Community Health Worker

Job Description

Job Description

David Raines Community Health Centers is looking for passionate, qualified applicants to join our team!

The Community Health Worker (CHW) will assist people in their community stay healthy by teaching them about good habits and supporting them in managing their weight.

This job is especially focused on helping communities that have few resources. The CHW will assist with a research study called the Collaborative Multi-level Obesity Intervention Engaging Underserved Communities Trial (CONNECT).

This study aims to find out how well different methods work for helping people in Louisiana lose weight and keep it off.

The Community Health Worker will have several important duties, including :

• Health Coaching and Patient Support : Helping people learn about healthy eating and exercise and guiding them to make good choices for their health.
• Recruitment : Enrolling participants in the study.
• Surveys and Measurements : Asking study participants questions and measuring things like their height, weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure.
• Community Outreach : Reaching out to the community to get more people involved and aware of the study.
• Community Asset Mapping : Working with community members to find and use local resources, like parks and grocery stores, that can help people live healthier lives.

Overall, the Community Health Worker will play a crucial role in improving the health and wellbeing of participants by supporting healthy lifestyles and weight loss efforts.

WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS :

Health coaching & patient navigation :

Engages and guides study participants through a tailored health coaching curriculum that involves individualized weight goal setting, daily weight monitoring, and lifestyle changes (e.

g., health eating and physical activity) to reach weight loss goals

• Motivates participants to be active, engaged participants in their health
• Continuously expands knowledge and understanding of clinic and community resources, services and programs available to support healthy lifestyles and weight loss
• Helps study participants to navigate resources and services in clinic and community settings to support healthy lifestyles and weight loss goals
• Assists participants to set up and trouble-shoot digital health technologies, including weight scales and wearable fitness trackers, and associated mobile applications
• Maintains coaching logs for review by study investigators and regularly updates research team on progress and challenges
• Actively engages in initial and ongoing health coaching and patient navigation training with demonstration of competency

Works with the FQHC to implement appropriate billing for health coaching sessions.

Community outreach & facilitation of Community Asset Mapping :

• Assist with outreach efforts to inform community members, families, and local agencies about CONNECT
• Disseminate information relevant to CONNECT at community events
• Convene group of study participants and community members to engage Community Asset Mapping
• Facilitate Community Asset Mapping process to identify and promote resources in community that support lifestyles for healthy weight management
• Disseminate Community Asset Map to community members, organizations, and leaders
• Effectively work with people (staff, participants, community organizations, agencies, etc.) from diverse backgrounds in helping to increase healthy behaviors through community projects

Build and maintain positive working relationships with community members, community partners, community leaders

Participant recruitment, data collection, and retention :

• Manages and monitors the day-to-day participant recruitment, data collection and entry tasks
• Participates in recruitment efforts, which may include communication with healthcare providers, clinic staff, community leaders, and community members, managing lists of potential participants, assisting with mailings, calls, pre-screening, and scheduling, attending community events, and other forms of recruitment
• Screens participants for eligibility and enrolls eligible individuals into research study
• Collects survey and biometric data and enters data into database
• Arranges study visits and performs retention and follow-up activities
• Meets regularly (e.g., weekly) with the research team and informs of fieldwork progress and unanticipated events
• Maintains records of fieldwork-related supplies (e.g., tablets, gift cards)
• Maintains high standards of data quality and timely reporting
• Maintains participant confidentiality

Actively engages in initial and ongoing protocol training with demonstration of competency

Required Knowledge, skills, Abilities / Competencies Typically Needed To Perform This Job Successfully :

• Comfort using technology, including wearable devices, mobile applications, and / or electronic databases
• Attention to detail and ability to follow study protocols
• Ability to acquire and maintain all required research ethics training certificates (e.g., CITI)
• Ability to maintain confidentiality in all work performed
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to communicate with and motivate individuals to educate and facilitate problem solving
• Ability to work with community members from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to work independently and within a team
• Ability to get around in the community, visit local sites and engage in project activities that involve physical activity
• Comfort working in a clinic setting with patients and clinic staff

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS :

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree
• One year directly related experience working with community programs in Louisiana
• Research / data collection experience
• Public speaking and presentation experience
• CHW training from a certified program (e.g., Louisiana Community Health Outreach Network)

WHAT WE OFFER? We offer 11 paid holidays each year, paid time off and extended leave days, discounted services, loan repayment options and continuing education days to name a few.

Eligibility for all benefits is based on position and job classification.

WHO WE ARE? DRCHC exist to provide quality, accessible, affordable and comprehensive health care services to all. We have six center locations and eleven school based facilities in five cities throughout Northwest Louisiana and corporate headquarters in Shreveport.

DRCHC has a licensed patient pharmacy and a state approved Medicaid application center. We even offer transportation for medical and dental appointments.

Our staff work as a team to ensure the mission, vision and purpose of DRCHC is achieved daily.

All applications / resumes are accepted online via www.davidraineschc.org or any of the external posting site such as Glassdoor or indeed.