Community Health Workers (Two Positions)-Brooklyn, NY.

MRNY is hiring two Full Time Community Health Workers to work on an innovative community-hospital partnership project to improve asthma-based health outcomes for patients in Brooklyn. This unique project utilizes a community based approach to decrease rates of asthma in Bushwick, Brooklyn and its surrounding neighborhoods. This project is a collaboration between Make the Road New York and WyckoffHeightsMedicalCenter. The Community Health workers will be based out of Make the Road’s Bushwick office but will also spend time conducting home visits to the patients and working in collaboration with Wyckoff Heights Medical Center.

The Organization:

Make the Road New Yorkbuilds the power of Latino and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and survival services. Make the Road operates neighborhood-based community centers in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; and Brentwood, Long Island. With a membership of more than 10,000 low-income New Yorkers, Make the Road tackles the critical issues facing our community: workplace justice, tenants’ rights, immigrant civil rights, language-access, LGBTQ justice, public education, health care access, and immigration reform.

MRNY is a multi-service organization. Our Education Department offers ESOL, Spanish-language literacy, and computer literacy, and in-school and after-school youth programs. Our Community Organizing Projects help New Yorkers to implement strategies to combat shared problems, and develop leadership and the capacity for civic participation. And our Department of Legal & Support Services provides direct legal representation, case management, and facilitated enrollment into public health insurance programs, training, and strategic support for members and organizing campaigns. Our attorneys and advocates specialize in labor and employment law, public benefits, disability benefits, housing law, healthcare and health insurance access, immigration, public education, domestic violence, and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) civil rights issues.

Legal and Support Services at Make the Road NEW YORK:

The Department of Legal and Support Services at Make the Road New York works to strengthen Make the Road’s organizing work by (1) helping to envision and implement leverage strategies (including strategic litigation) that help win our organizing campaigns; (2) providing technical legal support for policy work; and (3) providing legal and support services to draw in new members and help meet the immediate needs of MRNY’s active members.

Current Opening:

The Community Health Worker (CHW) will be key in connecting and maintaining patients in asthma-related care. Working at Make the Road New York and in close coordination and partnership with WyckoffHeightsMedicalCenter, the CHW will:

• Conduct community outreach
• Conduct asthma home visits to patients in the program
• Screen for psychosocial and socioeconomic challenges that might affect the patients asthma and provide resources and referrals to address their specific needs
• Educate patients regarding proper medication usage techniques
• Review asthma action plans with each family in the program
• Maintain case files for each patient, including data from their most recent asthma clinical visit and detailing elements such as severity, control, as well as Asthma diary information (i.e. symptoms/medication use)
• Maintain contact with patients in the program and take steps to ensure they stay in care
• Maintain a database of patients in the program
• Conduct surveys (such as the Asthma Control Test) with community members
• Provide regular updates to WyckoffHeightsMedicalCenter and MRNY staff
• Attend scheduled staff meetings and trainings at Make the Road New York

• Work with other MRNY staff to envision and implement ways to support and mobilize MRNY members around health-related issues

• Work with MRNY’s health team to identify health issues of concern and develop strategy/carry out initiatives to solve systemic problems in the health system

Requirements:

• Must have graduated from a Community Health Worker Training Program
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is a must
• Ability to work in a fast paced, high-energy environment
• High level of accountability and initiative; needs to be a self-started and eager to do team work to support the organization as a whole
• Ability to work under pressure during deadlines
• Flexible work schedule, some evenings or weekends required
• Strong computer skills (web-based database, word processing, Excel, etc.)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Preferences:

• Experience conducting outreach
• Experience providing workshops/ community presentations
• Experience working in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic work environment
• A commitment to collective action and community organizing

Persons of color, persons with disabilities, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals are encouraged to apply. Make the Road is an equal opportunity employer.

Salary and Benefits:

Starting salary is based on a scale set by a democratically-elected personnel committee and will depend on factors such as experience and education. MRNY offers an excellent benefit package including health insurance, 401K, and generous paid vacation, sick, personal days and paid maternity / paternity leave.

Forward a cover letter and resume by email to[email protected] . Please write “Application for Community Health Worker” in the subject line, attach cover letter/resume AND include both in the body of the email. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or marital status