Community Health Worker
Casa Esperanza·Boston, Massachusetts
Casa Esperanza·Boston, Massachusetts
The role involves conducting community outreach to at-risk Latine populations to provide health education and support for mental health and substance misuse. Responsibilities include facilitating referrals to care, leading group sessions, and collaborating with community partners to reduce health disparities.
Casa Esperanza is currently seeking Bilingual Community Health Worker who is passionate about public health and understands the impact social determinants of health have on a person’s ability to recover. The Bilingual Community Health Worker will be a part of Casa’s new PALS: Promotores Amplificando La Sabidura initiative focused on reducing rates of drug overdose deaths and suicide in a social and community context. PALS is an innovative Promotores Model collaborative that incorporates culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible Community Health Workers into a trauma-informed continuum of care to build the capacity of Latines to address health quality problems in their communities. The PALS Bilingual Community Health Worker will address health equity and access to health for Latines struggling with mental health and substance misuse using strategies that combine innovative outreach service delivery models and community engagement. Outreach strategies and action plans are oriented towards the completion of pre-established objectives and involve many cross-sectoral collaborations with internal organizational partners and external partners in the community.
Work with Promotores Project Manager to develop and implement an outreach and community mapping strategy for reaching at-risk Latines. Conduct weekly outreach to individuals in hotspot locations to educate and support individuals in varying stages of recovery and assist with referrals for food, clothing, shelter, detoxification, and/or medical services. Deliver educational presentations to community groups, and events regarding signs of substance abuse and mental illness; recovery resources; medical consequences of addictions and medically assisted treatments; and available family support resources. Provide bilingual health education services to promote engagement in healthy activities. Provides peer health education through health education records and home visits to assess client needs and concerns as they relate to their family, their community, and their health. Provide supported referrals to Casa's Continuum of Care, including Outpatient, ATS/CSS, OBAT, and Residential Treatment. Collaborate with community partners on outreach and infection control strategies. Plans and leads group sessions and discussions on assigned health topics. Makes referrals to family support, health, and social service agencies in the area, and follows up with individuals to ensure they receive needed services. Reduces stigma and other barriers to initiating or continuing health care by providing good information to both community members and health care providers. Develops relationships with local health care and social service providers to facilitate information sharing and service provision. Represent the agency by providing education and participating in Boston community health events.
Maintain all client records and necessary reports within Casa’s Electronic Health Record, Evolv. Participate in weekly clinical meetings and multidisciplinary team meetings. Actively participates in, and successfully complete, trainings provided by Casa and other agencies. Biweekly supervision with Program Coordinator. Assist in all reporting as required by Program Coordinator. Other duties as required.
Knowledge of the local healthcare system and community resources. Must be available to work weekends and evenings, as needed. Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team. Experience doing outreach to individuals at risk for addiction, mental illness, trauma, and violence. Crisis management skills. Ability to provide education, service planning, and health navigation. Knowledge of care coordination and community resources. Familiarity with substance use field including motivational counseling, cognitive behavioral theory, AA/NA 12-step philosophy, and stages of change theory. Knowledge of co-occurring disorders. Strong interpersonal and organizational skills. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Computer skills, minimum Microsoft Word. Experience in group facilitation. Awareness of the intersection of culture, addiction, mental illness, trauma, health, and homelessness. Ability to meet the physical and training requirements of the position. Experience required/preferred for the position: Bilingual English/Spanish required. Two years’ experience in community-based outreach. Education/Training required: Bachelor’s degree or three years of relevant work experience, or lived experience Have either a Community Health Worker (CHW) certification or a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC), or willingness to acquire one within one year of employment Knowledge of SUD and mental health treatment, the recovery process and resources, supported employment and/or vocational and education services, housing supports, and HIV services Experience doing outreach and engagement with individuals with a history of or at risk for justice involvement, HIV, addiction, mental illness, trauma and violence Able to work weekends and evenings, as needed Familiar with social, health and cultural issues specific to the Latine population Ability to work as a team member and independently Solid knowledge of community resources and effective teaching/coaching skills. Understanding of harm reduction principles and techniques Strong verbal and written communication skills Strong interpersonal skills and crisis management skills Be in good standing with their board of professional licensure, as applicable. Computer skills, minimum Microsoft Word A valid Massachusetts driver’s license is required. A clear DMV driving record is also required. Work Type: On-Site, Full-Time Work Schedule: Day shift—Monday to Friday, with flexibility to cover shifts between 8am to 8pm & Weekends Supervisory Responsibilities: None
Casa Esperanza Benefits Package: Compensation: $22.00 - 24.00 per hour Holiday Pay (12 days per year + 1 floating holiday) Paid Time Off (PTO)—18 days year one, 20.5 days at year 2, 23 days at year 5 Sick Pay—10 paid days per year Long/Short-Term Disability Paid by Company Life Insurance Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision) Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) FSA/DCA (Flexible Spending Account & Dependent Care) ComPsych Guidance Resources - EAP Educational Opportunities Tuition Remission Employee Ticket at Work (Discounts for Entertainment, travel, movies; etc.) Career Advancement Opportunities Increased Salary for Credentials and more.... Physical & Mental Requirements While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. At Casa Esperanza, Inc., the health and safety of our people is our number one priority. That’s why all offers of employment are contingent on the candidate showing proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19(currently one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and boosted, when eligible) to pass the pre-employment requirements. Individuals with medical issues or religious beliefs that prevent them from getting the vaccine may request an exemption from the vaccine requirement. Casa Esperanza’s EEO Statement Casa Esperanza, Inc. values its diverse workplace and encourages women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, older members of society, and others from minority groups and diverse backgrounds to apply. We recruit, hire, employ, train, promote, and compensate individuals based on job-related qualifications and abilities. Casa Esperanza, Inc., also has a longstanding policy of providing a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of each individual and is free from all forms of employment discrimination, including harassment, because of race, color, sex, gender, age, religion or religious creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. All employees, interns, volunteers, and contractors of Casa Esperanza, Inc. are responsible for maintaining a work culture free from discrimination and harassment by treating others with kindness and respect. Casa Esperanza, Inc. also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief, in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about an accommodation or need assistance with completing the application process, please email hr@casaesperanza.org.
Candidates must be bilingual in English and Spanish with two years of community outreach experience and a bachelor's degree or equivalent lived experience. A Community Health Worker or LADC certification is required or must be obtained within one year of employment.
Market context
Community Health Worker roles in Massachusetts are often tied to care coordination, outreach, and support for patients navigating social and health services, so demand tends to follow organizations focused on community-based care. These positions can be competitive because employers look for strong communication, comfort with Microsoft Office and Electronic Medical Records, plus BLS certification and a plan to complete CHW core competency training within two years. Before applying, review the summarized requirements and benefits here—pulled from the original job description to save research time—and be ready to show examples of patient support, documentation, and teamwork.
