Community Health Advocate II (MPCAH)

Description

POSITION: Community Health Advocate II - MPCAH

DEPARTMENT: Healthy Communities

REPORTS TO: Maternal Paternal Child and Adolescent Health Manager

Pay Rate: $27.00 - $29.00 / hour

Background:

Fifty years ago, four Black American mothers, aided by 25 volunteer Black physicians, launched Baywell Health, formally known as West Oakland Health amid the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. It immediately became an anchor for the Black communities in West Oakland, East Oakland, and Berkeley for healthcare, health education, food and housing programs, and voter registration. The clinic became a spark that transformed healthcare advocacy in California and the nation. 

Baywell Health’s purpose is to be the trusted hub advancing the Bay Area Black community’s health and dignity. We work to do this by providing high-quality, comprehensive adult and family medicine, pediatric health care, dental care, optometry, podiatry, behavioral health services, and pharmacies at two locations while also being a space where medical care is our central but not the sole aim. We aim to be a place where community members also receive assistance on things that will make our community socially, economically, emotionally, and physically healthy. 

DEFINITION: Under the general supervision of the Maternal Paternal Child and Adolescent Health Program Manager, works to maintain a registry of pediatric patients, making outreach calls to patients belonging to providers that serve women due for annual women’s health screenings, and outreach to families of children that are due for developmental screenings, immunizations, and well-child visits.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Maternal Paternal Child and Adolescent Health (MPCAH) Community Health Advocate (CHA) works to promote health and well-being within specific, identified communities. Serves as a bridge between individual patients and their integrated health team to address health disparities and improve health outcomes. This involves working alongside individuals, healthcare professionals, and/or community groups to identify health and social need concerns, providing health education and resources, and advocating for policies and programs that will support the overall health of the community. The MPCAH CHA will assist patients and care teams in achieving timely access to needed care; comprehensive and continuity of care; specialized case management services provided to complex patients; and the enhancement of patient well-being. The MPCAH CHA will be a liaison between community members and healthcare providers by empowering community members to become healthier and more involved in their own health.

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES:

1. Navigation. An MPCAH CHA will work with the patient/family/caregiver on developing and updating an individual care plan that addresses whole person care. The care plan specifies the services offered by and responsibilities of Baywell Health and integrates with a plan created by non-primary care specialty practice to avoid potential overlap or gap in services and care.

A care plan considers and specifies various areas related to a patient’s care, which include:

1. Patient preferences and functional/lifestyle goals
2. Treatment goals
3. Assessment of potential barriers to meet goals
4. Strategies for addressing potential barriers to meeting goals
5. Care team members, including the primary care provider, and any other team members beyond the referring or transitional provider
6. Current problems
7. A Self Care Plan

2. Screening, assessments, and social support resource and referral. An MPCAH CHA will identify patients with unmet social determinants of health needs by using the CPSP (Comprehensive Perinatal Screening Program) screening assessment to identify: homelessness, self-care disability, food insecurity, enrollment in WIC (Women, Infants & Children) program, enrollment in Presumptive or Pregnancy related insurance or Every Woman Counts mammography program, violence or abuse, migrant or seasonal workers, low literacy, language preferred not English, needs, access to educational, economic and job opportunities, public safety, social support, exposures to crime, and violence. This will be documented in the medical chart and will be reviewed to identify patients who require higher levels of care management.

3. Clinical care referrals. An MPCAH CHA will be able to follow standard protocols to make referrals to both internal and external care provider entities.

4. Patient care tracking and auditing. An MPCAH CHA will update and maintain a registry of patients, using a robust tracking system (Epic Patient List) that can follow patients based on panels belonging to individual primary care providers or by disease/condition.

5. Conduct health education and outreach. An MPCAH CHA will participate in health and wellness coaching including activities such as: counseling patients on healthy behaviors and providing patients with general support. Will conduct outreach to promote healthy lifestyles and behaviors to maternal, paternal, child, and adolescent populations. This includes, but is not limited to conducting MyChart outreach, providing healthy lifestyle and development education, initiating new member engagement, contributing to member retention efforts, and participating in Baywell’s health promotion events and activities

6. Develop and implement community health programs. An MPCAH CHA will implement and evaluate health education interventions; organize health-promotion efforts and assist individuals or communities with utilizing techniques of health behavior change. Will participate in Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) initiatives to improve patient access, care, and quality of health outcome improvement.

7. Community engagement/advocacy. An MPCAH CHA will actively engage with community members while implementing health programs by encouraging active participation from individuals and requesting feedback for continuous improvement. Coordinate with the medical staff and care teams to ensure that case management services are provided to patients with complex medical and/or psychosocial problems while ensuring health professionals provide culturally sensitive care (inpatient/outpatient referrals, appointments, scrubbing of charts, care plans, etc.).  An MPCAH CHA may attend meetings with county-wide agencies to coordinate health services for low-income families.

8. Other Duties as Assigned. An MPCAH CHA will attend and actively participate in trainings and care coordination meetings.  This includes, but is not limited to, assisting with other Community Health programs and providing back up for other CHA’s or Baywell Health team members.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Attends work regularly and punctually; is readily accessible during work hours to peers; limits absences from own duty stations and limits visits and activities which distract others from their performance of duties.
2. Willingness and ability to travel to different Baywell clinics to perform work and meet with providers, patients, and staff.
3. Works cooperatively with immediate supervisor, with department members, and with other Baywell Health staff persons, as required.
4. Treats all patients / clients / visitors with respect and courtesy.
5. Remains competent in skills required for position.
6. During the initial thirty (30) days of employment, becomes and remains knowledgeable about and in compliance with Baywell Health's and Department policies and procedures in the following areas:
   1. Confidentiality of patient / client / fellow employee and supplier records
   2. Patient's rights and responsibilities.
   3. Professional and business ethics.
   4. Continuous quality and improvement.
   5. Safety and security of person and property.
   6. Infection control.
   7. Hazardous materials and waste.
   8. Life safety and emergency preparedness.
7. Maintains a working knowledge about and in continued compliance with all of those areas listed under item (5) throughout your employment with Baywell Health.
8. Provides care appropriate to the age of the patients / clients / visitors served.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Education: High school diploma or its equivalent. Bachelor’s degree in public health, health education or related field preferred.
2. Certification: All MPCAH CHA’s will participate in training to become certified Community Health Workers (CHWs). All MPCAH CHA’s will participate in training to become Certified Enrollment Counselors.  MPCAH CHA’s will be expected to seek and complete other health professional development training courses related to sexual and reproductive health, family planning, lay counseling, and other topic areas as appropriate. Doula certification a plus.

3. Brand Ambassador: Ability to project a positive, concerned image to the public.

4. Experience: 1-2 years’ experience working in a community health setting, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working with underserved, minority populations a plus. Understands the role of a CHA within the Medical Home environment and provides case management as needed.

5. Knowledge of Public Health: Good foundation of public health knowledge as it relates to healthy equity, health education, unmet social determinants of health needs, chronic disease management and prevention, and community resources. Has knowledge of healthy lifestyle, nutrition, and fitness practices.
6. Advocacy and Outreach Skills: Advocacy and outreach skills will be essential to promote health equity by implementing health programs and health policies that will benefit the community’s health through motivational training.
7. Interpersonal and Time Management Skills: Active listening, empathy, and cultural competence required. Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing professionally.  Ability to speak, read, write, and comprehend fluent English; bi-lingual competency highly desired. Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, with rapidly shifting priorities and competing demands while maintaining attention to detail. Excellent organizational skills, excellent attention to detail and ability to provide timely follow-up.
8. Computer Skills: Basic computer skills, and capable of using software and technology tools used to manage health data and reporting tools (Excel, Microsoft word, etc.). Experience in managing and tracking health data, navigating Epic and Tableau a plus.
9. Other: An MPCAH CHA should be able to remain calm and courteous in a high stress environment. MPCAH CHA should be able to work independently with minimal direction.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The pace of Work: High stress, very rapid, and demanding 
• Concentration: Constant 
• Standing and Walking Time Required: At least 20% of the time 
• Sitting and typing: 60% - 70% 
• Environmental and Health Hazards: Frequent exposure to communicable diseases and other conditions common to a clinic environment. 

An employee must meet the physical demands described here to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee must frequently use hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and telephone keyboard and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally bend, lift and move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. 

BENEFITS:

Baywell Health offers a comprehensive benefit package starting on your first day.  

1. A variety of options for group medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage to meet the needs of you and your family. Baywell Health covers 100% of the employee portion of the health, dental, and vision coverage and shares a high portion of the dependent cost for the health benefit but covers 100% of dependent dental and vision coverage. 
2. Education reimbursement annually.  
3. Employee funded 403b and Employer funded 401a plan.
4. Employee Assistance Program 
5. Paid Time Off & Company Paid Holidays 

**BayWell Health, formally known as West Oakland Health Council is an equal opportunity employer** 

POSITION DESCRIPTION REVISIONS 

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with these roles. While this is intended to reflect the current position accurately, management reserves the right to revise the job or require other or different tasks to be performed when circumstances change. This position description replaces all previous position descriptions for this position. 

**All employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as a condition of employment, subject to limited exemptions. New Employees are required to provide proof of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before the first day of employment. Exemptions to this requirement will be considered for those requesting an exemption on medical, disability, or religious grounds.

Salary : $27 - $29