Community Health Worker

Job Description

Come join the public service team at Goodhue County Health & Human Services!  You will be a part of skilled, caring and knowledgeable HHS professionals whose talents and contributions promote, strengthen and protect the health of individuals, families and communities in Goodhue County every single day!

GCHHS prioritizes prevention and early intervention, and the Healthy Communities Team is central to that focus.  This CHW will collaborate with the GCHHS youth prevention specialist, Goodhue County Education District (GCED), and Midwest Recovery in Red Wing to support youth enrolled in GCED.  They will also work with a paid youth leadership team of GCED students.  This newly created position is funded through June 2026 by a Minnesota Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council grant, and the project could continue if there is additional funding.   The ideal applicant will be comfortable talking in front of groups, a patient listener, empathetic, culturally competent, and passionate about helping youth stay substance-free. 

Examples of Work: 

• Build relationships with youth and gain student perspective on substance use concerns.
• Become familiar with resources and support services available to GCED students.
• Partner closely with the grant-funded youth prevention specialist and with Goodhue County Education District to recruit a team of GCED students in grades 8-12 to lead substance use prevention efforts. 
• Support youth leadership team so they can drive every aspect of programming, including decision making, service delivery, and program evaluation. 
• Focus youth-led efforts on both preventing substance use issues before they start, AND also connecting students to Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor support when substance use issues are present.   
• Eliminate barriers to participation by bringing services directly to students, which means training, support, mentoring, and meetings occur at Goodhue County Education District’s school, in Red Wing, and online, during times students are available, including some evenings and weekends. 
• Make ongoing, focused efforts to reach participants who are from populations disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis, by building relationships with trusted messengers.  
• Assist in planning and leading regular meetings of the youth team for training and planning. 
• Help plan, manage, deliver, and evaluate educational presentations on substance abuse prevention topics
• Help develop educational and outreach materials.  Help with events.
• Help guide the youth team to increase protective factors and reduce risk factors for substance misuse.  An example of a protective factor is helping youth feel connected with each other and with their school. An example of a risk factor is inaccurate beliefs about the amount of substance use really going on among their peers. 
• Help train and equip youth to educate other students, caregivers, and educators on substance use.   
• Help train and equip youth to lead community education and coalition building activities in collaboration with the Goodhue County Chemical and Mental Health Coalition. 
• As directed, participate in OERAC grantee meetings, budget and work plan revisions, evaluation, and reporting. 

Minimum Qualifications:

High School Diploma or Equivalent.

CHW Certification from an accredited program

OR

Willingness to be trained.

Preferred:  Bilingual Skills.

Bachelor's Degree in Public Health or Community Health or directly related field.

Must have a valid driver’s license.

The pay is $23.96/hour.   Part time 16 hours/week.  

Apply through the MN Merit System Application- Job # 573-OC.                                                                                                                                      Deadline for receipt of applications is Friday, August 30, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.  

Apply Today!

At Goodhue County we embrace equity and inclusion.  We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and views.  The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

Job Description