Tribal Liaison

Full-time, hybrid

SWACH is a local nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity in Clark, Klickitat and Skamania Counties. Our work centers improving health outcomes for everyone in Southwest Washington. By joining our organization, you'll become part of an organization dedicated to improving our community. We are growth minded, with a lot of opportunities to advance your career. We provide a wide range of benefits, including health, wellness, and more, to help support the whole-person wellness of our staff. Learn more about SWACH at www.southwestach.org

We are hiring our first Tribal Liaison. SWACH recognizes that building trust with communities is paramount in being partners, so a high degree of relationship building and fostering meaningful relationships will be key to the success of this position. The Tribal Liaison will partner with Native, Tribal, and community partners to identify community needs and serve to identify ways SWACH can partner to eliminate health disparities across our region. Additionally, this position will collaborate across SWACH to understand our regional HUB, policy work, equity trainings, technical assistance to Community Based Organizations (CBOs), community engagement, and with statewide and governmental agencies to be a subject matter expert on Native & Tribal issues to ensure SWACH is aligned across all areas of work. This position will need to have competency in or a willingness to learn about the Washington Medicaid system, Indian Health Services, and intergovernmental affairs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Planning and Operations – 40%

• Collaborate with the Equity & Collaborative Impact Program Manger to inform and develop Native & Tribal policy issues that are in alignment with and centers the needs identified by Native and Tribal partners/communities.

• Support the coordination, planning and implementation of equity training for SWACH staff and community partners.

• Support in person event planning and coordination to bring partners together for various initiatives. This includes identifying speakers, subject matter experts, developing agendas, coordinating venue and food and supporting communications and registration.

• Research, present, and make equity-focused recommendations that have been informed by the stated needs of the community for impact on developing any ongoing community health issues in SWACH region.

• Participate as a member of the core SWACH team, acts as liaison to the Health Care Authority, Regional Health Coalitions, Tribal and other key partners in the region.

• Serve as a subject matter expert with SWACH board, committees, programs, projects and initiatives to ensure Native and Tribal voices and considerations are included across the organization.

• Represent SWACH and all program partners with integrity and respect.

• Work with communications and administrative support team members; ensure that effective communication tools and practices are in place.

Community Partnership – 30%

• Build meaningful, positive, and effective relationships with Native, Tribal, and community partners

• Work with Native & Tribal communities to build robust and meaningful relationships.

• Serve as a liaison between Tribal leadership, Native communities and partners to advance access to health initiatives to reduce health disparities and address Native and Tribal health needs as identified by Tribal leadership and Native Communities.

• Serve as a representative and collaborate with other ACHs and the Health Care Authority on their Tribal Liaison Workgroup as appropriate and provide equity-centered guidance and support to other partners as needed.

• Lead efforts to foster greater understanding among SWACH Board, staff and other community partners about tribal communities, sovereignty, leadership, initiatives, and history.

• Work with the Governor’s Office of Equity, Indian Health Services, and other system and State level offices to maintain knowledge of current systems that impact ACH’s and Tribal partners.

• Demonstrate a commitment to community engagement, community voice, and building power.

• Utilize “Power With” frameworks and design effective processes to engage community members in shaping solutions.

Assessment and Analysis – 30%

• Prepare briefing documents, presentations and reports that summarize impact of SWACH decisions on Native Communities in partnership with Tribal Partners. Evaluate the short-, mid-, and long-term success of these decisions, centering the feedback from Native communities and Tribal partners.

• Manage day-to-day responsibilities for projects assigned to this position, including planning, implementation, assessment, analysis and measuring performance including supervision and evaluation of subcontractor’s work.

• Support the Equity & Collaborative Impact department within SWACH to provide culturally relevant and appropriate funding opportunities to our Tribal partners. Evaluate the success and impact of these funds and work with Tribal partners to support their priorities for funding.

• Cultivate effective partnerships that inspire people from a wide variety of backgrounds and organizations to work together toward achieving community priorities assigned to Department.

• Role model of SWACH’s vision, mission, and values to all staff

To be successful in this role, you should have the following qualifications:

• Deep cultural understanding and experience with one of more Native and Tribal communities and demonstrated understanding of and ability to implement initiatives reflecting the understanding that people in forcibly marginalized or under resourced communities are the experts about their own lives and have the best solutions to their own problems.

• Demonstrated skill set of rural health needs.

• Demonstrated expertise engaging in authentic, meaningful and effective community outreach and mobilization efforts in diverse community settings.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze and critique educational materials for value, accuracy, health literacy, cultural appropriateness, and language accessibility/inclusion.

• Proven ability to maintain high ethical standards and confidentiality.

• Proficiency with quantitative and qualitative data analysis and reporting.

• Experienced assigning and delegating tasks, setting goals and deadlines, completing

• Milestones and tasks with competing deadlines, and adapting plans as necessary.

• Solid decision making, problem-solving approaches, and ability to support routine to complex analysis.

• Advanced ability to present complicated issues in an accessible manner to diverse audiences; public speaking and presentation skills.

Qualifications-Education and Experience

Any combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position is qualifying. This would typically include:

• Lived experience and cultural connection with Native & Tribal communities will be considered equally with formal education and degrees.

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher with major in a health-related field, community health, or social work preferred

• Demonstrated experience and respect working with tribal partners; intimate understanding of tribal sovereignty and government to government relationships.

• Understanding of the regional needs of Clark, Klickitat, and Skamania counties; Highly preferred to have experience working in rural communities.

• Knowledge of current health system approaches, the social determinants of health, health equity, health and community service delivery systems.

• Ability to center equity practices with knowledge of transformative leadership practices.

• Access to reliable transportation.