Community Health Worker (CHW), Lead [Internal Applicants Only]

Description

FLSA Status: Full-time, Non-Exempt

Compensation: $28.00-$38.69 per hour

Post Date: August 26, 2026

Close Date: September 09, 2026

Report to: Project Manager

To apply for this position: Please submit a resume and cover letter. Your resume will not be considered if a cover letter is not included.  

About Community HealthWorks 

Community HealthWorks (CoHeWo) advances health equity by helping individuals and families access the health coverage, care, housing support, and community services they need to thrive. Community Health Workers are central to this work, serving as trusted connectors who help people understand complex systems and take practical next steps toward greater health and stability. 

Position Summary 

The Community Health Worker (CHW), Lead is an experienced CHW who continues to provide the full range of direct CHW services while also serving as a day-to-day practice resource for other CHWs. The Lead builds trusted relationships with clients, completes assessments, develops person-centered goals and service plans, coordinates care and housing-related supports, connects clients with resources, documents services, and follows through on identified needs. 

In addition to maintaining an assigned caseload, the Lead supports onboarding, shadowing, coaching, consistent workflows, documentation quality, team coverage, and practical problem-solving. Because time is allocated to these Lead responsibilities, the Lead will generally carry a smaller caseload than other CHWs in the same assignment. Caseload size and complexity may vary based on client needs, staffing, program requirements, and team priorities. 

This is a leadership role without formal supervisory authority. The Lead does not approve time off, issue corrective action, complete performance evaluations, or replace the Project Manager. Instead, the Lead observes work, models effective practice, offers clear and respectful feedback, identifies questions or learning needs, and communicates relevant themes to the manager. 

This opportunity is currently assigned to CalAIM-funded services. CoHeWo uses a shared CHW Lead model across service areas, so assignments and specific responsibilities may evolve based on organizational, community, partnership, and funding needs. The common purpose is to provide person-centered CHW services while helping the team apply CoHeWo’s practices consistently. 

What This Work Looks Like 

This is a direct-service CHW position with additional Lead responsibilities. The Lead maintains relationships with assigned clients and is accountable for timely outreach, assessment, care planning, navigation, referrals, coordination, documentation, and follow-up. The current assignment includes integrated care and housing-related support for people who may have complex medical, behavioral health, housing, and social needs. 

Alongside their own client work, a Lead may shadow a new employee, demonstrate how to complete an assessment or service note, coach someone through a difficult client interaction, review documentation for learning opportunities, provide team coverage, facilitate a short training, or participate in a partner meeting—all within the same week. 

The Lead is expected to be approachable and supportive while also being honest about expectations, gaps, and follow-through. This requires discretion, sound judgment, and the ability to give feedback without taking over the manager’s role. 

The Lead also shares relevant observations and feedback with management, including recurring questions, learning needs, workflow barriers, service-quality concerns, and patterns affecting clients or teams. The Lead provides objective information and practical context; management remains responsible for supervisory and performance decisions. 

Work may occur in CoHeWo offices, shelters, homes, clinics, community locations, partner sites, and outdoor settings, including areas where people experiencing homelessness live or receive services. The specific mix of settings depends on program and team needs. 

A Day in the Life 

You may begin your day by reviewing alerts and follow-up needs for clients on your assigned caseload. You might contact a client about a medical appointment, housing-related need, benefit, transportation barrier, or care-plan goal; coordinate with a health plan, provider, housing partner, or another member of the care team; and document the work in the required system. 

Later, you may check in with a newly hired CHW, accompany them during a shadowing activity, review a service note for coaching, help CHWs from another department think through a complex client situation, respond to peer questions in a shared chat, or share an objective update with the Project Manager. You may also hold office hours for the Health and Homelessness Services team, provide coverage for an absent CHW, attend a partner meeting, or prepare a short learning activity for the team. 

No two days will be exactly the same. The Lead must balance responsibility for their own clients with planned coaching, onboarding, documentation review, team coverage, and changing program needs. The Lead must also protect confidentiality and know when to coach, when to consult the manager, and when to involve another subject-matter expert. 

What You’ll Do 

As a Community Health Worker 

• Maintain an assigned caseload and serve as a consistent point of contact for clients, while coordinating with the broader team so support can continue when the Lead is unavailable. 
• Build trusted, respectful relationships with clients and engage them in identifying priorities, strengths, barriers, and next steps. 
• Complete required assessments and develop, update, and follow person-centered care plans, goals, or service plans in partnership with the client. 
• Coordinate integrated care and housing-related supports, including connections to medical care, behavioral health services, housing resources, benefits, transportation, food, employment, and other community services. 
• Initiate and follow up on referrals; communicate with health plans, providers, housing partners, community organizations, and other members of the client’s care team as authorized and appropriate. 
• Document contacts, assessments, plans, referrals, outcomes, and follow-up accurately and within required timelines using assigned systems and workflows. 
• Provide services in offices, homes, shelters, clinics, community locations, partner sites, and outdoor settings based on client, program, and team needs. 

As a Lead: onboarding, shadowing, and skill development 

• Serve as a consistent mentor and resource for newly hired CHWs during their initial onboarding period. 
• Lead and participate in shadowing and reverse-shadowing activities that allow employees to observe, practice, receive feedback, and demonstrate readiness. 
• Model core CHW practices, including client engagement, assessments, goal setting, documentation, follow-up, professional boundaries, and use of required systems. 
• Provide one-on-one coaching, practical guidance, and timely feedback in coordination with the Project Manager. 
• Support targeted skill development identified by the manager while recognizing that formal performance management remains the manager’s responsibility. 

As a Lead: quality and consistent practice 

• Review selected documentation or work products for coaching, peer-learning, and quality-improvement purposes. 
• Help CHWs understand program expectations and apply established workflows consistently. 
• Identify recurring questions, knowledge gaps, or process barriers and bring them to the Project Manager. 
• Support the development and updating of onboarding materials, training resources, practice tools, and standard workflows. 
• Participate in train-the-trainer opportunities and share learning with the team in a clear and practical way. 

As a Lead: team coverage and problem-solving 

• Provide coverage during planned or unplanned absences and help address overflow or time-sensitive referrals when assigned. 
• Help colleagues think through complex client situations without taking sole ownership of another CHW’s responsibilities. 
• Communicate concerns involving client safety, service quality, boundaries, documentation, or role scope through the appropriate channels. 

As a Lead: communication, training, and partnership 

• Provide regular, objective updates to the Project Manager about onboarding progress, demonstrated skills, learning needs, and barriers. 
• Develop and deliver trainings, practice activities, peer-learning discussions, and refreshers based on identified team and organizational needs. 
• Conduct scheduled office hours for the Health and Homelessness Services team to answer questions, support case consultation, and connect staff with the appropriate manager or subject-matter expert when needed. 
• Attend relevant health-plan, stakeholder, and community-partner meetings to stay informed and support alignment with program expectations. 
• Build respectful relationships with colleagues and partners and represent CoHeWo professionally. 
• Participate in supervision, Lead coordination, team meetings, training, and organizational learning activities. 

What Success Looks Like 

Success in this role includes: 

• Clients on the Lead’s assigned caseload receive timely, person-centered support, coordinated services, accurate documentation, and consistent follow-through. 
• New CHWs understand expectations, receive meaningful practice, and know where to go for help. 
• Feedback is specific, respectful, timely, and focused on helping someone improve. 
• The Lead models the documentation, follow-through, boundaries, communication, and client-centered practice expected of the team. 
• Managers receive useful information without the Lead making supervisory or disciplinary decisions. 
• Training and coaching respond to actual patterns and learning needs rather than one isolated mistake. 
• Client services remain timely and consistent when coverage or overflow support is needed. 
• The Lead knows when to coach, when to consult, and when to escalate a concern. 

What Can Be Challenging About This Work 

The Lead is both a peer and a leadership resource. Coworkers may bring questions, frustrations, or mistakes to you, and you may need to offer honest feedback while preserving trust. At times, you may observe a concern that needs to be shared with the Project Manager even when the conversation feels uncomfortable. 

The role also requires balancing responsibility for an assigned caseload with planned coaching and changing team needs. An onboarding activity may need to shift because one of your clients has an urgent need; a client follow-up may need to be coordinated around a shadowing activity, staff absence, or partner deadline. Supporting others does not remove the Lead’s accountability for timely follow-up, accurate documentation, continuity of care, appropriate boundaries, and required outcomes for their own clients. 

The Lead is not expected to have every answer. Success requires recognizing the limits of your knowledge, avoiding unofficial policies or instructions, and involving the manager or appropriate subject-matter expert when guidance is needed. 

How CoHeWo Supports You 

CHW Leads are not expected to step into leadership without preparation. Support includes: 

• Clear expectations about the Lead’s authority, responsibilities, and relationship with the Project Manager. 
• Training and guidance on coaching, feedback, facilitation, documentation review, confidentiality, and professional boundaries. 
• Regular check-ins with the Project Manager to review priorities, onboarding progress, team needs, and difficult situations. 
• Access to program and subject-matter experts when questions exceed the Lead’s knowledge or role. 
• A generally smaller caseload than other CHWs in the same assignment to create time for defined Lead responsibilities. 
• Train-the-trainer and professional-development opportunities based on program and organizational needs. 

Requirements

What We’re Looking For 

Internal eligibility 

• Current Community HealthWorks employee with at least one year of employment; two or more years preferred. 
• Demonstrated reliability, regular attendance, and readiness to take on additional leadership responsibilities. 
• Demonstrated proficiency in the core duties, documentation standards, workflows, and systems used in the employee’s current assignment. 
• Demonstrated willingness and ability to support onboarding, shadowing, training, or peer learning. 
• Employment standing consistent with the internal eligibility requirements established for this opportunity. 

Skills and attributes 

• Ability to explain expectations and complex information clearly and practically. 
• Ability to give and receive constructive feedback with respect, curiosity, and accountability. 
• Sound judgment, discretion, confidentiality, professional boundaries, and consistent follow-through. 
• Ability to remain calm and helpful during difficult client, coworker, or partner interactions. 
• Strong organization, documentation, oral communication, written communication, and group-facilitation skills. 
• Ability to work across different programs, communities, service settings, and professional relationships. 
• Comfort learning and using electronic documentation systems, email, Microsoft Office tools, and other assigned technology. 

Education and relevant experience 

• High school diploma or GED. 
• At least one year of experience in community health, healthcare, nonprofit, social services, outreach, housing, benefits navigation, care coordination, or a related client-service setting. 
• Relevant community, caregiving, volunteer, peer-support, educational, or lived experience may also contribute to success in the role. 
• Community Health Worker, Medi-Cal, Covered California, motivational interviewing, mental health first aid, harm reduction, trauma-informed care, or other relevant training or certification is helpful but not required unless specified for the assignment. 

Requirements and Conditions of Employment 

• Valid California Class C driver’s license, current auto insurance, reliable transportation, and ability to travel throughout Sacramento County and surrounding areas. Mileage reimbursement is provided in accordance with organizational policy. 
• Maintenance of an acceptable driving record and completion of required driving-record reviews for driving-related assignments. 
• Completion of required background-check, health-screening, certification, safety, and partner-site requirements applicable to the assignment. 
• Maintenance of required training, certifications, and renewals associated with the role. 

Work Environment & Schedule 

This is a full-time, non-exempt position generally scheduled Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required based on program and team needs; approved overtime is compensated in accordance with applicable law and organizational policy. 

Work may take place at CoHeWo offices and service sites, clinics, shelters, homes, community-based organizations, government offices, partner locations, outdoor outreach settings, and areas where people experiencing homelessness live or receive services. Employees may work from one primary location or across multiple assigned locations. 

Some settings may involve variable weather, uneven terrain, noise, interruptions, animals, limited sanitation, emotionally upset individuals, or other unpredictable conditions. Employees must follow safety practices and consult the appropriate manager when a situation exceeds the role’s scope or can no longer be approached safely. 

Physical & Emotional Demands 

The position requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, speaking, listening, computer and telephone use, writing, and use of standard office equipment. The employee may occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, climb or balance, walk on uneven terrain, and lift or move approximately 10–15 pounds. The work includes sensitive or unpredictable situations requiring calm communication, sound judgment, confidentiality, professional boundaries, and appropriate consultation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. 

How to Apply 

To apply, please submit: 

1. A resume describing your relevant experience and skills.  
2. A brief cover letter explaining your interest in Community HealthWorks, what draws you to this position, and how your experience, skills, or perspective would help you contribute in the role.  

We appreciate your interest in joining Community HealthWorks.