Job Information
Catholic Charities of Oregon AmeriCorps Health Outreach Specialist in Portland, Oregon
AmeriCorps Health Outreach Specialist
Resident Services
Full-Time (40 hrs/week);
Limited time duration: 04/08/2024-04/07/2025
Reports to: Supportive Services Manager
NOTE: Applicants must apply via the AmeriCorps website:
https://my.americorps.gov/mp/recruit/registration.do
Job Listing #112974
AGENCY OVERVIEW:
Through the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, Catholic Charities of Oregon achieves lasting solutions to poverty and injustice by partnering with clients to meet their economic and educational goals, and to support their physical and social well-being. Catholic Charities is the official domestic relief agency of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.
Healthcare Outreach Need:
Catholic Charities of Oregon (CCO) provides culturally responsive resident services at affordable housing complexes across Oregon. CCO manages more than 800 units of affordable housing, including 160 units of permanent supportive housing (PSH). Residents in PSH often need assistance connecting to primary care, behavioral health services, and maintaining connection with health care. We manage 8 buildings with PSH units where service funding was eliminated by local government two or more years ago. The residents that remain, and new residents that move into those units, are often faced with multiple health and mental health challenges and lack the resources or skill to navigate the community's safety net services. The Resident Services Coordinators in these buildings lack the time needed to develop community partnerships and assist PSH residents in connecting with the services they may need.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The AmeriCorps member who will work to enhance CCO healthcare outreach related services. This position has 3 goals:
Help Catholic Charities PSH residents connect to primary care, behavioral health services (within CCO or externally), and enroll in health insurance benefits that meet the client eligibility.
Engage community members to provide classes, mentorship, and other educational opportunities to increase health literacy for existing CCO clients as well as new clients from the community.
Help improve food security, access to healthy food, and knowledge of health recipes among residents and clients by assisting the Food Pantry Coordinator with the Food Pantry Program.
PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Reach out to residents in 163 PSH units across 8 buildings, to collect baseline information, survey again after 6 months, and provide service navigation. Track results in our client database to show progress over time.
Data collection - tracking results in our client database, to show progress over time.
Travel to various buildings and assist residents in signing up for health insurance.
Coordinate and support on-site food pantries at several CC-owned affordable housing properties, as well as health fairs, and pop-up health clinics or other health-related events.
Help promote "healthy living" activities within the building; e.g. work with Resident Services Coordinators to reach out to community health partners and identify instructors for nutrition classes, cooking classes, and exercise programs.
Help Resident Services Coordinators complete Activities of Daily Living/Instrumental Activities of Daily Living assessments for residents in the PSH units.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Interest and experience in public health and community organizing and/or working, volunteering, or engaging directly with low income and/or diverse communities.
Interest in building knowledge of community resources.
Preference for applicants with a bachelor's degree in public health or a behavioral science field from an accredited college or university or one year of full-time professional experience in public health or mental health settings.
Preference for applicants with Community Health Worker Certificate, or willingness to work towards obtaining Community Health Worker Certificate.
Ability to work independently, providing skills training to clients.
Experience entering and retrieving data, and preparing simple reports.
Preference for applicants who have worked with or have lived experience with the following groups: African Americans, Latinx, immigrants and/or refugees.
Preferred ability to communicate concisely and effectively, both verbally and in writing in Spanish and English.
Ability to effectively work with standard office programs including Word, Excel, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce.
Demonstrate judgment and discretion in dealing with confidential matters.
Commitment to Catholic Charities mission to work in partnership with vulnerable populations to achieve lasting solutions to poverty and injustice.
Must be able to organize and prioritize work, be proactive, take initiative, follow through, and simultaneously manage multiple priorities to ensure goals are met in a timely manner. High attention to detail required.
Ability to work a standard office work schedule, though some evenings and weekends may be required occasionally.
Ability to lift up to 40 pounds, preferred.
Driver's license and ability to obtain automobile insurance at levels required by agency (100/300/100) required; access to vehicle strongly preferred. Frequent driving in the metro area.
Satisfactory results from criminal, civil and/or motor vehicle background check required.
Training
Catholic Charities will offer training related to healthcare and client needs such as: Trauma informed care, the housing first model, and assertive engagement, and connect the AmeriCorps members to training available through state and local government regarding applying for health insurance, food assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), etc.
COMPENSATION:
Learn more regarding program benefits at https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps.
TO APPLY: Please submit your application, resume and cover letter at: https://my.americorps.gov/mp/recruit/registration.do
Job Listing #112974
NOTE: Applicants must apply via the AmeriCorps website:
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER/VETERANS/DISABLED
Per several federal, state, and local COVID mandates that apply to Catholic Charities, all employees are required to confirm they are fully vaccinated, or in the process of receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Employees can submit the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) exception form for medical or religious accommodation. COVID-19 testing in lieu of being vaccinated or having an approved medical or religious exception is not an option.