Lead Maternal Community Health Worker at Volunteers of… · Pittsburgh

The Lead Maternal Community Health Worker serves as a key leader supporting the growth, coordination, and integration of maternal community health initiatives in the region. The position combines administrative oversight, community engagement, and direct service programming to strengthen the region’s maternal, child, and family health efforts. The Lead Maternal Community Health Worker will oversee data reporting, proposals, and outreach strategies; expand and maintain community partnerships; and provide limited direct client services through group education and referral coordination. This role promotes equitable access to care, fosters regional collaboration, and advances holistic support for families facing health and social challenges.

The Lead MCHW will help to bridge conversations with clients and remove barriers that prevent them from accessing health and social services. This position requires the ability to work within a team to provide timely, appropriate, female-centered care equitably. Duties include but are not limited to assessing client social determinants of health (SDOH) needs with a focus on healthcare access and affordability, providing complex case management and care coordination, providing options- based counseling and health education, maintaining case files and notes accurately, developing relationships with area agencies and primary care physicians, reporting on client progress and success, and communicating these to appropriate team members. The Lead MCHW provides advanced case management, care coordination, and mentorship to Assistant MCHWs while maintaining a client caseload.

Core Responsibilities:

1. Administrative & Program Coordination (15%) • Develop and manage tracking systems for program data, community resource utilization, and referral follow-ups. • Contribute to grant proposals, periodic reporting, and internal planning documents. • Ensure accurate documentation and timely submission of required program metrics and reports. • Provide direct supervision, guidance, and ongoing support to Maternal Community Health Workers (MCHWs). • Monitor MCHW caseloads, service delivery, documentation, productivity, and compliance with program requirements. • Provide coaching, training, and performance feedback to support staff development and high-quality service delivery. • Collaborate with leadership to align local activities with broader organizational goals and priorities. • Attend and participate in staff meetings and follow directives accurately.

2. Community Outreach, Resource Development & Partnerships (10%) • Lead strategic outreach and engagement efforts to enhance visibility and utilization of the organization’s programs. • Identify and build sustainable partnerships with local nonprofits, schools, health providers, housing agencies, and government entities. • Develop working relationships with community resources and healthcare/insurance providers to increase client referral options and provide ongoing education to clients. • Support and promote events, workshops, and campaigns that advance maternal and community health. • Maintain and update a comprehensive database of community resources related to health, housing, food, employment, education, and wellness.

3. Direct Client Support & Educational Groups (75%) • Demonstrate knowledge and professionalism while interacting with clients, team members, partner agencies, and the greater community. • Provide direct connection to community resources and follow-up support when appropriate. • Meet with clients regularly in the setting where they live to evaluate their needs, and their progress on goals, and provide them with referrals, navigation assistance, and interventions as necessary. Develop trusting relationships with clients. • Provide care coordination of physical and behavioral health services to clients. Develop a person-centered plan for clients within 15 days of intake and ensure clients are connected to a primary care physician within 30 days of intake. • Promote postpartum health and screen for postpartum depression. • Advocate for clients to ensure they are connected to services and assist clients in applying for services and navigating social and healthcare resources. • Ensure that families receive education and support, especially those in challenging situations, with an emphasis on healthy parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting, and family well-being. • Provide family planning guidance which includes access to counseling for available contraceptive options, childbirth-spacing education, and support to attain contraceptives if requested. • Ensure all case files, visit reports, and notes related to the program are maintained and current. • Serve as a knowledgeable and empathetic point of contact for individuals navigating systems of care. • Ensure group programming is culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and aligned with identified community needs. • While meeting with clients, assess and track their progress to ensure their person-centered plan addresses all health and social needs. • Support child well visits including scheduling and promote follow-up care. • Enhance communication between all supports i.e. case managers, physicians, peers, and family in order to note changes in physical and behavioral health. Help clients build their confidence in interacting with providers, increasing their sense of self-efficacy. • Assist clients with following policies and guidelines to maintain program compliance. • Conduct educational sessions with groups of mothers in the maternity office. • Perform logistical activities such as picking up donations and keeping the donation space organized in the maternity office. • Act as liaison for Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania by demonstrating a positive and professional image toward clients and agency representatives. • Clock in and out daily and ensure that correct working hours are submitted to the supervisor. • In situations where policy is questioned or in case of emergency, the supervisor is to be contacted. • Perform other duties as needed.

Hard Skills:

1. Leadership & Supervision: Guide, mentor, and evaluate junior staff while fostering a collaborative, supportive team environment.
2. Advocacy & Care Coordination – connecting clients to the services they need and educating entities and organizations about the issues experienced by the community served.
3. Cultural Competency – understanding the nuances of cultural sensitivities and how they may impact healthcare, especially regarding maternity and early childhood.
4. Health Literacy – or the ability to understand and replicate basic health concepts as they relate to the client and their care.
5. Strength Based Interpersonal Skills OR Motivational Interviewing – the use of verbal and nonverbal communication and interpreting social contexts from a strengths perspective to build rapport.
6. Relational Social Skills – establishing trust and helping clients understand their needs and overcome barriers.
7. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – the ability to mitigate inequities and reduce barriers to health equity for all.
8. Strength Based - must approach relationships from a strengths-based/motivational interviewing and healing-informed approach.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. This position operates in a combination of office, community-based, and in-home settings. The role routinely uses standard office equipment, including computers, phones, photocopiers, and printers, and requires regular use of electronic systems for documentation, communication, scheduling, and reporting. This position requires regular travel throughout the assigned service area to conduct home visits, provide transportation and community-based support, participate in outreach activities and community events, and meet with healthcare providers and partner organizations. The employee may work in a variety of environments, including clients’ homes, healthcare facilities, community organizations, shelters, and other community settings. The employee may be required to drive or ride in agency or personal vehicles, walk or stand for periods of time, carry program materials or client supplies, and work indoors or outdoors in varying weather conditions. As a Lead Maternal Community Health Worker, the employee will also support program coordination, outreach, partnerships, and team activities across the assigned service area.

ADA Essential Functions:

1. Regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, talk, hear, and smell.
2. Regularly lift and move up to 25 lbs.
3. Ability to see clearly at 20 inches or less.
4. Ability to identify and/or distinguish colors.
5. Ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left and right while remaining fixed on a given point.

Credentials/Abilities:

Lead MCHWs must possess, or be working towards obtaining, either a bachelor's or master’s degree in social work or a health-related field and 3-5 years combined experience in a similar social service setting, as well as a willingness to obtain the Community Health Worker certification when available. FBI fingerprints, Pennsylvania State Police, and Child Abuse clearances are required annually. A valid PA driver's license and valid auto insurance are required; the employee will travel daily to conduct client in-home visitation. The employee having in-home experience is preferred and must possess strong clinical skills and the ability to make immediate decisions when faced with a crisis or unusual situation. Lived experience is ideal. Must have a working knowledge of computer software, specifically Microsoft Office; including Outlook, Excel, and Word, as well as effective written and verbal communication skills.