Community Health Worker - University Health Network, Toronto

About this opportunity

The University Health Network (UHN) is dedicated to advancing health equity and fostering a culturally safe environment for structurally marginalized individuals. This commitment extends to educating future health care providers on the critical importance of health equity.

This Community Health Worker position is integral to the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine, which actively works alongside community organizations, UHN clinicians, and persons with lived experience. The Centre's mission is to co-design, evaluate, and scale innovative data-driven programs that lead to better health outcomes, specifically targeting health inequities.

Applying a social determinants of health approach, the Social Medicine and Population Health Program aims to bridge health services with the broader social environment for UHN’s most medically and socially complex patients. As a Community Health Worker, you will collaborate with clinicians and Peer Workers to develop comprehensive plans addressing individual clients’ social and other needs, providing direct 1:1 support within UHN and community settings.

What you'll do

As a Community Health Worker, you will play a vital role in supporting marginalized clients and UHN Social Medicine programs. Your responsibilities will include:

• Completing assessments of social issues and interventions in order to facilitate outpatients to continue to live in their community as well as supporting inpatients transitioning from the hospital back to the community
• Educating patients/families/support persons and hospital staff, on a consultation basis
• Facilitate engagement of Social Medicine patients and housing initiative tenants in health and social care services to promote wellbeing, stability, and positive outcomes
• Regarding financial resources available (both in the community and privately), assisting in accessing government, charitable and private resources, support services, such as housing and transportation
• Advocating at organizational and community levels on behalf of patients/families/support person in accessing resources appropriate to their needs, including document replacement, citizenship and health coverage
• Assisting with application forms and letter writing (e.g. TDP, ODSP, EI, CPP-D, WheelTrans, Immigration Visa), food assistance and employment support
• Performs cross-functional and/or other duties consistent with the job classification, as assigned or requested

Skills and experience

To excel as a Community Health Worker at UHN, candidates should possess a blend of educational background, practical experience, and essential soft skills. We particularly encourage applications from individuals with lived experience of structural marginalization, including homelessness or substance use.

• At minimum, completion of a bachelors degree in a relevant health or social work field, or recognized equivalent of lived or work experience
• Registered Social Service Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, if applicable
• Minimum 2 years of practical and related experience and/or 1-year on-the-job training required
• Strong knowledge of, and familiarity with, community resources to address the social determinants of health, including housing, poverty, and food insecurity
• Experience working in a supportive housing environment
• Dynamic knowledge of community engagement principles
• Experience with the provision of trauma-informed care and anti-racist, anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive practices
• 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
• Proven ability to work as a team member and independently
• Ability to have and use diplomacy and tact at all times
• Strong understanding of acute care setting and ability to navigate hospital systems an asset