Rhode to Equity Project
Care Transformation Collaborative
CHW Certification Required
Multilingual Preferred
February 1, 2022-September 30, 2022
$85/hour
Contractor Scope of Work for Lead Community Health Worker Consultant – Rhode to Equity project
February 1, 2022-September 30, 2022
- Introduction and Background
Community Health Workers as a partner in the Rhode to Equity (R2E) is an additional opportunity made available through the Rhode Island Department of Health’s (RIDOH) Associate Director’s Office within the Division of Community, Health and Equity (CHE). This opportunity has recently been made available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding opportunity, Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities (DP21-2109). This new funding opportunity is built on CDC’s vision that focused investments are needed to ameliorate health disparities of underserved communities who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Initiatives, such as the R2E, which promote health equity within the health care system and within communities where people live, learn, work and play, should be pursued and evaluated for effective and targeted systems change across sectors. Community Health Workers (CHW) are well-positioned to reach those communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. CHW interventions can improve uptake and access to health care services, improve communication between community members and health care providers, reduce the need for emergency and specialty services, and improve adherence to health recommendations. While CHW administered interventions have a demonstrated impact, barriers to increased intervention implementation exist, for example, lack of funding/reimbursement; insufficient community-clinical linkages. CHWs can improve access to COVID-19 related services and management of other underlying socio-economic and/or health conditions that increase risk of severe COVID-19 illness.
CDC has awarded funds to CHE to implement and evaluate the integral role of CHWs as a part of the six R2E teams. CHE has committed to utilizing CDC’s overarching strategies of TRAIN, DEPLOY and ENGAGE alongside the CHW as a part of the R2E framework to further amplify deeper relationships at the neighborhood level; understanding the barriers and levers to community change. CHWs are poised to support the six teams in deeply understanding why some communities continue to struggle with equity gaps. Through their trusted networks, CHWs will uncover who continues to experience gaps, work to close gaps and bring that knowledge back to the R2E teams. Assets will be built around the needs that CHWs uncover. Teams will have the autonomy to decide whether to expand their capacity with the addition of a CHW; or to recruit other CBO partners/CHWs to the table to further expand team membership and team assets. This expansion will significantly bolster team’s ability to invoke systemic change. Additionally, there will be subject matter expertise and evaluation provided through contracts with Well-Being and Equity in the World (WE Team) and Dawn Chorus Group. CHWs joining the R2E Teams will need to be assimilated into this ongoing work through 1-1 technical assistance provided by CTC-RI, the WE Team, and other consultants as needed.
Care Transformation Collaborative of RI (CTC-RI) is providing project management and facilitative support to the six R2E Teams using the Pathways to Population Health (P2PH) framework and the technical assistance of the WE Team to advance population health equity. CTC-RI is also providing project management to support the successful integration of CHWs onto the R2E teams via the new RIDOH CDC grant. This consultant will work directly with CTC-RI.
- Lead CHW Consultant Responsibilities
CTC-RI will contract with an individual or an organization (who identifies a specific staff member) to support meaningful inclusion of CHWs on the six R2E teams. This Consultant will work closely with the cohort of CHWs being brought onto R2E teams. These CHWs will come from different backgrounds and support different areas of focus (i.e. housing, food access). The Consultant will support CHWs on clinical teams, Community Health Teams as well as from HEZs and other community-based organizations. Each R2E team had funding available to support up to 3 CHWs. Therefore, this cohort will include up to 18 CHWs.
The Lead CHW Consultant will be responsible for:
- Participating in and supporting other CHWs in training around Pathways to Population Health construct and in the didactic components of the Rhode to Equity; work with the WE Team and Dawn Chorus Group to provide guidance on orientation efforts
- Supporting the CHWs with tailored technical assistance to increase their competence and confidence on Rhode to Equity deliverables and scope
- Identifying training needs among CHWs and work with CTC-RI,RIDOH and the Community Health Worker Association of RI (CHWARI) to develop training plans to build CHW capacity and knowledge base
- Providing individual and cohort level coaching on how the best leverage their experience to advance the goals of their R2E team
- Working with CTC-RI, RIDOH and CHWARI on developing agendas for regular meetings/monthly CHW networking sessions for CHWs
- Utilizing knowledge of existing training and certification programs and connect individual CHWs to appropriate continuing education opportunities that are being made available through the CDC-2109 Grant
- Collaborating on evaluation activities, including providing input on meaningful ways to assess CHWs impact on R2E work
- Providing feedback to evaluators and co-design team on highlights and challenges of specific teams work on integrating CHWs
- Problem solving support to CHWs on R2E teams
- Identifying alignment opportunities with other state or community based initiatives
- Developing and implementing proactive, innovative approaches to quality improvement efforts
- Supporting CHWs in their use of the Unite Us service referral and coordination platform
- Participating in R2E leadership meetings, including bi-weekly co-design calls
- Attending R2E cohort meetings, momentum meetings, subject matter expert meetings as appropriate
- Documenting all activities, achievements, challenges and lessons learned in a monthly status report
- Becoming trained as a “Person with Lived Experience of Inequities” Coach for R2E Teams with the goal of also becoming a subject matter expert and resource for the R2E project
- Required Experience and Background
- Certification as a RI Community Health Worker
- High School Diploma required, Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
- Experience with supervision and mentoring of CHWs
- Ability to lead meetings, facilitate discussions and problem solve
- Ability to effectively work with multiple stakeholders on policy change
- Passion for health equity and advancing community clinical linkages
- Multilingual preferred; BIPOC encouraged to apply
- Ability to relate as a person with lived experience of inequities
- Payment and Invoicing
Funding for this position is $85.53/hr for up to 80 hours/month. Total amount of the contract not to exceed $54,739.20. Documentation of all activities, achievements, challenges and lessons learned in a monthly status report to be submitted with invoice.
CTC-RI project management staff reserve the right to withhold payment if services are not delivered in accordance with the Scope of Work expectations. CTC-RI reserves the right to withhold payment of invoice should the consultant fail to submit invoices within the expected invoice timeframe.
Linda Cabral CTC-RI Program Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of the contract and Deb Hurwitz CTC-RI Executive Director is responsible for oversight and work performed under this contract.
How to Apply
Please send resume and cover letter to Linda Cabral (lcabral@ctc-ri.org) by February 4, 2022.