Community Health Worker

About the role

• Job Posting Title: Community Health Worker
• Hiring Department: Department of Women's Health
• Position Open To: All Applicants
• Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40
• FLSA Status: Non-Exempt from FLSA
• Earliest Start Date: Immediately
• Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until Jun 30, 2030
• Location: AUSTIN, TX

Job Details

Purpose

The Community Health Worker (CHW) serves as a trusted liaison between the healthcare system and the community, helping participants navigate complex medical and social systems to improve health outcomes.

Working under the supervision of the Department of Women's Health Director of Research, the CHW collaborates closely with research coordinators, nurses, physicians, principal investigators, stakeholders, and other medical staff throughout the study.

The CHW will work directly with postpartum mothers participating in a research project within the Department of Women's Health, providing ongoing support and serving as a key point of contact between participants and the research team. CHWs conduct outreach, provide health education, support care plan adherence, and connect postpartum mothers to vital resources such as housing, food, and transportation.

They play a critical role in reducing health disparities, improving access to care for underserved populations, and supporting the successful implementation of research initiatives.

Responsibilities

Conducts Outreach and Engagement

• Builds trusting relationships with research participants and families.
• Educates participants on available health and social services.
• Screen for social needs within research participants and identify barriers to health and wellbeing.
• Develop ongoing, trusting relationships with postpartum mothers through regular communication.
• Provide culturally responsive support tailored to individual needs and circumstances.
• Promotes preventive care and wellness programs.
• Encourages participation in chronic disease management programs.
• Partners with research coordinators to model effective participant engagement strategies and trains study staff in relationship-centered, culturally responsive approaches to participant outreach and retention.

Navigates Health and Social Systems

• Assists participants in accessing medical, behavioral, and social services.
• Helps complete applications for insurance, housing, and food assistance.
• Coordinates with internal departments and external agencies.
• Tracks referrals and ensures service completion.
• Develops and maintains resource navigation workflows that can be implemented by research coordinators and study teams.
• Creates and standardizes referral tracking, follow-up procedures, and escalation pathways for participant needs that extend beyond the research team's scope.
• Supports the development of site-specific implementation guides that enable replication of resource navigation processes across multiple study locations.

Provides Health Education and Coaching

• Provides health education tailored to individuals' backgrounds and needs.
• Supports behavior change through motivational interviewing.
• Reinforces care team instructions and treatment plans.
• Assists with medication adherence and appointment follow-ups.
• Trains research coordinators to deliver consistent health education and reinforce study-related resources using evidence-based and culturally responsive communication techniques.

Documents and Reports Participant Interactions

• Maintains accurate and timely documentation in RedCap.
• Collects and reports data for quality and performance metrics.
• Communicates participant progress and barriers to the research and care team.
• Protects participant confidentiality and complies with HIPAA.
• Documents lessons learned, implantation barriers, and successful strategies to inform replication of the intervention at future sites.

Supports Community-Based Initiatives

• Collaborates with community partners and coalitions.
• Identifies community needs and advocates for resources.
• Assists in program evaluation and improvement efforts.
• Promotes health equity and community-informed responsiveness.

Participates in Training and Development

• Completes required CHW continuing education.
• Attends team meetings and in-service trainings.
• Shares best practices and lessons learned.
• Stays current on community resources and health topics.
• Supports continuous quality improvement by evaluating implementation processes and refining training, workflow diagrams, and operational procedures based on study findings and participant needs.

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma/GED
• At least 1 year(s) of experience in community outreach, health education, or social services.
• Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Certified Community Health Worker (CHW) credential (or obtained within 6 months of hire).

Relevant education may substitute for experience on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate's Degree in Public Health, Social Work, or related field
• At least 2 year(s) of experience in a healthcare or community-based setting.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish or other prevalent community language.
• CPR certification.
• Valid Texas driver's license and reliable transportation.
• Certification in motivational interviewing or trauma-informed care.

SALARY RANGE $42,598 + depending on qualifications

According to Executive Order No. GA-48 of the State of Texas: for all positions that research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Section 117.001(2), Business and Commerce Code, it is required that both candidates for employment and employees have the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure.

Working Environment/equipment

• Standard office equipment.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard.
• May be exposed to such occupational hazards as communicable diseases, blood borne pathogens, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, hazardous medications and disoriented or combative patients, or others.
• May work evenings or weekends for outreach events.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Additional information

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply.

This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

Employment Eligibility

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Pay Transparency

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.