Community Health Worker - Street Medicine - One Community Health - CA
Sacramento, CA
About the Job
Community Health Worker - Street Medicine
The Community Health Worker (CHW) will be working directly with the unhoused population, serving as a bridge between the unhoused community and essential health services, social support, and resources. The Community Health Worker will collaborate with healthcare providers and community organizations to ensure the needs of this vulnerable population are met aligned with a compassionate, inclusive approach to care.
This role is on-site in Midtown Sacramento, CA (95811).
Essential Functions
- Conduct consistent outreach to unhoused individuals in areas where they reside such as encampments, shelters, and other areas.
- Establish trust with clients by meeting them where they are, demonstrating empathy, and providing consistent, non-judgmental support.
- Deliver tailored health education focused on issues commonly affecting the unhoused population, including chronic conditions, mental health, and substance use.
- Distribute hygiene kits, and educational materials to promote disease prevention.
- Assist clients in accessing healthcare services, including primary care, mental health services, substance use treatment, dental care, with a focus on overcoming barriers related to lack of Identification, address, and transportation.
- Guideclients in obtaining critical resources such as housingassistance and assist in navigating complex systems.
- Advocate on behalf of clients with healthcare providers, social service agencies, and housing programs to ensure they receiveequitable and respectful care.
- Support clients in understanding their rights and options, accompanying them to appointments and helping themeffectively communicate their needs.
- Provideimmediatesupport and intervention in solutions involving mental health crisis, substance use overdoses, or acute medical conditions.
- Demonstrate deep cultural competency and sensitivity when working with the diverse backgrounds and experiences of unhoused population, including understanding of the impact of trauma, poverty, and systemic inequalities.
- Provide services in a manner that respects the autonomy ofeach individualregardless of their circumstances.
- Collaborate with a network of healthcare providers, social workers, case managers,and community organizations to coordinate comprehensive care for clients.
- Participate in multidisciplinary teams to improvehealth outcomes for the unhoused population.
- Maintain detailed and accurate records of client interactions, services provided, and referrals made, ensuring data is collected in a matter that respects client privacy and confidentiality.
Travel Responsibilities
- Primarily local with occasional travel to community sites and partner organizations
- Traveling to encampments, shelters, and other sites to meet the needs of the unhoused individuals.
- Candidate should possess reliable transportation, valid driver's license, and car insurance.
Minimum Requirements
- High School Diploma or Equivalent.
- Previousexperience working with unhoused populationsand expertise in submittingreferrals to health resources in Sacramento County.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
- Ability to work effectively in a diverse, multidisciplinary team environment.
- Commitment to serving vulnerable populations and addressing health disparities.
- Lived experience working with unhoused populations.
We welcome applicants with criminal records and are dedicated to providing a fair and equitable hiring process. We understand that a person's past does not define their future and are committed to helping individuals achieve their full potential. If you have a criminal record, we encourage you to apply and let us know how you can contribute to our team.
Preferred Background
- Experience in street medicine, homeless healthcare, or related fields.
- One Community Health serves a widely diverse patient population with a rich blend of races, ethnicities, cultures, ages, religions, disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Individuals with life experience in these areas contribute to our ability to serve this population more effectively.
- Demonstrated person-centered approach and familiarity with trauma informed systems and restorative practices.
Reasonable Accommodations
One Community Health endorses and supports the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are applicants or employees who need accommodations. If you require and accommodation due to a disability to complete this application or you are experiencing difficulty submitting your application, please contact us at OCHhumanresources@onecommunityhealth.com.
Our Benefits
For more information on the comprehensive benefits we provide, please visit: https://onecommunityhealth.com/careers/benefits/