Community Health Advocate, Experienced - San Diego

About Blue Shield of California

As of January 2025, Blue Shield of California became a subsidiary of Ascendiun. Ascendiun is a nonprofit corporate entity that is the parent to a family of organizations including Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan; Altais, a clinical services company; and Stellarus, a company designed to scale healthcare solutions. Together, these organizations are referred to as the Ascendiun Family of Companies. 

At Blue Shield of California, our mission is to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable. We are transforming health care in a way that genuinely serves our nonprofit mission by lowering costs, improving quality, and enhancing the member and physician experience. 

To achieve our mission, we foster an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute fully to address the needs of the various communities we serve. We are committed to creating and maintaining a supportive workplace that upholds our values and advances our goals.

Blue Shield is a U.S. News Best Company to work for, a Deloitte U.S. Best Managed Company and a Top 100 Inspiring Workplace. We were recognized by Fair360 as a Top Regional Company, and one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States by Points of Light. Here at Blue Shield, we strive to make a positive change across our industry and communities – join us!  

Our Values: 

• Honest. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical and integrity standards. We build trust by doing what we say we're going to do and by acknowledging and correcting where we fall short. 
• Human. We strive to listen and communicate effectively, showing empathy by understanding others' perspectives.
• Courageous. We stand up for what we believe in and are committed to the hard work necessary to achieve our ambitious goals. 

Physical Requirements:

Office Environment - roles involving part to full time schedule in Office Environment. Based in our physical offices and work from home office/deskwork - Activity level: Sedentary, frequency most of work day.

Please click here for further physical requirement detail. 

Equal Employment Opportunity:

External hires must pass a background check/drug screen. Qualified applicants with arrest records and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, State and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability status and any other classification protected by Federal, State and local laws.

Your Role

 

The Community Health Advocate, Experienced will report to the Sr. Director, Community Programs. In this role you will outreach to Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan members through field-based outreach, including regular home visits and in-person support at medical appointments, to conduct comprehensive assessments of social drivers of health. The Community Health Advocate, Experienced will identify resource gaps in medical and community services and support implementation of new services to close identified gaps, with a strong focus on meeting members where they are.

 

 

Our leadership model is about developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for our people to grow – personally, professionally, and financially. We are looking for leaders that are energized by creative and critical thinking, building and sustaining high-performing teams, getting results the right way, and fostering continuous learning.

Your Work

In this role, you will:

• Assess psychosocial and social drivers of health needs for moderate-risk members through in-person engagement, including home visits and medical appointments, and document assessment results or augment available information in appropriate systems
• Conduct routine and as-needed home visits to provide hands-on support, assess living conditions, and identify barriers to care
• Accompany members to medical appointments as needed to provide support, facilitate communication with providers, and help ensure understanding of care plans and follow-up actions
• Establish relationships and partner with community organizations, health plans and providers by participating in community engagement activities with local agencies e.g. faith-based organizations, community centers, government agencies, parks, recreation centers and schools
• Assist members with moderate health conditions problem-solve to address barriers by identifying, locating, connecting to and navigating needed community and medical system services, including visiting members at their homes, accompanying members to medical appointments and assisting members with completing forms to access needed services
• Actively engage, build rapport and establish trusting relationships and facilitate collaborative communication with members and member family support systems
• Identify social drivers of health concerns/gaps and develop and document an associated plan to address moderate social and health disparities in accessing appropriate care and services
• Document member updates and progress notes in appropriate systems, submit timely reports, and provide recommendations for improved member outcomes
• File and make necessary follow-up on mandated reporting, e.g. Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, etc.
• Perform other duties, as required

Your Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Biology, Public Health, Nursing, Community Health or Health-allied field preferred, OR equivalent experience in a related field
• Requires at least 3 years of prior relevant experience working with people who need assistance with complex health and social issues
• Requires valid CA Driver’s License and proof of auto insurance coverage
• Experience providing in-home services, conducting home visits, or working in field-based/community outreach roles strongly preferred
• Experience working with Medi-Cal populations preferred
• Bilingual Spanish speaking preferred
• Proficient skills with computer programs, including Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint Excellent communication skills both orally and in writing
• Knowledge of health disparities in diverse communities
• Effective time management skills and ability to define and act on priorities amid multiple responsibilities