Project Assistant and Community Health Worker

Petersburg Healthy Options Partnerships (PHOPs) will pilot a Community Health Worker Network in Petersburg in the spring and summer of 2025. Four Petersburg residents will be hired for program assistant/community health worker positions which will serve the Lakemont, Blandford, and Pleasants Lane Neighborhoods and help to start a Community Health Worker (CHW) Network in Petersburg. Preference will be given to applicants who reside in the Lakemont, Blandford, or Pleasants Lane Neighborhood. Previous training or certification as a Community Health Worker is not required. Cost for a Virginia-approved online basic CHW training will be paid. Work completed with this project may count toward supervised hours required to become a Certified CHW.

Duties and responsibilities include:
1. Participate in weekly team meetings
2. Establish and strengthen relationships with community organizations related to the project, including health care clinics, food access and food systems organizations, organizations that serve youth and seniors, educational institutions, organizations that promote physical activity.
3. Establish and strengthen relationships with residents of priority communities (census tracts). Connect community members with resources in the community (such as farm markets and food pantries for food, free clinics/health centers for health issues).
4. Collect data in assigned neighborhoods through interviews, focus groups, and surveys.
5. Collect feedback from community members and community organizations regarding project results and future directions.
6. Assist with development of evaluation tools and processes that are appropriate for the community and the project.
7. Assist with interpretation of results from data analysis.
8. Share results with community members and community organizations.
9. Other responsibilities to support the project as determined in consultation with the project team

This is a part-time position. The employee will clock in for hours worked, up to 20 hours per week. Hourly rate will be commensurate with training and experience.

• If not already a certified Community Health Worker or completed a Virginia-approved basic CHW training, complete the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority Community Health Worker Training within two months.
• Experience working with community members and partners in community-based projects
• High school diploma, completion of GED, or equivalent
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to interact and work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds

• Current residence in the Lakemont, Blandford, or Pleasants Lane neighborhoods
• Basic bilingual skills (English/Spanish)

3; Wage

Non-Exempt: Eligible for overtime

Restricted

Wage; Commensurate with experience 

20

4/11/2025

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.