Lead, Community Health Worker

Company Description

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

UHN’s vision is to build A Healthier World and it’s only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality.

www.uhn.ca 

Job Description

Union: Non-Union
Number of vacancies: 1
Site: All Sites, based at 750 Dundas Ave, community
Department: Social Medicine & Population Health
Reports to: Senior Manager
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Status: Permanent Full-Time 
Closing Date: July 23, 2025

Position Summary

The Lead, Community Health Worker (CHW) is an integral member of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine’s team and responsible for overseeing the day to day operations and conduct of the CHW team.  The Lead, CHW responsibilities include: Supervising, organizing, assigning and distributing patients & workload among CHWs to ensure the department operates in a manner that is efficient and effective. The Lead, CHW will coach and mentor assigned staff to foster a positive atmosphere that supports team building, collaboration and shared learning.  

The Lead, CHW will actively engage in the development and improvement of processes, procedures; participate in professional development, teaching/educational activities, safety and quality improvement initiatives to ensure excellence in the provision of services. They will be responsible for ensuring CHWs have necessary equipment and resources, communicating and disseminating relevant information to team members and management personnel in a timely and consistent manner across departments.  

In addition, the Lead, CHW will provide support to the UHN Social Medicine and Population Health Program to inform program development and role refinement; build, grow, strengthen and sustain relationships with community partners; and advocate for the needs of UHN's highest needs clients. 

This position recognizes the University Health Network's commitment to health equity, to create a culturally safe institution for structurally marginalized people, and to educating future health care providers about health equity. 

Duties

• Provide day-to-day leadership and management to ensure the organizational effectiveness of Community Health Workers (CHWs), and the overall care delivery model.
• Oversee scheduling and resource allocation to ensure appropriate coverage and effective deployment of CHWs across UHN.
• Participate in care coordination discussions and client debriefs as needed, offering guidance and support to CHWs.
• Collaborate and coordinate with interprofessional teams—including physicians, managers, departments, and external partner organizations—to develop service delivery solutions that ensure continuity of care and support quality improvement initiatives.
• Support the implementation of best practices, quality documentation standards, and accountability frameworks.
• Evaluate patient care processes, including planning and implementation, to enhance clinical outcomes and service efficiency.
• Assist in recruitment, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding of new staff.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable professional standards and regulatory requirements.
• Support organizational strategies aimed at building a motivated, high-performing, and cohesive team capable of meeting service/program needs.
• Strategically deploy staff to maintain optimal coverage at all times.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager to provide input on staff performance evaluations.
• Mentor, coach, and support staff in their professional development.
• Lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of quality improvement initiatives aligned with UHN’s patient care standards.
• Develop and manage both long- and short-term objectives to support the stabilization, diversification, and expansion of the program.
• Contribute to broader corporate management activities that support the goals of Social Medicine and Population Health and the wider UHN strategic priorities.
• Stay informed on current and emerging legislation, sector developments, and best practices, ensuring strong operational and clinical alignment within the department.
• Represent the program internally through participation on UHN committees, and externally at conferences, workshops, and community events on behalf of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine.
• Support the development and execution of data collection and tracking initiatives to improve understanding of patient/client experiences and outcomes and to meet internal and external reporting requirements.
• Perform cross-functional and other duties as required and consistent with the role classification.

Qualifications

• At least 6 years of relevant experience, and/or on the job training
• Leadership or project management experience preferred
• Strong knowledge of community resources to address the social determinants of health, including housing, poverty, and food insecurity
• Dynamic knowledge of community engagement principles
• Experience with the provision of trauma-informed care and anti-racist, anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive practices
• Strong understanding of acute care setting and ability to navigate hospital systems an asset
• Well-developed decision-making, problem-solving, and judgement skills
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
• Well-developed public speaking abilities
• Facilitation and/or teaching experience
• Experience in program development and implementation
• Experience in program evaluation and data collection
• Proven ability to work as a team member and independently
• Ability to have and use diplomacy and tact at all times
• Member in good standing with professional college (if applicable)

Additional Information

Why join UHN?

In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.

• Competitive offer packages
• Government organization and a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP https://hoopp.com/)
• Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
• Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.)

Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN's attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.

All applications must be submitted before the posting close date.

UHN uses email to communicate with selected candidates.  Please ensure you check your email regularly.

Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any information provided by a candidate be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, UHN reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of their application.

UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.