Job Posting #: 925940
Site: 750 Dundas West, Toronto ON M5G 2C4 and Mobile
Department: Social Medicine & Population Health Program
Reports to: Senior Manager, Program Operations & Strategy
Hours: 37.5
Salary: $79,903 - $99,879 annually: To commensurate with experience and consistent with UHN compensation policy
Status: Permanent Full-time
Posted Date: October 27, 2023
Closing Date: Until Filled
The University Health Network, where “above all else the needs of patients come first”, encompasses Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the Michener Institute of Education. The breadth of research, the complexity of the cases treated, and the magnitude of its educational enterprise has made UHN a national and international resource for patient care, research and education. With a long tradition of ground breaking firsts and a purpose of “Transforming lives and communities through excellence in care, discovery and learning”, the University Health Network (UHN), Canada’s largest research teaching hospital, brings together over 16,000 employees, more than 1,200 physicians, 8,000+ students, and many volunteers. UHN is a caring, creative place where amazing people are amazing the world.
Position Summary
The Community Health Worker will work at UHN and in community settings to provide direct 1:1 support to UHN's highest needs patients/clients through the collaborative coordination of health and social services. Patients/clients will be connected with Community Health Workers who will develop a comprehensive plan to address their medical and social needs, including navigation support, advocacy, and referral to community services.
In addition, the Community Health Worker will provide support to the UHN Social Medicine and Population Health Program to inform program development and role refinement; build, grow, strengthen and sustain relationships with community partners; and advocate for the needs of UHN's highest needs clients.
This position recognizes the University Health Network's commitment to health equity, to create a culturally safe institution for structurally marginalized people, and to educating future health care providers about health equity.
Duties
Support for UHN's most medically and socially complex patients/clients
- Finding appropriate community & clinical supports for individual clients
- Provide information, advocacy, supports, and coordination of health and social services, as well as strengthening and supporting the communication and connection between patients/clients, UHN, and community
- Participate in care coordination discussions and client debriefs as required
- Build trust with, and advocate, for patients/clients and family/significant others
- Build comprehensive care plan to address complex health and social needs, and facilitate ongoing connections to community services
- Follow up with clients and health care team to ensure relevance and desired impact of coordinated social and health care supports and refine care plan as needed
- Support the development of data collection and tracking initiatives to better understand the experiences and outcomes for medically and socially complex patients/clients and their families, and adhere to reporting mechanisms (workload statistics, volumes, referrals, types of needs identified, ,)
- Problem solve to overcome barriers, challenges, and/or needs of clients within an interdisciplinary team
Relationship Building
- Build, grow, strengthen, and sustain relationships with the community organizations
- Support the development and linkages of UHN institutional partners and the UHN Social Medicine Team
Program Development and Support
- Help to create a screening, intake, and referral process and recommend ways to increase awareness and access to Social Medicine supports
- Identify gaps or barriers to care for marginalized clients within existing departmental and organizational policies
- Support the development and/or revision of policies, procedures, and/or best practices targeted towards improving the wellbeing and safety of UHN's most medically and socially complex patients/clients
- Support the development, design, implementation and evaluation of the program, which is rooted in Health Equity.
- Participate in team meetings, conferences, debriefs, committees, events, workshops, , and provide administrative supports as required
- Assist with development, dissemination and posting of communication materials related to resources and supports for patients/clients with the highest needs, their families, and staff
Supports to staff and learners
- Act as a resource for staff regarding the needs of UHN's most medically and socially complex patients/clients, their families, and communities
- Provide monitoring, oversight, and advocacy related to the quality and equity of services being offered by providers, staff, and learners for highest needs patients/clients and their families
- Support access to educational opportunities related to heath equity, anti-racist, and anti- discriminatory practice and trauma-informed care
- Works in compliance of the Occupational Health & Safety Act and its regulations, reporting hazards, deficiencies, and contraventions of the Act, in a timely manner.
Performs cross-functional and/or other duties consistent with the job classification, as assigned or requested.
- Support the development of data collection and tracking initiatives to better understand the experiences and outcomes for patients/clients and their families, and adhere to reporting mechanisms (workload statistics, volumes, referrals, types of needs identified, etc.)
Works in compliance of the Occupational Health & Safety Act and its regulations, reporting hazards, deficiencies and contravention's of the Act, in a timely manner.
Qualification
- Completion of a 2 year college program or relevant health or social work filed or recognized equivalent of lived or work experience
- At minimum, 4 plus years practical and related experience, and/or on the job training
- CPR and First Aid certification required.
- Strong knowledge of, and familiarity with, community resources to address the social determinants of health, including housing, poverty, and food insecurity
- Dynamic knowledge of community engagement principles
- Experience with the provision of trauma-informed care and anti-racist, anti-discriminatory, anti- oppressive practices
- Strong understanding of acute care setting and ability to navigate hospital systems an asset
- Well-developed decision-making, problem-solving, and judgement skills
- Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
- Well-developed public speaking abilities
- Facilitation and/or teaching experience
- Experience in program development and implementation
- Experience in program evaluation and data collection
- Proven ability to work as a team member and independently
- Ability to have and use diplomacy and tact at all times
- Member in good standing with professional college (if applicable)
