We Are Hiring At The Alliance

The Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance seeks an experienced Executive Director who is passionate about our mission and able to lead our statewide organization with excellence.

Status: Full-time employee

Reports to: Board of Directors

Location: Remote with some in-person engagement required

Qualifications:

· Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as nonprofit management, business administration, social work, etc.

· Minimum of three years of experience in nonprofit management or a related field.

· Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

· Previous experience working directly with, supporting, and partnering with a Board of Directors.

· Demonstrated experience in fundraising and development.

· Knowledge of nonprofit financial management and budgeting.

· Self-directed and able to work independently, as well as an effective member of a team.

· Strong project management skills, ability to balance competing priorities, complex situations, and tight deadlines.

· Strong knowledge and skills in organizing and leading meetings/trainings in a virtual setting.

· As the Alliance is a Minnesota-based organization, preference will be given to candidates residing in Minnesota.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter prior to December 31, 2023 to:

Kim Snyder, Excelsior Bay Group ksnyder@excelsiorbaygroup.com

952-451-929

May 2023 CHW Spotlight: Judith Ferreyra Garcia

Judith Ferreyra Garcia, Headshot

Hello! My name is Judith Ferreyra Garcia. I am 33 years old and have been working with the community for the last ten years. I heard on tv about a program to become a Community Health Worker (CHW) and I signed up for it. Once I was in school, I noticed that I was already doing the role of a CHW and I wanted to serve my community. My parents did not get the chance to work with CHWs and missed out on resources at the time that they were available, like getting their legal status fixed. This was what motivated me to move forward with working for my community and advocating for those that need resources.

September 2023 CHW Spotlight: Luz Duvall

Luz Duvall, Headshot

Meet Luz Duvall – CHW, City Council Representative, Adjunct Teacher, Public Health Advocate. Luz Duval is a Sibley County Public Health Community Health Worker (CHW), a CHW Certificate Holder, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and a Minnesota West CHW Certificate Program Adjunct Instructor. She works in rural south-central Minnesota and teaches online.  Luz does a lot as a CHW. She collaborates with Social Workers, Case Workers, and Public Health Nurses. She offers services at two levels, taking a person-centered or a community person-centered centered approach. She aims to help people understand their health and provide resources and system navigation to become self-sufficient.   

Luz has been an important part of the community assessment process to identify health disparities, increase health equity, and identify the SDOH and economic, social, and political forces that shape them.  Recently, she was involved in a Health Equity Data Analysis (HEDA), which determined a high need for addressing chronic conditions in the Latino community. She worked on the questions with the Public Health Nurses, Health Educators, and an Epidemiologist, serving as a cultural broker to ensure the surveys were culturally and linguistically appropriate. She used her knowledge of the community to recruit key community members and conducted interviews with Spanish-speaking clients. A report on this work in English or Spanish can be found at Meeker McLeod Sibley Community Health Services (MMS CHS).

CHW work is important to Luz because CHWs can stop people from falling through the cracks. “We understand upstream medicine. We need to help people become self-sufficient and manage their health before they fall through the cracks and identify why – what are the root causes of our community’s health problems? CHWs are important because we are those facilitators who can help Public Health. We can use data. We can plan strategies that are community-centered to address the root causes of health issues, decrease disparities, and increase Health Equity.” 

Luz also ran for city council and won on November 8, 2022. “I helped my community by bringing change, the Latino voice, and making history as the first Latina taking that seat.” Luz had to leave that position, but she didn’t leave it empty. She recruited another Latina who has stepped into the position. Luz says, “We’re here, and we are taking key positions in our cities. CHWs are agents of change. We empower the voices of the community. CHWs are a face they recognize. This builds trust and helps people come forward to express their voice, their hopes and dreams.”

August 2023 CHW Spotlight: Maria Guerrero

Maria Guerrero, Headshot

Maria Guerrero worked at Open Door Health Center (ODHC) as a Bilingual Latino Patient Case Manager and took the CHW classes in Mankato. With that position at ODHC, she was already doing community work as a CHW and did not know at the time. She finished her certificate at a later date. She helps her clients navigate the system, from medical county assistance, housing, SNAP, WIC program, dental clinics, energy assistance, going back to school, backpack program, COVID-19 vaccinations outreach events, mental health sessions, Living Life To The Fullness, seeking Legal assistance from custody, divorce, Immigration issues, Visa, Residency.   

Maria started doing interpretation for her Mother when she was 11 -12 years old back in Texas. When she was 18, she moved to Minnesota and saw the need to learn English to help her parents navigate the system. That is how she became involved in CHW work. Maria noticed she was good at helping the people in the areas they needed the most, from medical, community, navigating systems, and relearning how all are connected. The system keeps changing, but the need is still out there for those underserved, uninsured at the end of the day. She is very interested in programs that have to do with Mental Health. She’s being trained in Living Life To The Fullness in  English and Spanish. Lastly, she would like to continue providing these services for those in need.