Senior Community Health Worker Peer (CHWP) at Healing Hurt People (HHP)

Senior Community Health Worker Peer (CHWP) at Healing Hurt People (HHP)

Apply now Job no: 502540
Work type: Full-Time
Location: Center City - Philadelphia, PA
Categories: Drexel University, Dornsife School of Public Health

Job Summary

Healing Hurt People, a program of the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice (CNSJ) at Drexel University's School of Public Health, is looking for a Senior Community Health Worker Peer (CHWP) to join its team. The Senior CHWP position reports to the Peer and Case Management Services Supervisor. Healing Hurt People (HHP) is a hospital and community-based violence intervention program (VIP) serving children (ages 8 to 17) and young adults (ages 18 to 35) victims and witnesses of interpersonal violence. HHP, part of Drexel University's Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice (CNSJ), provides trauma-focused therapy, case management, and peer support to its participants and their families.
HHP implements an assertive outreach component to engage violently injured youth outside of the traditional clinic setting. For hospital referrals (St Christopher’s Hospital for Children) the Senior CHWP will attempt to conduct bedside visits whenever possible after receiving a warm handoff from hospital staff. The Senior CHWP will lead efforts to engage violently injured youth in trauma-specific and culturally sensitive mental health services through bedside visits, follow-up calls, and home/community outreach after discharge. HHP has established partnerships with several schools, including Roxborough High School and New Foundations Charter School. School staff identify students who have been impacted by violence and make referrals to HHP The Senior CHWP provides follow-up calls, visits to the school or home to meet and assess the affected student. HHP also conducts similar extensive outreach with other community-based organizations who serve high volumes of violently injured youth.

The Senior CHWP will use evidence-based Motivational Interviewing (MI) skills and peer support to help build the rapport and trust that is necessary to engage these historically underserved communities.
For those who become HHP participants, the Senior CHWP is responsible for providing case management and peer support, linkages to community supports and resources, support around health and social services navigation, engagement with the participant's family members or natural supports when possible, and facilitation of trauma-informed groups. The Senior CHWP works closely with the Community Intervention Specialists (CIS), conducting joint sessions as needed.
The Senior CHWP position requires the ability to engage with children, youth, and their caregivers in the immediate aftermath of a potentially traumatic event (violent injury). CHWP are trained to conduct trauma-informed visits and model effective ways of engaging with resources to support healing. This job requires a significant amount of community-based work, and a willingness to engage with a diverse range of neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

Essential Functions

Engagement and Peer Support: The Senior CHWP will support efforts to outreach to and engage the potential participants of the HHP program. For those who become HHP participants, the Senior CHWP will provide trauma-informed peer support, which includes empowerment, modeling, and transferring of skills (i.e., emotional regulation; assertive communication; educational, and vocational). The Senior CHWP will carry a caseload of approximately 15-20 individuals, emphasizing serving young people of color impacted by violence. Inclusion of family and other natural supports of HHP participants is an essential component of this position.

Case Management: The Senior CHWP will be expected to become highly proficient at providing case management to HHP participants. Case management tasks will include scheduling and accompanying participants to appointments (medical, education, employment, legal, benefits, health/fitness) serving their recovery and wellness. The Senior CHWP will also serve as a role model in these settings, providing support and assistance in system navigation, managing travel, and setting personal goals. The Senior CHWP will also offer ongoing advocacy around HHP participants' unmet case management needs.

Structured therapeutic groups: The Senior CHWP and other HHP members will coordinate and implement CYPHER (Community of Young People Healing, Experiencing, and Rebuilding) groups, a culturally relevant group intervention based closely on the evidence informed S.E.L.F. (Safety, Emotions, Loss, Future) trauma recovery groups, which have proven effective in mitigating the effects of trauma. These concepts are interwoven with trauma education and coping skills related to a group member's current injury and their lifetime adversity.

Teamwork: Collaborate with staff within HHP and within the hospital system, including active and open communication with co-workers and the ability to take input and constructive feedback from team members, as well as provide it constructively and respectfully. The Senior CHWP should also be able to provide ongoing education to help non-peer team members better understand HHP's participants' unique experiences, perspectives, strengths, and needs.

Community Education/Engagement: The Senior CHWP will be available for community events and presentations with partner agencies and other entities for the purpose of networking and educating Philadelphia citizens and professionals about HHP and trauma.

Documentation: All contact with hospital patients and HHP participants, as well as family and collateral services, must be documented within 48hrs in HHP's electronic health record system, following CBH's and Drexel's guidelines.

Coaching and Task Supervision of Healing-Centered Learning (HCL) Intern (12-week duration): HHP has agreed to be a host site for its sister program, the Healing Centered Learning, certified Community Health Worker/Certified Peer Specialist interns. The interns will be at HHP for ten weeks, starting January 2024. Each intern will be assigned to a community health worker peer (CHWP), who will fulfill the following duties for those ten weeks:
• Planning meetings with CHWP Supervisor and HCL Leadership during the two weeks prior to the internship start date.
• Orient 1 Healing Centered Learning (HCL) Trainee to HHP's hospital-based work, including referrals and bedside visits to children and adults.
• Provide the HCL trainee shadowing opportunities during outreach to violently injured people, including in-home and community-based, office-based, and telehealth settings.
• Introduce the HCL Intern to the CYPHER (Community of Young People Healing, Experiencing, and Rebuilding) group and allow them to shadow CYPHER groups.
• Meet the HCL trainee twice weekly for 30-45m to guide internship duties, develop a weekly schedule, and provide feedback on the intern's performance at HHP.
• Assist HCL Leadership with evaluating HCL's Internship experience and the feasibility of repeating this partnership between HHP and HCL.

Support of Healing Centered Learning Training Activities:
• Facilitate or co-facilitate identified lessons for HCL trainees as requested by HCL staff
• Support HCL staff with other training activities such as workshops and panel discussions for students in the training academy.

Onboarding New CHWP’s :
- Senior CHWP will help implement a 30-day shadowing / training period for new staff being onboarded in collaboration with the support of Peer Services and Case Management Supervisor.

Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma or G.E.D. required (bachelor’s degree preferred).
• Minimum of 3 years' experience providing peer services to violently injured people.
• Pennsylvania’s Peer Specialist Certification is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to carry a caseload of 15-20 participants and meet weekly productivity requirements
• Ability to embrace a team approach to service provision.
• Punctuality and reliability regarding task completion and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to complete all required documentation following funders’ rules and regulations.
• Respect for HHP's participant's rights and responsibilities and demonstration of professional boundaries and ethics across all interactions.
• Willingness to encourage and inspire others to make positive changes and find alternatives to acting out violently through support, modeling, and coaching
• Experience facilitating groups is required
• Dependable and reliable around both client care and administrative duties
• Must be able to present self and program in a professional manner and with high integrity.
• Ability to receive constructive criticism focused on professional growth and collaborate with supervisor to develop an action plan.
• Direct experience as a participant in the H.H.P. program or other violence intervention program is preferred.
• Personal experience in overcoming violence-related injury, either to themselves or someone close to them, is preferred.
• Ability to work evening hours at least two times per week as needed.
• Proficiency with Microsoft office is preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Typically sitting at a desk/table
• Typically bending, crouching, stooping
• Typically standing, walking
• Lifting demands ≤ 25lbs

Location

• Center City – Philadelphia, PA

Additional Information

This position is classified as Exempt, grade I. Compensation for this grade ranges from Minimum: $ 41,120.00 to Maximum: $ 61,680.00 per year. Please note that the offered rate for this position typically aligns with the minimum to midrange of this grade, but it can vary based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience, department budget, and an internal equity review. 

We encourage you to explore Drexel's Professional Staff salary structure and Compensation Guidelines & Policies for more details on our compensation framework.

You can also find valuable information about our benefits in the Benefits Brochure .

Special Instructions to the Applicant

Please make sure you upload your CV/resume and cover letter when submitting your application.

Review of applicants will begin once a suitable candidate pool is identified.

Advertised: Jan 25 2024 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close: Feb 25 2024 Eastern Standard Time

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