Careers

Description:

The Community Health Educator II (CHE) works in community-based partnerships to implement evidence-informed practices that address the cancer burden among AI/AN communities throughout Washington State. The CHE serves as a critical link among Consortium researchers and staff, Tribal and urban Indian communities, and Tribal organizations, and must have demonstrated knowledge of Tribal Sovereignty, governance, and community norms. The CHE supports outreach and engagement, program implementation, health education, and patient navigation across OCOE and the U19 CANOE Partnership to promote prevention, early detection, and access to care.

Scope of Responsibilities:

The Community Health Educator (CHE) for Indigenous Populations will report to the Project Manager for ICHE-i. The CHE will support Consortium work that addresses the cancer burden in the area we serve, including efforts to reduce cancer health disparities that disproportionately affect AI/AN populations and ensure that community voice is heard and brought to the OCOE on a regular and continuing basis. The CHE will support work across the OCOE and the U19 CANOE Partnership, including the SACRED LUNGS Research Project, and will facilitate partnerships among Consortium researchers, OCOE staff, and Tribes and/or urban Indian communities on collaborative projects related to cancer outreach, education, navigation, and disparities reduction. The position will require local and regional travel throughout Western Washington, occasional travel to Eastern Washington, and occasional out-of-state travel for conferences. This includes regular local travel to Tribal clinics within the South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency (SPIPA) consortium Tribes, approximately two to three days per week, to conduct patient navigation activities and support implementation of the SACRED LUNGS Project. Time spent on duties may vary depending on the time of year and local priorities.

Essential Duties:

SACRED LUNGS Research Project: Patient Navigation & Coordination (50%)

• Conduct eligibility for lung cancer screening among individuals identified as high risk for lung cancer and navigate those eligible to appropriate cancer screening services.  
• Provide logistical support and address patient concerns related to parking, directions, transportation, co-pays, insurance coverage, and other navigation needs.
• Refer patients to commercial tobacco cessation treatment resources and complete patient notes and medical record documentation in a timely manner.
• Document navigation activities, track patient progress in study databases, and contribute to required reporting for clinical and research purposes.
• Attend and participate in SACRED LUNGS Research Project, care coordination, and community meetings as needed to support project implementation, cross-team communication, and engagement with Tribal partners.

Partnership Engagement (25%)

• Practice community-based participatory research principles in community engagement and interactions.
• Develop, facilitate, and maintain academic, research, Tribal and urban Indian community partnerships to implement cancer control strategies as a representative of the OCOE and Consortium.
• Coordinate, plan, and participate in events, including community workshops, OCOE signature events, and health fairs.
• Lead and participate in external committees and coalitions related to addressing cancer health outcomes among Indigenous communities.
• Travel for events and meetings with partner organizations.

Community Outreach & Education (15%)

• Create content for culturally appropriate materials and products (i.e., study brochures, curricula, and educational materials) based on principles and methods of health education and promotion.
• Coordinate projects with academic, research, community, local government, regional, and Tribal partners to implement cancer control and education strategies.
• Conduct regular needs assessments, interviews, program evaluations, strategic plans, qualitative and quantitative evaluations, and reports to recommend improvements and demonstrate best practices for OCOE programming.
• Recruit underrepresented populations in Consortium research and conduct qualitative interviews and reports.

Knowledge & Communications (10%)

• Practice and demonstrate cultural humility with diverse populations that OCOE and ICHE-i engages with.
• Demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills for development of materials and presentations.
• Develop training materials with OCOE team for in-reach and outreach.
• Facilitate and participate in regular staff meetings.
• Report progress on education and engagement work in OCOE database.
• Oversee the work of volunteers and interns as needed.

Skills/Eligibility:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree with major study in public health, community health education, or closely allied field; OR an Associate’s degree with at least two years of professional experience in public health, disease prevention, health promotion, or a related area; OR four years of relevant professional experience.
• One year of work experience in a clinical setting.
• Valid WA State driver’s license.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a multidisciplinary healthcare team
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience working with rural communities.
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience working with Tribes and urban Indian communities.
• Working knowledge of healthcare resources and networks in rural counties of WA State.
• Experience conducting trainings and/or making group presentations.
• Experience with principles and methods of health education/promotion, program coordination and evaluation.
• Experience in planning, developing and implementing public health interventions (i.e. public awareness and social marketing campaigns).
• Experience working in collaborative public health initiatives involving multiple stakeholders. Experience with community engagement.
• Experience with relationship and coalition building.
• Must be culturally aware, demonstrate cultural humility, and sensitive to diverse populations in the Consortium’s catchment area.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Understanding of provision of Tribal health services, including Indian Health Service, Contracted Health Services, and urban Indian clinical services.
• Demonstrated experience working with communities who face significant barriers to achieving good health.
• In-depth knowledge of health and social issues facing Indigenous populations.
• Ability to manage relationships effectively and build collaborative partnerships.
• Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally in both verbal and written form.
• Ability to communicate information in a culturally appropriate, respectful manner to a variety of audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Knowledge with principles and methods of health education/promotion, program planning and evaluation.
• Demonstrated experience working in collaborative public health initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrated high level of service delivery to internal and external partners.
• Fluency in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.)