Community Health Worker

Responsibility:General Responsibilities

Hyacinth AIDS Foundation’s mission is to help people live with HIV, stop the spread of the epidemic, and serve as a critical voice in the public debate surrounding AIDS in New Jersey. The following foundational behaviors are expected as an employee of Hyacinth:

Service/Client Services

Consistently demonstrates respect, responsiveness, and professionalism towards others while providing superior service for our clients

· Treats each client as a priority

· Respects each client’s right to quality service, confidentiality, and dignity.

· Works with co-workers to ensure integration of services

· Displays a welcoming, helpful attitude to clients

· Establishes and maintains personal boundaries in clinical supervision with clients or co-workers

Community/Teamwork

Actively cooperates within the region and/or program and participates in the constructive resolution of conflict.

· Focuses on improving communication and collaboration

· Tries to understand the other person’s point of view when there is a challenge

· Works with all regional staff to provide a full continuum of services to clients.

· Understands local community resources and can make appropriate referrals.

· Is clear and tactful when collaborating and working with others.

Leadership

Assuming responsibility for one’s own self in the workplace and exhibiting commitment to the client and agency.

· Takes pride in his/her work

· Advances Hyacinth’s reputation for excellence.

· Incorporates boundaries and ethical guidelines into decision making.

Employees of the Agency may learn certain facts about individuals being served by the Agency that are of a highly personal and confidential nature. Examples of such information are medical conditions, sexual orientation, relations with family members and other individuals. All such information must be treated as completely confidential. All staff are required to conform to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) guidelines which require the protection of personal health information.

Position Summary

Provide brief and concise statement explaining the main purpose for the existence of this position. Provide a brief summary of the role.

§ Under the supervision of the Client Services Manager, performs assigned duties relating to the implementation and evaluation of Outreach Services.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

In order of importance, briefly describe, in sentence form, the essential functions/major responsibilities of this position (principal duties and responsibilities of the position)

Typically, job descriptions should contain no more than seven or eight major responsibilities ranked in order of highest percentage of time to least.

Approximate Percentage of TimeTasks/Duties/Responsibilities

70%

Client Services

· Collaborate with staff in local clinics to outreach to out of care individuals and reconnect them to HIV medical services and other supportive services

· Work closely with medical case managers of local clinic to identify patients who have fallen out of care

· Conduct outreach to the hardest to reach, at risk communities. These communities include men and women who are substance using, incarcerated, undocumented, uninsured, homeless, teens or otherwise not aware of, or in denial about, their risk for being HIV-infected. Outreach will be conducted in conjunction with prevention staff and will include riding on the Mobile Testing Van to various outreach location

· Refer and link undiagnosed clients to rapid HIV testing services

· Refer newly diagnosed clients to medical care and other supportive services

· Accompany and escort clients to medical and social service-related appointments

· Provide accurate information to clients about living with HIV, preventing further transmission, the benefits and challenges of HIV care and treatment, and available services and how to access them

· Provide personalized assistance to clients to help them enroll or re-engage in medical care

· Support clients throughout the early part of their care

· Help clients to develop confidence about their participation in HIV treatment

· Work closely with Medical Case Manager to ensure clients medical needs are addressed

15%

Reporting / Monitoring

· Establish, maintain, and update client case records using approved agency forms and procedures

· Ensure confidentiality of all records

· Prepare monthly reports in accordance with agency policies and procedures

· Maintain and update client information in E-Compass and CAREWare

10%

Hyacinth Representation / Advocacy

· Attend and participate in staff meetings and supervisory conferences

· Maintain working relationships with other community providers

· Observe established administrative procedures

· Provide written reports and maintain statistics as required

· Represent the agency at community events, meetings, and conferences

· Adhere to Hyacinth policies and procedures including client confidentiality provisions

5%

Training and Certifications

· Attend and participate in staff training opportunities

100%TotalOther Duties Describe important tasks or duties, not mentioned above

• Commitment to Hyacinth philosophy

• Access to currently registered car and a valid driver’s license a plus

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Demonstrates understanding of objectives, duties, and responsibilities in accordance with the job description.

§ Understands job responsibilities and keeps current on skills and information needed to meet new challenges

§ Works with team leader/manager on areas of job responsibilities that are unclear.

Delivers quality results and balances priorities to meet all project and team commitments in a timely manner.

§ Serves as a steward of the public’s trust and money.

§ Takes responsibility for timely decisions and actions.

§ Routinely checks for accuracy in his/her own work.

§ Evaluates how well an event or program was completed (i.e. attendance and target audience specifications, asks clients to rate effectiveness, asks people what was good and what can be better next time).

Disseminates relevant information about decisions, plans and activities to team leaders and supervisors

§ Informs team leaders and/or managers about decisions that affect work.

§ Recognizes problems and complaints and escalates to team leaders and/or managers when necessary.