Community Health Worker - Recovery

Job Purpose & Position Overview

The purpose of this position is to provide culturally responsive outreach, education, care coordination, and support services for community members in need of mental health wellbeing support. The Community Health Worker will serve as a bridge between community members, healthcare providers, and community resources to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities.

Specific Job Duties/Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate the Public Health Department's core mission, vision and values
• Home visit assigned clients as scheduled by Recovery Director.
• Assist with medication needs and translation.
• Provide transportation to and from Twelve Clans Unity Hospital and WPHD Programs.
• Provide supervised home health care for assigned clients, and will include:
• Blood pressure/blood glucose monitoring.
• Provide medication education.
• Educate on healthy lifestyle habits.
• Refer to resources as necessary for any Indigenous Social Determinants of Health
• Maintain records and reports as necessary to supervisor.
• Follow-up on at-risk community members.
• Notify patients of scheduled doctor appointments.
• Follow-up from internal staff and referred provider appointments.
• Assist with infections disease screenings.
• Attend all in-service and classes that are health related when possible.
• Attend mandatory training.
• Prepare monthly reports and submit to supervisor.
• Complete patient charting in a timely manner.
• Responsible for maintaining GSA vehicles at all times.

SPECIALTY AREA – RECOVERY

• Conduct home visits and community outreach with individuals and families affected by substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and recovery-related challenges.
• Provide recovery-focused support and encouragement to individuals seeking, maintaining, or returning to recovery.
• Assist clients with medication management activities, including medication reminders, medication education, identifying barriers to medication adherence, and reporting concerns to Recovery and Behavioral Health staff.
• Support clients receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) through appointment reminders, transportation assistance, medication adherence support, and connection to recovery resources.
• Conduct follow-up visits and phone calls following discharge from detoxification programs, residential treatment facilities, inpatient treatment programs, emergency departments, correctional facilities, sober living programs, and recovery residences.
• Assist with development and implementation of individualized recovery plans that identify personal goals, strengths, support systems, and wellness strategies.
• Conduct regular wellness check-ins with clients and their identified relatives, caregivers, and support systems to promote stability, accountability, and recovery success.
• Assist clients with scheduling, attending, and following up on recovery, behavioral health, primary care, and specialty care appointments.
• Provide transportation support to treatment appointments, recovery meetings, support groups, cultural activities, and other approved services.
• Reinforce recovery skills, coping strategies, relapse prevention techniques, stress management practices, and wellness activities identified by treatment providers.
• Encourage participation in peer recovery groups, cultural healing activities, traditional practices, community events, and other recovery-supportive environments.
• Identify early warning signs of relapse, substance use recurrence, mental health crises, housing instability, or other recovery barriers and communicate concerns to the appropriate clinical staff.
• Assist individuals transitioning from treatment programs, incarceration, homelessness, or crisis situations by connecting them with housing, employment, education, transportation, and community resources.
• Provide education regarding substance use disorders, recovery pathways, overdose prevention, harm reduction strategies, stigma reduction, and available community supports.
• Assist with naloxone education, overdose prevention outreach, and referral to treatment services as appropriate.
• Coordinate referrals to community resources addressing Indigenous Social Determinants of Health, including housing, transportation, food security, employment, cultural supports, legal assistance, and social services.
• Support Recovery Program outreach efforts, recovery events, community education activities, and recovery awareness initiatives.
• Maintain accurate documentation, client records, encounter notes, recovery plans, and monthly reports in accordance with departmental policies.
• Participate in multidisciplinary case reviews, recovery team meetings, quality improvement activities, and program evaluation efforts.
• Promote culturally grounded, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and strengths-based approaches to healing while supporting Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and healing.
• Attend required trainings, certification courses, workshops, supervision sessions, and department meetings.

Required Qualifications/Skills:

• High School Diploma or GED is required.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and be able to meet driver eligibility guidelines.
• Must be in good physical and mental health and pass a complete physical exam prior to employment (to include PPD).
• Must have basic knowledge of MS Office computer software.
• Must possess the ability to maintain accurate written daily, weekly, and monthly reports.
• Must perform all duties in a manner that ensures the strictest confidentiality due to access to sensitive information.
• Must have and maintain CPR/BLS certification or obtain within 6 months of hiring.

Public Health Core Competencies for this Position

Public Health Sciences

• Describes the scientific foundation of the field of public health.

Analysis and Assessment

• Apply ethical data principles.

Leadership and Systems Thinking

• Contributes to continuous improvement of individual, program and organizational performance.
• Participate in and/or provides opportunities for professional development opportunities.
• Contributes to continuous improvement of individual, program and organizational performance.

Communication and Cultural Competency

• Communicate the roles of governmental public health and public health stakeholders as well as information to influence behavior and improve public health.
• Gather input from and facilitate communication among individuals, groups, organizations and local government to improve community health.

Financial Planning and Management

• Establishes teams for the purpose of achieving program and organizational goals.
• Motivates personnel for the purpose of achieving program and organization goals.

Training Requirements:

• Must attend all department meetings, trainings, and certification courses as required by position and CHW Coordinator.

Physical Requirements:

• Normal to heavy work which includes the ability to lift up to 75 lbs.
• Regularly required to walk, stand, and sit for extended periods of time and use hands to operate computer keyboard, phone, various office equipment, and GSA vehicles.
• While performing daily duties, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.

Cognitive Requirements:

• Reading, writing, calculating
• Above average social interaction skills
• Reasoning/Analysis
• Works with minimal to no supervision

Language Requirements:

• Must possess the ability to read, write, and speak the English language fluently.
• Must be able to continually and effectively employ professional verbal and written communications skills.

Certificates, Licenses & Registrations:

• All applicants will comply with 45 CFR 1301, Subpart D, Section 1301.31, C and D, which require all prospective employees to sign a declaration prior to employment regarding all arrests and convictions of child abuse or violent felonies and to comply with PL 101-630 and PL 101-637 regarding criminal records check.