Do you enjoy working with people?   Have a heart for health and social justice? Looking to step into a role in Public Health and make a difference in the lives of others? Seattle-King County Public Health is seeking Community Health Outreach Workers (CHWs) for our COVID-19 Response Health Engagement Access Resource Team (HEART).  This job is with the HEART service site visiting team. 
 
 Public Health – Seattle and King County values diverse perspectives and life experiences.  The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and veterans. We are committed to eliminating racism in King County by working with directly with Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) for COVID-19 testing. This recruitment will be used to fill 5-10 positions

Commitment To Equity And Social Justice: As the only Public Health jurisdiction in the world named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.
 
We have a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies and policies that promote fairness, justice and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from vulnerable communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.
 
Applicants should be committed to working with diverse populations throughout King County to provide excellent customer service to a broad range of cultures, in accordance with the King County. Equity and Social Justice Ordinance and the King County Strategic Plan.

HEART service site visiting team:  visits shelters, supportive housing and other service sites. The team aims to engage people in health education and disease mitigation via a trauma-informed and harm reduction approach. The CHW on this team   will work with a nurse and members of Environmental Health Services.  The CHW will go out on site visits with team members to find out what assistance the sites may need to reduce the risk of COVID -19 infection.  The CHW will to assist the staff and clients of those places to put into practice recommendations suggested by the team. Such recommendations include hand hygiene, mask use, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection. The CHW will assist sites in enhancing staff and resident behaviors that help reduce the spread of infection by providing educational opportunities and materials and communicate in a professional and empathetic manner.

• Present a friendly face of Public Health to help support communities’ access to testing and vaccination efforts.
• Assist in building relationships with people who may have trust issues with the health care system.
• Participate in required trainings and staff meetings. 
• Maintain the privacy and security of sensitive and confidential information in all formats, including verbal, written and electronic, and ability to adhere to policies and procedures related to local, state, and federal privacy requirements.
•  Maintain daily contact with supervisor or team leader. 
• Attend site visits with team Nursing Staff and/or Environmental Services Staff
• Work to create trusting relationships with site management and staff at shelters and other sites that serve people who are homeless.
• With team staff and site staff work to create or enhance site’s infection risk reduction plan, focusing on site strengths.
• Carry out plan independently or with team staff.
• Share visit outcomes with team and supervisor. 
• Make visits to sites across King County independently or with team staff to carry out plan, support enhanced infection control efforts, identify any barriers, evaluate progress.
• Perform other duties as required.

• Knowledge or willingness to learn about services for people who are or who have been living homeless.
• Ability to apply concepts of harm reduction, trauma-informed care and equity & social justice principles to outreach work.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively verbally with people of differing cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Willingness to learn and teach the basics of infection control in general, and specifics about how to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19. 
• Willingness to work in environments (such as shelters or any site that serves people experiencing homelessness where people may be experiencing mental health crisis.
• Willingness to work in environments where people may be using substances.
• Ability to work with a team that includes staff from various agencies.
• Ability to work in an unstructured environment, independently manage time, handle a variety of tasks, and take direction from a team leader. 
• Personal flexibility, a sense of humor and the ability to accept feedback while working with a highly collaborative team.
• Willingness to use PPE, including wearing a mask and face shield as needed. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills required and ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse individuals during a time of crisis and distress. 
• Customer service, health care, or education skills or experience. 
• Basic computer skills.
• Ability to handle confidential and medically sensitive information with discretion and professionalism. 
• Ability to exhibit a professional, positive attitude and work ethic. 
• Situational awareness and sound judgment. 
• Ability to show empathy to distressed individuals. 

• Lived experience with housing instability, homelessness
• Awareness and knowledge of resources in King County related to social and health resources. 
• Demonstrated problem-solving and trouble-shooting experience. 
• Skilled in relating to and working with clients from various cultures, racial and social and economic status. 
• Experience as a Promotora, Community Health Worker, Navigator, or Community Organizer.
• Experience providing health education/ outreach to individuals who are living homeless 
• Ability to speak any of these languages: Spanish, Amharic, Tigrinya, Somali
• Bicultural or multicultural background
• Current CPR certification or willing to be trained.
• Valid Washington State Driver’s License.

Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers. 

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play. 

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact your recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Work Schedule and Location: This position is full-time.  Weekend and evening may be required, and some local travel throughout the county to community sites will be required. Home site is King County Chinook Building in Seattle, WA.

Union Affiliation: Protec Local 17. 
For information about the application process, please contact Nic Horea, Senior Human Resource Analyst at nicolae.horea@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-8736.