Organizational Overview
ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB) is a nonprofit housing and community development organization in Providence. ONE|NB’s mission it to develop affordable housing and engage neighbors across Greater Providence to cultivate safe, healthy, vibrant communities. We accomplish our mission through:
- Robust Housing Development and Quality Real Estate Management
- Addressing Root Causes of Health Disparities
- Embracing Innovation and Building the Community Development Field
We have developed over 500 affordable homes for families. By so doing, we have transformed neighborhoods characterized by blight and crime into safe communities with high-quality housing and vibrant retail shops. The neighborhoods we serve have similar demographics and face enormous health disparities: 41% of individuals in these areas live in poverty. The homeownership rate is 25%, far lower than the 61% regional average. As an indicator of the poor condition of existing housing, 22% of Kindergarten children in the Olneyville, Valley, and Federal Hill neighborhoods of Providence were identified to have elevated blood-lead levels. These inequities impact overall quality and duration of life – in fact, the average life expectancy in Central Providence is nine years less than that of other Providence neighborhoods.
ONE|NB is seeking to eliminate these health inequities. We are the backbone organization of the Central Providence Health Equity Zone (“CP-HEZ”); the HEZ is a collaborative of residents, community organizations, health professionals, and others who together address social determinants of health and root causes of health disparities.
ONE|NB is seeking to immediately hire two Community Health Workers (CHW), with a start date no later than July 6, 2020. These positions are funded by a COVID-19 emergency grant from the RI Department of Health and continuation beyond December 31, 2020 will be re-evaluated dependent upon additional funding.
Position Description
COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted residents living in certain zip-codes in the state, with 02909, 02908 and 02904 among the most impacted. The CHW will work in one or more of these three zip codes to: (1) encourage COVID-19 testing; (2) assist with contact tracing; and (3) support individuals who must quarantine and isolate due to being infected with the coronavirus.
The CHW is a dependable and caring member of their community. They work to improve their neighbors’ health and well-being by connecting them to health and social services, providing social support, and helping them to advocate for their health needs. They think outside of the box to find creative solutions to whole-person health barriers. While focusing on COVID-19 rapid response, the CHW will also be conducting Social Determinant of Health screenings with all neighbors with whom they interact. In addition to connecting neighbors with immediate resources, the CHW will work with ONE|NB colleagues to identify and address root causes for the high impact of COVID-19 in these communities.
The CHW will have the ability to participate in a Registered Apprenticeship and will receive free professional training that includes 144 hours of classroom instruction. At the completion of the 2000-hour apprenticeship they will obtain credentials from the RI Department of Health.
Key Responsibilities
- Establish positive working relationship with resident leaders and trusted community-based organizations in the focus neighborhoods
- Work with residents to assess their healthcare and social service needs and to refer them to appropriate services
- Work with residents to set health-promoting goals and help them to meet these goals
- Collect and track data using on-line databases
- Help conduct surveys, focus groups and one-to-one interviews with residents to inform the best approaches to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Meet bi-monthly with a cohort of more than 10 CHWs to collectively troubleshoot, share resources and discuss areas of need not being met in the neighborhoods
- Serve as bridge between neighborhoods and ONE|NB’s headquarters
- Meet with ONE|NB’s Director of Community Health Integration on weekly basis to review work plan progress and make changes in order to achieve goals
- Actively participate in all education requirements of the Registered Apprenticeship program
- Complete other duties as assigned
Qualifications
- Determined to make a difference in their own community
- Strong listening and communication skills
- Compassionate, empathetic, respectful & logical
- Open to working closely with clients who struggle with health-related issues of all kinds, including mental illness and substance use disorder
- Respectful, sensitive, and non-judgmental towards individuals who may suffer from traumas and/or disabilities
- Strong interpersonal and social skills with an ability to collaborate with a variety of individuals from a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds
- Bilingual (Spanish) preferred
Compensation
Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications with full employee benefits, including generous paid vacation and sick time and health care coverage. A company smart phone with unlimited service will be provided. The CHW will receive a Certificate of Apprenticeship Completion after 2000 hours of on-the-job learning, which is a nationally recognized credential.
This position will be required to work in the community and in ONE|NB’s office in Olneyville. Occasional telecommuting may be possible.
To Apply
Please submit a resume and cover letter to Laurie Moise at moise@nullonenb.org.
