effective Communication Skills: Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in both written and verbal formats using plain language that is accessible to individuals from diverse backgrounds. This includes the ability to adapt communication styles to meet the needs of different communities served.
• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrated ability to build and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues, community members, and stakeholders. Strong team collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Technology Proficiency: Ability to operate a personal computer and use internet-based tools and applications for data entry, communication, and research.
Additional Considerations
• Proficiency in a second language (especially relevant languages in the community served) is highly preferred to effectively communicate with a broader population.
• Previous experience in a public health or community-based agency environment, with familiarity in coordinating services and supporting public health initiatives.
• Community Health Worker (CHW) certification, or the ability to obtain one after hire.
Special Instructions
You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
Contact Information
Name: Adnan Sami
Phone: 540-428-9741
Email: adnan.sami@vdh.virginia.gov
In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.
Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.