Patient Navigator (Community Health Worker), Early Relational Health

HopeCentral Pediatrics & Behavioral Health, Seattle WA

Full-time, Non-Exempt

To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter to jobshopecentralhealth@gmail.com.

About HopeCentral

HopeCentral is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit clinic that serves all families in Southeast Seattle regardless of income, status, or belief system. Our mission is to “Share the love of Jesus through excellent, enhanced primary care for the entire community.” HopeCentral provides pediatric primary care, select specialty behavioral health services, and leverages our clinical work to engage in community health programs, primarily focused on developmental disability.

Job Summary

HopeCentral has an exciting opportunity for a motivated, energetic person with an interest in assisting families of young children with health care needs as a member of HopeCentral’s health team in the clinical setting. The Early Relational Health Community Health Worker (ERH CHW) will work closely with the health providers at HopeCentral to track and follow up needs identified in medical care interactions and assist families to access care across the health system. Our patient population includes a significant portion of children with special health care needs (CSHCN), including diagnoses of autism and developmental delay. Our goal is to create bridges for vulnerable populations to access culturally responsive care and to access community supports and government benefits to support the growth and development of their child. 

This role requires familiarity with the perinatal and early childhood services and systems to enhance early relational health, services and system landscape, and interdisciplinary support for young children and their families. Key goals include empowering caregivers/parents with a focus on parent and family strengths, and decreasing barriers to accessing desired resources and services for health and social needs.

The ERH CHW will also play an integral role in establishing the clinical patient navigation function at HopeCentral across the service lines offered by the clinic. The EHR CHW will help build the internal processes and systems to integrate patient navigation effectively into HopeCentral’s clinical operations. The ERH CHW will also collect community perspective and feedback on clinic communications and processes.

This position is funded through June 2025 by a grant from the Washington State Health Care Authority. The position has fixed compensation of $31.25 ( $63,750/yr plus benefits), 11-month position with the possibility for renewal at the end of the period. 

The EHR CHW position is:

  • Full-time only

  • In-person, primarily clinic based in Seattle, Washington

  • 40-hours per week

  •  Includes evening and weekend hours for community engagement activities. 

Responsibilities

  • Work closely with health providers to track and follow up needs identified in medical care interactions by health providers, prioritizing special populations, such as those experiencing life stressors, English-limited families, or CSHCN. Coordinate care, and document care within HopeCentral’s electronic health record.

  • Work with families one on one, to seek to understand specific concerns for their child’s care, develop individualized family goals and document progress toward the goals over time, promote client and family health and assist in connecting to critical referrals/ancillary services/resources (case management to connect to health care services and government systems).

  • Provide culturally congruent care to all HopeCentral families who need navigation support, identify and explore barriers to care, provide tailored education regarding relevant resources, exercise cultural humility when working with families of culture different from their own.

  • Attend grant related CHW training, attend and participate in clinic meetings, maintain open and good communication with clinical staff.

  • Actively develop relationships that bridge the community and the health care system and diminish barriers for families.

  • Diligently engage in training opportunities with partner organizations to learn new skills relevant to the position and to the demands of the funding program. 

  • Contribute to continual interval data collection related to program evaluation, continuous improvement, and reporting to funders.

  • Identify and attend community events representing HopeCentral, participate in outreach and relationship building with community resource providers

Qualifications

  • 2 years of clinical patient navigation experience in a medical setting

  • Relevant lived experience or professional experience working with target population

  • Bilingual skills preferred, with excellent written skills in English required

  • High school diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor's degree in a healthcare or social work-related field preferred.


Skills specific to position

  • Able to keep detailed and consistent notes of interactions and track progress of referrals within the electronic medical record. Experience working within an electronic medical record system preferred. Facility with learning new documentation systems required.

  • Able to navigate through the health system, make appointments, troubleshoot barriers, understand basic insurance rights and prior authorizations, facilitate communication of PHI for purposes of excellent communication between health care sectors to maximize quality of patient care.

  • Have an extensive understanding of Medicaid, DDA, SSI, ABA, Birth to 3, and other government benefit programs.

  • Familiarity with local public school system, including familiarity with school accommodations and Individualized Education Plans

  • Working knowledge of vocabulary related to developmental disability and ASD, ability to translate/ interpret content for families.

  • High levels of cultural humility and hospitality. Ability to respectfully interact with patients from diverse traditional cultures. Heart of compassion for families with children with developmental disabilities.  

  • Awareness of trauma associated with interactions with the health care system and community at large related to raising a child with a disability or mental health diagnosis, comfortable with conflict resolution and willingness to engage with difficult situations and seek resolution.

  • Awareness of social determinants of health 

  • Interest and ability to connect with diverse families

  • Affirmation of HopeCentral’s faith-based mission and spiritual skills required to actively support the mission.

  • Excellent customer-service attitude and skills. 

  • Ability to maintain patient privacy and confidentiality.

  • Ability to collaborate with other multi-disciplinary team members.  

  • Proficiency in the use of computer (including applications such as Microsoft office, Google Suite, Excel) and office equipment. Readiness to learn Electronic Health Record.

  • Ability to efficiently manage time and prioritize multiple tasks. 

  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

  • Strong written communication skills.


To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter to jobshopecentralhealth@gmail.com.