Community Health Worker

Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County

Community Health Worker

NON-EXEMPT

Annualized Salary $56,160-$60,320 DOE

About Us:

Come join Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County! We are the first food bank in the State of California, and the second in the nation. We pride ourselves in providing 10 million pounds of food annually to over 65,000 people per month through our network of 150-member agencies and programs. We believe that a thriving community is one where everyone has access to nutritious food to support their health and wellbeing. Our team is dedicated to inspiring and supporting our community to provide nourishment for all community members.

Second Harvest seeks to attract and retain a diverse workforce that brings a broad range of perspectives and experiences to our work. We value lived experience alongside learned experience and we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our qualifications. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, including applicants with a criminal history.

About the position:

Community Health Workers (CHWs) serve as crucial guides – connecting community members to services that address chronic health conditions, preventive health care needs, and health-related social needs. CHWs provide outreach and education to the community, assisting community members to address the obstacles that are contributing to their food insecurity, by supporting them with health care navigation, connecting them to third-party services to support with issues such as housing or financial education, and social service/resource applications and referrals for programs such as Calfresh, CalWORKS, and Medi-Cal.

REPORTS TO: Wellness & Nutrition Director

SUPERVISES: N/A

JOB SUMMARY:

Outreach & Care Coordination (45%)

• Engage, motivate, and advocate community members to build knowledge and skills for self- directed change and community development.

• Conduct telephonic, virtual and face-to-face outreach to assess social determinants of health affecting patient wellbeing.

• Build and maintain collaborative and positive relationships with community and clinic partners and staff.

• Provide information and referrals to community resources necessary to improve health or address health-related social needs. Including, but not limited to, food and nutrition, housing security, economic support, and legal services.

• Conduct patient-centered health coaching and education programs throughout the continuum of care aimed at enhancing health outcomes.

• Assist patients in accessing health-related services and community resources, such as appointments and assistance with enrollment forms.

• Help patients connect with transportation resources and provide appointment reminders in special circumstances.

• Build trusting relationships with community members using trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and harm-reduction approaches.

• Provide interpreter services in the field to assist with the coordination of care.

• Follow-up with patients/families to ensure proper and timely follow-up care with health care providers or service referrals.

• Assesses additional needs and facilitates referrals and enrollment in other supportive services.

Case Management (35%)

• Collect data and information as required by program processes.

• Report on program implementation, data of individuals receiving assistance, and client stories sharing highlights, challenges, and recommendations.

• Relay community feedback to healthcare providers to improve service delivery.

• Assist in data collection and data entry.

• Assist with outreach events and cooking club demonstrations.

• Effectively communicating SHFB's mission and vision.

Neighborhood Distribution Program Site (20% of the time)

• Manage operations and logistics at the community food distributions located throughout Santa Cruz County, ensuring a positive distribution experience for participants.

• Receive orders at the site, unload, sort, and place items on tables for distribution to participants.

• Ensure that all stock and inventory items are maintained per all applicable policies and procedures.

• Maintain proper USDA recordkeeping of participants receiving food; including accurate data collection to track participant numbers, inventory levels, and required demographic data.

• Build community and relationships with participants, connecting to common values.

• Communicate any program-site-related issues to the Supervisor and/or Programs team to collaborate on solutions.

• As needed, collect additional data (demographics, participant, or volunteer surveys) at the site to contribute to shared knowledge.

• Take the lead on the Community Needs Assessment activities to better understand community needs and perceptions, and better inform them of what the team can do to attract more participants.

Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

• Community Health Worker certification required.

• Experience in the healthcare field, as a CHW or in a similar role, preferred.

• Experience working in community settings, particularly with underserved populations.

Knowledge & skills:

• Knowledge of community resources and social services.

• Medical terminology and/or background preferred.

• High degree of flexibility, ability to multitask, and meet strict deadlines.

• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality of information.

• Demonstrate respect, concern, and empathy for the needs of participants/clients.

• Outgoing, punctual, professional self-starter who enjoys being part of a team that thrives on helping others to support local healthcare delivery.

• Cooperative attitude and willingness to learn.

• Ability to communicate respectfully with people from different racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, and from diverse backgrounds and lifestyles; sensitivity and understanding of diverse socio-economic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of residents in the community-at-large.

• Strong organizational skills that reflect the ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail.

• Ability to organize work, set priorities, exercise independent judgment, and to demonstrate flexibility in balancing the needs of various programs and staff.

• Strong computer skills, including spreadsheet and word processing to generate files and manipulate data, utilize spreadsheet and word processing tools.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Bilingual English/Spanish required. Bicultural strongly preferred.

• Must be able to work evenings and some weekends in order to best reach the community.

• Must have access to a motor vehicle, as well as valid auto insurance coverage, for occasional driving on the job

• Must have valid California Driver’s License and a satisfactory driving record, as documented by a current MVR (will be obtained by the Food Bank’s insurance carrier)

• It is the responsibility of all SHFB personnel to participate in our Food Safety/Food Defense programs.

• In instances of a federal, state or locally declared emergency, Second Harvest is typically considered an essential service and emergency responder; all of its employees may be called in to perform regular or emergent duties.

• Demonstrate full adherence to the Code of Conduct and all policies/procedures related to compliance.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to meet the following physical requirements with or without reasonable accommodation:

  • Able to hear conversations on the phone and in-person.

  • Must be able to sit at a desk or in a vehicle for long periods of time to perform certain job functions.

  • Be able to read, write, and interpret written reports, documents and manuals.

  • Able to safely lift or carry items weighing up to 20 pounds.

  • Bi-manual dexterity and able to use a computer keyboard.

  • Frequent standing and sitting throughout the day.

  • Occasional work in outdoor weather conditions.

  • Use hands to manipulate, handle, feel, and control items or equipment, including laptop computer and motor vehicle.

  • Climb up or down stairs.

Travel Requirements: this job requires regular local travel (60%) within Santa Cruz County.

Job Details: This is a full-time, regular, non-exempt position with an hourly rate of $27.00-$29.00, depending on education and experience. Hours are most commonly Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, however, occasional weekend and evening work may be required.

WORKSITE: 800 Ohlone Parkway, Watsonville, CA 95076

WORK FROM HOME: Not Eligible

Benefits: We offer competitive salaries and benefits and a rewarding work environment.

PAID TIME OFF: new hires accrue three weeks of vacation time in their first year of service, in addition to 10 paid company holidays and 12 sick days per year.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS:

• 4 Gold-rated medical plans: employer covered at 90%-80% depending on the plan.

• 100% employer-paid benefits for employee Vision, Dental, Life, Long-Term Disability, Accidental Death & Dismemberment and Employee Assistance Program

• Employer subsidized vision and dental insurance for dependents.

• AFLAC supplemental plans

• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts

• Supplemental coverage on Life and AD&D plans

• Pet Insurance

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

• 403(b) Retirement Plan with generous employer contribution

• Tuition reimbursement program

To Apply: Please submit cover letter and resume by 12:00PM on 7/30/26 at www.thefoodbank.org/careers.

All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisor. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.

Second Harvest is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.