NHC Member Position Description

Transcription

1 Member Position Health Educator NHC Member Position Description AmeriCorps Program Program: National Health Corps Florida Host Site Name & Location Florida Department of Health Baker County Health Department 480 West Lowder Street Macclenny, Florida Organization Description & Mission The mission of the Florida Department of Health in Baker County is to protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, & community efforts. The vision is to be the healthiest state in the nation. The values of the Florida Department of Health in Baker County is Innovation-We search for creative solutions and manage resources wisely; Collaboration-We use teamwork to achieve common goals and solve problems; Accountability-We perform with integrity and respect; Responsiveness-We achieve our mission by serving our customers and engaging our partners; Excellence-We promote quality outcomes through learning and continuous performance improvement. Baker County, located in rural northeast Florida, covers 585 square miles. The Baker County Health Department provides services to residents of Baker and neighboring counties through a 20,000 square foot state of the art facility built to meet the diverse needs of the community. Our goals are attained by preventing and controlling the spread of acute, chronic and infectious disease through prevention, intervention, treatment and education. The Baker County Health Department is a full service facility offering traditional public health services including medical, dental and community wellness programs. The Baker County Health Department offers an array of programs and services, including health screening services, immunizations, family planning, Healthy Start, school health, and environmental health services. The Baker County Health Department has a collective approach to healthcare, health education and services which consists of the provision of educational services including but not limited to an American Diabetes Association accredited diabetes self-management and improvement education program, CPR and First Aid certification classes, oral health education, child and family safety services, abstinence education, positive youth development, and tobacco education and cessation.

2 Member Position Purpose With limited resources for health education prevention services and high rates of health disparities the services provided by the AmeriCorps member will expand opportunities to reach more people in need and provide more in-depth quality services necessary to improve the overall health of the community. The services will increase health educational awareness and prevention services necessary to assist with eliminating health disparities and improving the quality and years of healthy life of residents in Baker County. Member Term of Service This is a full-time AmeriCorps national direct service position. To fulfill this position, the member will: Complete a minimum of 1,700 hours of service during this period. A maximum of 20% of these hours may be in training and a maximum 10% of these hours may be for pre-approved fundraising activities. understands that in order to successfully complete the term of service (as defined by the Program and consistent with regulations of the Corporation for National & Community Service) and to be eligible for the education award, he/she must: a. Serve a minimum of 1,700 hours b. Satisfactorily complete Pre-Service Orientation (PSO) c. Satisfactorily complete service assignments as defined in the member position description and determined by the NHC Program Site. Site Considerations Is the site accessible via public transportation (if yes, what line/route)?: No Does this position require a personal vehicle? Yes How will your organization reimburse the member for transportation costs? There will be minimal travel expected for this position. In the event that travel is necessary, all efforts will be made to ensure that a county vehicle is available and all mileage expenses will be assumed by the Health Education program so that reimbursement procedures will not be necessary. In the very rare event that a county vehicle is not available when needed for the member to provide service, the member may have to use their personal vehicle and will be reimbursed for their mileage at a rate of $0.445 a mile. Organization dress code: The standard dress code is casual business attire (no visible underclothing; no bare midriffs; no clothing advertising alcohol, musical bands, cigarettes or other business or products-with the exception being AmeriCorps attire is allowed; no excessively short skirts; clothing should fit-neither too loose nor too tight). Page 2 of 13

3 Expected Service Time The Baker County Health Department s Clinic operating hours are 8:00am-5:00pm Monday through Friday. The standard hours the member will be scheduled to serve is 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday with a 30 minute lunch break each day. There may be times when the member is asked to serve outside of these hours when available in order to meet the needs of clients. This may include extending morning, evening or weekend hours. In this situation the member, with the approval of the site mentor, may be able to adjust their standard schedule to accommodate the additional hours. The only holiday that the Florida Department of Health in Baker County is closed that is not a scheduled holiday for the AmeriCorps member is on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The member will still be able to receive hours on this day through the NHC AmeriCorps Program since this is a National Day of Service. To provide ample opportunities for missed hours, the member will be provided to provide service during health fairs and community events which will take place in the evenings and on weekends. They will also be provided to co-facilitate additional health education classes which includes the Diabetes Self-Management Education classes and tobacco cessation classes which are held in the evenings and on weekends Member Role & Description of Duties There is a great need to provide services to improve overall health outcomes within the County. With limited resources for health education prevention services, the Baker County Health Department is committed to providing programs that best serve those in need in the community. The AmeriCorps member will serve with the Health Education program staff to increase educational awareness and prevention services necessary to assist with eliminating health disparities and improving the quality and years of healthy life of residents in Baker County. Activities conducted by the member align with the NHC s performance measures including the provision of health education, access to care, and health screening and testing services. The member will be assigned projects to focus upon the community s health care needs such as health and wellness education, positive youth development education, youth drug and violence prevention, tobacco education and cessation, nutrition, diabetes support services, and health screenings. The following describes the member s specific role for each of these projects: Baker County is a rural county with high rates of chronic diseases, cancer, obesity, strokes, heart disease, diabetes and respiratory disease. Community Wellness Activities are conducted to improve the overall health of the community by providing Health Screenings and Health Education awareness and prevention presentations throughout the community. The member will be responsible for creating unique ways to present information to individuals in the community that will increase awareness regarding the impact of health issues and prevention techniques. Presentation may cover various topics such as oral health education, substance abuse awareness and prevention, child and family safety, hygiene, puberty or other health education topics. To assist with raising awareness, the member will provide community health screenings. The Health Screenings will include checking blood pressures, finger sticks, and determining body mass index, etc. for individuals within the community. Health Screenings will be conducted at the Health Department, different community organizations, in conjunction with other projects and programs, and at community activities and events. Page 3 of 13

4 To increase adolescents resiliency skills to avoid at-risk behaviors, the Baker County Health Department works closely with the Baker County School District to conduct services that promote positive values and encourage healthy lifestyle choices for youth. The AmeriCorps member will assist with these efforts by providing positive youth development education in local schools. Educational sessions will cover topics which include managing emotions, decision making, assertiveness, positive relationships, violence, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and addiction. Tobacco use in the number one cause of preventable deaths. In Baker County, tobacco use is a cultural norm for many of its residents. The Baker County Health Department and its community partners are leading efforts to decrease the acceptability, access, and use of tobacco products. The AmeriCorps member will assist with these efforts by providing interventions to educate youth on the dangers of tobacco products. The member will provide Tobacco Education to youth who receive citations for the underage use or possession of tobacco products in order to teach the dangers and negative consequences of tobacco use and encourage teens to adopt healthier lifestyles and motivate them to decrease their tobacco use. The AmeriCorps member will assist the Baker County Health Department with achieving the Surgeon General s goal to make Florida the Healthiest State in the Nation. To do this the member will facilitate Wellness Support sessions to individuals who have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or other factors that increase the risk for cardiovascular disease or chronic diseases. The purpose is to identify healthy living goals and create action plans to assist individuals to improve their health. The member will provide support and health education to assist participants in meeting their desired goals. The member will market and recruit participants to the program. The AmeriCorps member will collaborate with the Healthy Start program to provide safe sleep education. The member will educate parents about safe sleep practices for infants in order to help parents understand the importance of placing infants on their back and in a safe appropriate sleeping environment. The member will also utilize this opportunity to educate parents regarding proper nutrition and wellness. The activities the member will be assigned are unique tasks that are activities which would otherwise not be performed due to lack of funding, staff and time constraints. These are all activities that would not displace an employee or volunteer. This AmeriCorps position will not replace public state or local funds. The member will be provided with proper training on how to conduct the activities before providing the services on their own. No more than 20 percent of the member s total service hours will be accumulated through training. The member will not be involved in any fundraising activities. The host site mentor will ensure that the member will not be conducting AmeriCorps prohibited activities as outlined in 45 CFR Page 4 of 13

5 PROGRAM, PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE NAME (INCLUDE % TIME OVER TERM MEMBER WILL SPEND WITH THIS PROGRAM) Positive Youth Development Education (55%) MEMBER ACTIVITIES AND PURPOSE OF SERVICE (List the key activities the member will be responsible for, for each program/project listed) The member will conduct Positive Youth Development education sessions to students enrolled in Baker County Schools three to four times a week for middle school youth enrolled in grades 6 th, 7 th, and 8 th. The member will provide group instruction that will educate youth on topics such as: managing emotions, decision making, assertiveness, positive relationships, violence, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and addiction. Curriculum will be provided for the member to utilize to conduct education sessions. MEMBER OUTPUTS (How many classes, workshops, clients, patients etc. will the member conduct/serve under each activity) The member will facilitate a minimum of 275 classes during the year. Classes will be conducted for new and repeat participants. Classes will take place at a minimum of 3 day a week in the schools with 5 classes per day. NHC PERFORMANCE MEASURE(S) AND ALIGHNMENT WITH NHC MISSION THIS ACTIVITY FALLS UNDER (if any). Health Education A minimum of 550 new youth will participate in the classes during the entire length of the member s service. Page 5 of 13

6 Tobacco Education Classes (15%) NHC Member Position Description Tobacco Education classes will be provided for youth who receive citations for the underage possession or usage of tobacco products. Each class consists of four sessions which take place once a week for four weeks. The member will prepare and conduct Tobacco Education Group Instruction that will teach the dangers and negative consequences of tobacco use and encourage teens to adopt healthier lifestyles. Support-Group Curriculum for the classes will be provided for the member to utilize to motivate young people to decrease their tobacco use, quit on their own or join a voluntary cessation program. Member will facilitate at least 10 complete Tobacco Education Classes (4 sessions for each class = 40 sessions). A minimum of 10 new youth will participate in the classes per year; the number of participants may vary depending on the number of citations. Health Education Keeping Baker Healthy Initiative (10%) The Keeping Baker Healthy Initiative is a wellness project to improve the overall health of the community by providing awareness and prevention presentations and activities throughout the community. Presentation may cover topics such as substance abuse awareness and prevention, child and family safety, or other health education topics. The member will conduct presentations requested by organizations that have contacted the Baker County Health Department and may also provide outreach to other organizations to coordinate additional opportunities to provide presentations. The member will Page 6 of 13 The member will conduct at least 5 Keeping Baker Healthy Initiative Presentations to a minimum of 100 participants per year. Health Education

7 be responsible for developing and conducting presentations as well as creating and disseminating health and safety educational materials at different agencies, organizations and businesses throughout the community as needed. The member will be responsible for creating unique ways to present information to individuals in the community that will increase awareness regarding the impact of health issues and prevention techniques. The Keeping Baker Healthy Initiative may take place at the Health Department, schools and other organizations in the community. Community Health Screenings (5%) The Community Health Screenings will be conducted to improve the overall health of the community by increasing awareness. The Health Screenings will include checking blood pressures, finger sticks, determining body mass index, etc. for individuals within the community. The member will conduct at least 9 health screening events that will provide services to a minimum of 100 participants per year. Health Screening and Testing Page 7 of 13

8 The member will be responsible for conducting the health screenings, reviewing the results with the clients and providing them with referrals for any necessary resources if needed. This may include referring and enrolling them in Health Education Self-Management or Prevention programs or providing them with information to connect to primary care or specialty providers. Health Screenings may take place at the Health Department and other organizations in the community, or in conjunction with other projects, programs, activities or events. Deliver Information about Health Insurance, Health Care Access, and Health Benefits Programs Health Care Service Enrollment and Scheduling Sweet Dreams in Baker County (5%) Using a power point presentation and other instructional materials that have already been created by, the member will provide group and individual instruction on safe sleep practices for infants to families that are requesting assistance to obtain a safe sleep environment (portable crib) for their child. The member will also provide safe sleep presentations which will also include topics related to nutrition for infants to individuals in the community such as WIC participants and daycare parent group. The member will serve at least 20 families that request portable cribs. The member will also provide at least 2 training presentations to client groups regarding safe sleep practices for infants. Health Education Page 8 of 13

9 Wellness Support Sessions (10%) NHC Member Position Description The member will implement Health and Wellness Group sessions. These sessions will utilize Nutrition Education Curriculum available from the CDC. The member will research and develop educational materials and activities to enhance group sessions. Additional activities can include guest speakers, walking groups, or other items approved by the site mentor that will assist participants in achieving their goals and improving their health. The member will conduct 1 group session every other month. Health Education Site Orientation and Training The AmeriCorps member will receive orientation upon beginning their service with the Florida Department of Health in Baker County. The goal of the orientation is to introduce the member to service responsibilities, the host site organization, pertinent host site staff, and to gain access to tools needed to perform service activities. The member will be introduced to the Health Education staff and will be provided with a tour of the Florida Department of Health in Baker County. This will include introducing the member to staff in different departments, showing the member where their office will be located, showing the member where program supplies and curriculum are kept and providing the member with an orientation manual created by the previous year AmeriCorps member. The member will also meet with the Human Resources Department to begin orientation, obtain their I.D. badge and door codes to access the building, complete background screenings and required Health Department online trainings. Trainings will include the following topics: OSHA, Bloodborne Pathogens, Ethics, Customer Focus Training, Equal Opportunity Awareness Training, HIV/AIDS 101, Information Security and Privacy Awareness, Basic New Employee Orientation, Public Health Preparedness Orientation, Sexual Harassment Awareness Training, Violence-Free Workplace training, Workplace Safety, Introduction to Incident Command, and Introduction to the National Incident Management System. In addition to the Health Department trainings, the member will complete tobacco education trainings, training on the Too Good for Drugs and Violence curriculum, and will review curriculums, binders and program materials related to the activities that they will be conducting. The member will shadow the site mentor and other host site staff members to assist with educating them on all of the topics listed in the position description. The Florida Department of Health in Baker County is an interdisciplinary team that is readily available to assist and guide the member at all times. Whenever possible and financially feasible, the member will be enrolled in additional conferences or training sessions that will help to expand their knowledge base. Each of these topics will also be incorporated into supervision sessions with the site mentor. The member will learn effective techniques and relevant skills during supervisory sessions with the site mentor. The member will also be provided resources and materials to assist with skill development. Page 9 of 13

10 Member Benefits The member in this position will receive from the NHC program the following benefits: 1. Living Allowance in the amount of $13, a. The living allowance is taxable, and taxes will be deducted directly from the living allowance. b. The living allowance is not a wage. It is intended to provide for expenses a member incurs while actively serving and is not linked to the number of hours a member serves. A member who completes his/her term of service early or will receive the portion of the living allowance that would be provided for that period of participation under the program s living allowance distribution policy (a member who leaves in the first week (or first ½) of a pay period receives ½ a stipend; a member who leaves early in the second week (or second ½) of a pay period receives a full stipend). Members who end their service early will not be eligible for the remaining amount of their living allowance, either in lump sum or incremental payments. A member may not receive a living allowance if they are suspended by the program. 2. Health Insurance. If a full-time member is not currently covered by a health insurance program or loses coverage due to participation in the Program, they are eligible to receive limited health insurance through the program where they serve. Insurance coverage for fulltime members begins after mandatory documentation is received and processed. Member insurance coverage does not cover family members and dependents. 3. Child Care. Child care subsidy, paid directly to the child care provider by a CNCS benefits administrator, GAP Solutions, is available to members who qualify. GAP Solutions distributes this allowance evenly over the term of service on a monthly basis. Members are responsible for locating their own child care providers. The amount of the child care subsidy that the member may be eligible for varies by state and may not cover the full cost of child care. 4. Education Award. Upon successful completion of the member s term of service, the member may be eligible to receive an education award from the National Service Trust. For successful completion of a full-time term (minimum of 1,700 hours), the member will receive a $5,920 Education Award. The member understands that he/she may not receive more than the amount equal to the total value of two education awards for full-time service from the National Service Trust, regardless of the stream of service in which the member serves. 5. Loan Forbearance Interest: If the member has received forbearance on a qualified student loan during the term of service, and the member successfully completes the term of service, the National Service Trust will repay a portion or all of the interest that accrued on Page 10 of 13

11 the loan during the term of service. After a member is enrolled in e-grants by the Program Director, they may use the CNCS web-based system to apply for loan forbearance. The NHC is not responsible for following through with private lenders. Minimum NHC Member Qualifications In order to be eligible to serve in this position and in the NHC Program, a person must meet the following requirements: 1. Must be at least 18 years of age by the time training begins; 2. Must be a United States citizen or National or have a permanent resident visa; 3. Must have a high school diploma or an equivalency certificate (or agree to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent before using an education award) and must not have dropped out of elementary or secondary school in order to enroll as an AmeriCorps member (unless enrolled in an institution of higher education on an ability to benefit basis and is considered eligible for funds under section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. 1091), or who has been determined through an independent assessment conducted by the Program to be incapable of obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent; 4. Must have complied with all CNCS required criminal history checks including 1) a State Criminal Registry Check of the CNCS designated repository in both the state in which the program operates and the state in which the member resided at the time they applied to the program; 2) a nationwide fingerprint based FBI background check; and 3) a Department of Justice National Sex Offender Registry Check. The member understands that if the results of the required criminal history checks reveal that they are subject to a state sex offender registration requirement and/or have been convicted of homicide (1 st, 2 nd or 3 rd degree) they will be ineligible to serve in the Program. The member also understands they will have the opportunity to review and dispute the findings from the criminal history check. 5. Must submit valid forms of documentation to prove date of birth and citizenship/naturalization/resident alien status and must have a valid government issued photo identification; 6. Must disclose any history of having been released from another AmeriCorps program; failure to do so will render one ineligible to receive the education award; 7. Must submit evidence that they successfully completed any previous AmeriCorps terms, if applicable; 8. Must furnish all other documentation deemed appropriate by the program and host service site. Page 11 of 13

12 Site Member Qualifications The selected member should be non-judgmental and comfortable interacting with clients of all age groups (youth and adult) and of diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. In addition, the member should be non-judgmental when it comes to viewing an individual s health and lifestyle. This is extremely important since the member will be working on changing the lifestyles of individuals who may be uncomfortable to discuss their health or apprehensive to change. The member should be determined (not give up easily) while able to be have patience with individuals and have a positive outlook. They should have a demonstrated interest or passion to serve vulnerable populations in a rural setting. Strong social skills are a must and the candidate should also have traits that include being friendly, creative, optimistic, outgoing, empathic, patient and persistent personality. The member should also be an individual that is detail oriented, organized, flexible and able to multi-task as needed to adequately serve clients. They should be able to work independently as well as part of a team. Willing to seek and accept guidance from experienced public health professionals, able to talk about sensitive information in a professional, straightforward and optimistic manner. They should also be comfortable with public speaking and providing services during face to face contacts with representatives from community organizations as well as health department consumers. A qualified AmeriCorps member is a candidate with a strong interest and commitment to serving in the public health arena. The member should have good computer skills and strong written, verbal and listening communication skills. They should be able to research information, utilize social media, complete reports and documentations. The preferred candidate should have the ability to develop health education curriculum and have public speaking and presentation skills to present educational information to individuals and groups. Classroom management and some basic general client interviewing skills and knowledge are desirable. Experience working with individuals to obtain health goals and to assist individuals to get past barriers to achieve optimal health is a plus. Evaluation and Reporting All NHC members will be given written performance review by both their host site supervisor and NHC Program Director at the mid-term and end of their term of serve. These performance reviews will be, based on the member s performance at their host site and their participation in National Health Corps responsibilities such as member trainings, committees and group service projects. If a member disagrees with any aspect of their performance review, they can indicate that on the review and they may appeal to the Program Director in writing, according to the grievance procedure. NHC members will be evaluated according to the following criteria: a. Whether the member has satisfactorily completed service assignments, tasks or projects; b. Whether the participant has met any other performance criteria which has been clearly communicated both orally and in writing at the beginning of the term of service; c. The member s ability to establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships and whether they participated in NHC activities; d. Whether the participant has completed or is on track to complete the required number of hours outlined in their member contract to complete their term of service. Page 12 of 13

13 Employment Status of AmeriCorps members in this Position NHC Member Position Description For guidance related to the employment status of AmeriCorps members please refer to the below link: AmeriCorps Brand and Messaging For guidance on AmeriCorps branding and messaging, please refer to the below link: NHC Program Director and Host Site Supervisor Dustin J Arceneaux, CHES, Program Director darceneaux@nefhsc.org Phone: 1 (904) Melody Coggins melody.coggins@flheath.gov Phone: 1 (904) Site Supervisor Signatures By signing below, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the contents of this position description. Host Site Supervisor Full Name (Print): Host Site Supervisor Signature: Date: AmeriCorps NHC Member Full Name (Print as listed on formal documentation): AmeriCorps NHC Member Signature: Date: By signing below, you acknowledge that this position description was finalized/approved by the NHC Florida Site Director: NHC Florida Site Director Full Name (Print): NHC Florida Site Director Signature: Date: Page 13 of 13