Community Health Representative

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:

• 2006 NOC: Community and Social Service Workers (4212) 
• 2006 NOC-S: Community and Social Service Workers (E212) 
• 2011 NOC: Social and community service workers (4212) 
• 2016 NOC: Social and community service workers (4212) 

Community health representatives work with health care teams to maintain and improve the overall well-being (spiritual, physical, cognitive, social, and emotional) of people and their communities. Their key roles include:

• client care and screening
• health promotion, health protection, and injury and disease prevention
• environmental health protection
• community outreach and advocacy and cultural liaison
• program planning and support with health education programs
• patient resources.

Client care and screening includes:

• home visits to provide care and support
• monitoring clients, families and community health concerns
• recording client health histories and vital signs (such as blood pressure and glucometer readings) as necessary
• conducting baby and school screening activities (such as measuring height and weight)
• assessing clients to better understand their health concerns, social support networks and any barriers to health care
• referring clients to other health professionals as necessary.

Health promotion, health protection, and injury and disease prevention include:

• helping to plan, develop, organize and implement health education workshops
• helping to create culturally appropriate education resources
• planning and introducing health activities in schools (such as fire safety, personal hygiene and school bus safety)
• assisting with health promotion and injury prevention services (such as prenatal classes, Elders’ luncheons or health fairs).

Environmental health protection includes:

• working with the health team to prevent and control the spread of communicable diseases (by promoting immunization and managing outbreaks)
• looking into communicable disease outbreaks and providing information, screening and follow-up
• working with Health Canada to manage and report environmental health issues affecting the community (such as food handling, water quality and waste disposal)
• working with First Nation communities and their community-based water monitoring program
• helping with housing inspections, emergency preparedness and disaster planning
• helping to plan and monitor special events (such as pow wows and rodeos) for health-related issues.

Community advocacy and cultural liaison includes:

• referring clients and families to suitable resources and services, and helping them access those
• recommending improvements regarding the delivery of health care
• acting as a go-between and working with community leaders, agencies and service providers
• interpreting (translating or describing) routine medical procedures for clients, or cultural practices or beliefs for health care providers.

Program planning and support for health education programs includes:

• doing community needs assessments
• helping develop and introduce community health work plans
• helping co-ordinate or deliver community health strategies and program activities.

Patient resources include:

• guiding clients through the health care system
• helping clients access the care they need to achieve or maintain good health
• referring clients to the next level of care.

Community health representatives are also responsible for documenting their work. For example, they:

• record observations in client health records
• complete water bacterial reports
• prepare monthly reports
• help develop community health work plans.

In remote communities, community health representatives work closely with health care professionals during emergency situations.

In urban settings, community health representatives do not provide services that are already provided by other health care providers (such as assessing or screening clients or monitoring water safety).

Work hours for community health representatives may vary. They may work standard office hours. Or they may work evenings and weekends to support community programming.

Some travel may be required. Poor road and weather conditions are possible when travelling.

The work may be stressful. Workers may face significant community issues and hardships. These may include shifting priorities and multiple or conflicting demands. These may come from clients, families, and communities. They may also come from other agencies and management.

Community health representatives need:

• listening, speaking and writing skills
• good physical and mental health
• emotional maturity
• an interest in community work
• an interest in the preventive and educational aspects of health care
• a high level of comfort with coaching and teaching
• the ability to relate well to people of all ages
• the ability to relate well to people one-on-one or in groups
• the ability to solve problems
• the ability to work independently and as part of a team
• the ability to keep client information confidential.

Community health representatives need to be dependable and punctual. They should enjoy helping people, collecting information, keeping records, and running health programs.

Most community health representatives work in First Nations and Métis communities. In urban centres, they may work at community agencies. They may also work at Alberta Health Services facilities.

With further education, community health representatives may move into a related occupation. These can include social worker, licensed practical nurse, or addictions counsellor. To learn more about these occupations, see Related Occupations.

Community health representatives are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 4212: Social and community service workers. In Alberta, 76% of people employed in this occupational group work in the following industries:

• Health Care and Social Assistance [pdf]
• Public Administration [pdf]

The employment outlook [pdf] in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events that affect overall employment (especially in the industries listed above)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities that come up when people leave existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities that come up when new positions are created)
• size of the occupation.

In Alberta, the E212: Community and Social Service Workers occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 2.9% from 2016 to 2020. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 354 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website: www.hsaa.ca

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