Community Health & Engagement Lead

The Opportunity

We're looking for a full-time Community Health and Engagement Lead who knows rural communities because you've lived in them, worked in them, and built trust in them. You are passionate about helping people in rural communities in the St. Cloud area

This role is about meeting neighbors where they are, listening deeply, and helping bring healthcare directly into rural communities through a new mobile clinic. You’ll be a trusted local presence, helping spread the word, connect people to care and resources, and make sure this program truly reflects what the community needs.

You’ll play a key role in launching a mobile clinic and a related clinical study, helping ensure community voices shape how care is delivered. Your work will directly impact who shows up, and ensure they feel welcome and get care close to home.

The clinic focuses on prenatal care and wound care, serving:

• Pregnant people and families
• Elders and people with chronic wounds or diabetes
• People with limited mobility, housing instability, or transportation challenges
• Uninsured or under-insured neighbors
• Native and Tribal communities

Experience working with any of these groups is a strong plus.

What You’ll Do

Build Trust & Show Up

• Build relationships with community members, Tribal leaders, schools, clinics, faith groups, local businesses, healthcare, and social service organizations
• Be present in the community— in homes, at worksites, and wherever people naturally gather
• Listen, learn, and bring community feedback back to the care team so the program reflects local needs

Help Launch Something New

• Support planning of community events to build awareness and trust before the clinic launches (e.g., school-based events, health fairs, local gatherings) 
• Help identify trusted locations for clinic visits and strong community partners
• Share on-the-ground insights to improve scheduling, technology, and how care is delivered

Support the Mobile Clinic & Study

• Help recruit patient and clinician participants for a clinical study focused on making mobile healthcare work better in rural areas
• Encourage patient turnout before and after clinic launch
• Track outreach, referrals, and engagement activities 

Outreach & Health Education

• Help people understand what the mobile clinic offers and how to access care
• Provide culturally relevant health education and basic screenings (like blood pressure checks or general information for diabetic care)
• Support trauma informed and empathetic care navigation, advocacy, and referrals for healthcare, food, housing, childcare, transportation, insurance enrollment, and more

Travel & Flexibility

• Travel within rural Minnesota, primarily in the St Cloud area, to meet people where they are
• Work flexible hours as needed for community events and outreach

How We’ll Know You’re Succeeding

• Community members recognize you and trust you
• Strong community turn out when the clinic launches (Nov 2026)
• Community events are well-attended and well-received
• New patients register for care or return after being disconnected
• Strong referral relationships are built with at least three local partners
• Community voices clearly influence how the program operates

 

What We’re Looking For

Required

• Certified Community Health Worker (CHW) or equivalent experience
• For example, experience in public health, nursing, birth work, care navigation, insurance enrollment, or social services
• Lived and/or professional experience in rural communities
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and advocacy skills
• Comfort working independently and in the community
• Valid driver’s license, ability to travel, and ability to pass a background check

Nice to Have

• Experience in prenatal care, wound care, elder care, or chronic disease support
• Experience working with Native or Tribal communities
• Strong organizations and project management skills

Why This Role Matters

This is a chance to help shape how healthcare shows up in rural Minnesota and beyond. Your voice, your relationships, and your lived experience will help ensure this clinic feels welcoming, respectful, and truly useful to the people it’s meant to serve.

What Shapes Homeward:

• Deep commitment to one another, the people and communities we serve, and to provide care that enables everyone to achieve their best health
• Compassion and empathy
• Curiosity and an eagerness to listen
• Drive to deliver high-quality experiences, clinical care, and cost-effectiveness
• Strong focus on the sustainability of our business and scalability of our services to maximize our reach and impact
• Nurturing a diverse workforce with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and points of view
• Taking our mission and business seriously, but not taking ourselves too seriously– having fun as we build!

 

The base salary range for this position is $40,000-$70,000 yearly. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, location, competencies and experience. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work at Homeward Health. This role will start as a contract position for one year with a possible extension or conversion to a full-time position. 

At Homeward, we believe that a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences enrich our teams and allow us to achieve above and beyond our goals. If you do not have experience in the areas detailed above, we hope you will share your unique background with us in your application and how it can be additive to our teams.

Homeward is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Homeward is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.