COMMUNITY HEALTH ADVOCATE

JOB TITLE: Community Health Advocate

JOB CODE: DATE: 3/9/12

GENERAL FUNCTION:

Provide outreach and community service linkages for underserved and difficult to reach patients at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Conduct intake interviews with clients.
  • Work with hospital team staff to identify difficult to reach clients and provide strategies for reaching them.
  • Make follow-up phone calls and home visits or visits to other appropriate settings (community based-organizations) to explain and enroll individuals in appropriate services such as health insurance.
  • Schedule appointments for clients and ensure the attendance at appointments.
  • Assist clients in addressing barriers to care such as transportation, language, family care.
  • Follow-up with clients by letter, phone call, or home visit on missed appointments or referral.
  • Establish relationships with clients and providegeneral support and encouragement for clients.
  • Provide general support for hospital team staff.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS:

Knowledge and Abilities:

  • Written and oral fluency in English
  • Written and oral fluency in Spanish
  • Basic computer skills. Familiarity with MS Office especially Word and Excel, Outlook
  • Experience working with community groups and members in Allston/Brighton and surrounding areas
  • Experience performing interviewing and confidential data collection techniques, and record keeping.
  • Experience in collecting information from clients and completing standard forms (experience with MassHealth enrollment a plus) and preparing required reports.
  • Abilityand willingness to provide emotional support, encouragement and motivation to clients to fully participate in service programs
  • Ability and willingness to recognize clients with severe problems and refer them to the appropriate professionals and resources.

Minimum Education, Training, and Experience Requirements: High school diploma or GED. Six (6) months experience working in a Community Health Worker (CHW) role or in another position with the provision of social services, supportive services, personal care, or related duties. Past participation in CHW trainings preferred but not required.

Please email a cover letter and resume to Heather Nelson at

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.