Title: Community Health Worker

State Role Title: Direct Service Associate III

Hiring Range: $25 - $30

Pay Band: 3

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: RAP-RAP-Orange

Agency Website: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

Performance Management (for employees who supervise others)
• Serves in a managerial/supervisory capacity to conduct performance management activities and ensure onboarding/offboarding and training for staff
• Establishes and reviews work assignments and priorities and implements performance improvement strategies and/or problem resolution for related issues, in conjunction with program management and Human Resource staff
• Ensures relevant training and workplace safety for staff
• Conducts required performance monitoring and appraisals, establishes clear performance expectations, addresses deficiencies in a timely manner, and documents underperformance in accordance with state guidelines
• Supports employee growth through regular feedback, coaching, and professional
development opportunities
B. 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.
C. 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.
D. 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.
E. 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).
F. 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.

Wage employees are subject to the following conditions of employment:
• Wage employees serve at the will and pleasure of the appointing authority.
• Continuing employment is based on available funding and business need.
• Wage employees are not covered by the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act. Therefore, they are not eligible for benefits which are provided to salaried employees, such as leave credits, holiday pay, insurance, access to the grievance procedure, etc.
• Wage employees are paid only for the hours they actually work.
• Virginia state law currently requires that agencies not permit wage employees to work in excess of 29 hours per week on average over the course of a year. Wage employees may not work for VDH beyond 1,500 hours during the period of May 1 – April 30 of the following year (the Standard Measurement Period).
• Once a wage employee works the maximum of 1,500 hours during the Standard Measurement Period, the employee may be rehired as a wage employee of VDH only after the next Standard Measurement Period has begun.
• Wage employees are eligible to apply for all classified positions for which recruitment has been initiated, including those limited to State Employees Only.
• If a wage employee becomes employed in a classified position, he/she will be eligible to purchase retirement credit for the time worked as a wage employee.
• Continuing employment is based on available funding and business need.

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.

VDH accepts only on-line applications. Faxed, mailed, or e-mailed applications will not be considered. Applications are accepted until 11:55 p.m. on the job closing date. Applications and/or resumes should include relevant work history which indicates your qualifications for this position. Supplemental questions are encouraged to be answered in a comprehensive manner and reference any pertinent knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as any previous experience that relates to the position.

Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results of a state and federal criminal history background check and the Department of Social Service’s Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry check, U.S. HHSIG Exclusion List check, employment reference check and E-Verify. Other financial, credit, driving, background checks or completion of Statement of Economic Interests may be required for certain positions.

It is the policy of the Commonwealth and VDH that all aspects of human resource management be conducted without regard to race (or traits historically associated with race including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists); sex; color; national origin; religion; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; age; veteran status; political affiliation; disability; genetic information; and pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. VDH employees have a shared Code of Ethics, which can be found in the bottom banner of our website: www.vdh.virginia.gov.

If you have been affected by DHRM Policy 1.30 layoff and possess a valid Interagency Placement Screening Form (Yellow Card) or a Preferential Hiring Form (Blue Card), you must submit the card before the closing date for this position. The Card may be submitted with the state application as an attachment.

As a V3 (Virginia Values Veterans) employer VDH Welcomes Veterans to apply!

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.