We are hiring a Community health Worker II (Full-time) to join the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Brownsville, TX (Cameron County). In this role, you will be assigned cases that require follow-up through home visits and phone calls. During these interactions, the CHW will guide participants implementing lifestyle changes, provide training on diabetes self-management practices, conduct screenings and referral to additional services, and collaborate with team members and clinic organizations to coordinate care. An ideal candidate should have previous experience as a CHW, bilingual English/Spanish, preferred. Community Health Worker (CHW) by Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) required.

What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas' resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That's where you come in.

Once you join us you won't want to leave. It's because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you'd expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:

• 100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees
• Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time - all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year)
• The longer you stay, the more vacation you'll accrue!
• Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service)
• Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan!

We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees' wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as...

• Free financial and legal counseling
• Free mental health counseling services
• Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
• Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
• Resources for child and elder care
• Plus many more!

Position Summary:

This position is based in Cameron County.

The Salud y Vida program provides chronic care management services to support participants in achieving better health outcomes. The Community Health Worker (CHW) plays a critical role in the program by offering one-on-one support to enrolled participants.

The CHW will be assigned cases that require follow-up through home visits and phone calls. During these interactions, the CHW will guide participants implementing lifestyle changes, provide training on diabetes self-management practices, conduct screenings and referral to additional services, and collaborate with team members and clinic organizations to coordinate care.

Position Key Accountabilities:

• Establishes and maintains rapport with participants, other members of the care team, community partners, and business staff.
• Responsible for conducting home visits to participants enrolled in the Salud y Vida program.
• Engages participants using motivational interviewing approaches to support behavior change, enhance intrinsic motivation, and empower individuals to achieve their personal goals.
• Gathers and documents demographic, insurance, health and social needs of participants to address barriers to care that may be affecting their medical condition, and all services provided
• Helps participants utilize resources in their area and assist with applications for eligible programs. Identify and build relationships with community organizations/resources.
• Educates participants and their families of clinical care team roles, expectations of patient-centered medical home (PCMH) activities to manage their health conditions, and the importance of preventative health care. Motivate participants to be active, engaged participants in their health care.
• Thoroughly documents encounter and service activities and follow up functions of resource distribution and referrals to resolve participants needs.
• Maintains a comprehensive understanding of community needs, resources, services and programs available to advocate for participants needs and requests.
• Continuously expands knowledge for professional growth and development to meet requirements to maintain
• State certification and skills competency that supports department goals.
• Works to support the onboarding of new CHWs. Act as liaison between clinical staff and new CHWs as needed.
• Plans, coordinates and facilitates applicable health and wellness programs. Contacts participants to schedule and/or reschedule program visits.
• Maintains confidentiality per HIPAA guidelines in regards to patient information. Adheres to all policies, procedures and standards within the organization.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Certification/Skills:

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred
• Must have ability to perform complex and diverse administrative duties that involve application of procedures and demonstrate appropriate judgment within the CHW scope of work.
• Manages Human Resources activities of department in regards to: recruiting and selection, hiring and termination, training, professional development, mentoring, counseling, performance evaluations, and salary planning.
• Community Health Worker (CHW) by Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) required

Minimum Education:

• High School Diploma or equivalent required

Minimum Experience:

• 3 years of related experience in health, social work or education required May substitute required experience with equivalent years of education beyond the minimum education requirement.

Physical Requirements:

Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount constantly to move objects.

Security Sensitive:

This position is a security-sensitive position pursuant to Texas Education Code §51.215 and Texas Government Code §411.094. To the extent that a position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Texas Business and Commerce Code §117.001(2), the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure is a minimum qualification to be hired for and to continue to be employed in that position. Personnel in such positions, and similarly situated state contractors, will be routinely reviewed to determine whether things such as criminal history or continuous connections to the government or political apparatus of a foreign adversary might prevent the applicant, employee, or contractor from being able to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure. A foreign adversary is a nation listed in 15 C.F.R. §791.4.

Residency Requirement:

Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.