Boston University The world is calling; heal the world and in the process heal yourself, find the human in yourself by finding the citizen, the activist, the hero. Tony Kushner Advocate Application Packet Spring 2013 Questions? Contact the University Coordinators for Boston University, at bu@healthleadsusa.org.
I. About Health Leads Health Leads is a national movement that mobilizes the nation s undergraduates to provide high-impact services to low-income families and, in the process, to transform our healthcare system into one that is more effective and more just. Health Leads envisions a healthcare system that addresses all patients' basic resource needs as a standard part of quality care. Health Leads mission is to catalyze this healthcare system by connecting patients with the basic resources they need to be healthy, and in doing so, build leaders with the conviction and ability to champion quality care for all patients. Health Leads believes that undergraduates have what it takes to make real change for individual families and for our country s healthcare system. We are always seeking passionate, committed, social justice-minded students to join our movement. To learn more about our work, our vision, and more, visit www.healthleadsusa.org. II. About Health Leads Boston Health Leads Boston is the oldest and largest region in the organization's six-city network. It has grown from a card table in the waiting room at Boston City Hospital staffed by 10 students, to a robust operation that last year alone mobilized 160 college students to serve over 2,000 families. The Health Leads Model The Health Leads Desk is a resource and advocacy program that helps families access community resources critical to their health, safety, and economic survival. Operating in clinics and hospitals, the Health Leads Desks use a patient s visit to the doctor as an opportunity to address the non-medical issues that have an impact on health. At the desk, Health Leads Advocates talk with individuals and families about their resource needs and connect them with appropriate services related to food, housing, health insurance, childcare, adult education, job training, and other services. The Advocates then follow-up with these clients to provide further assistance that will ensure success in accessing resources and to provide further assistance easing the frustration of bureaucratic systems, language barriers, and administrative errors that often obstruct families access to services. what people say about Health Leads This [Health Leads] is exactly the kind of social innovation and entrepreneurship we should be encouraging all across this country. First Lady Michelle Obama, TIME Magazine100 Most Influential People Gala Health Leads is a part of our team. I can t do it all. We re just barely staying above water. The students have excellent listening skills, aren t limited by time, realize this work is important, and are passionate about it. - Dr. Barbara Philipp, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center My classmates think you write a prescription, and you re done. I ask, can the patient read the prescription? Does she need transportation to the pharmacy? Does she have food at home to take with the prescription? These are not questions you learn to ask in medical school, but I learned them at Health Leads. - Mia Lozada, M.D. Health Leads alumna, Internal Medicine Resident, UCSF
III. Advocate Job Description Position Overview The Advocate provides high quality service to her/his clients that results in their access to the basic resources needed to be healthy. The Advocate participates in a team of 10, managed by an Advocate Coordinator (AC) and supported by a Resource Coordinator (RC). The Advocate reports to the site s Program Manager, a paid Health Leads staff member. The Advocate brings commitment, creativity, tenacity, and humility to work with families, and, through this work, strengthens her/his conviction and ability to champion quality care for all patients. Position Availability One (1) Advocate is needed for the desk in the Pediatric Clinic at Boston Medical Center (BMC) in Boston s Roxbury neighborhood. Four (4) Advocates are needed for the desk at The Dimock Center in Boston s Roxbury neighborhood. Commitments For Advocates at the desk in the BMC Pediatric Clinic: Able and willing to commit a minimum of 6 hours of service a week, including one shift at the desk and at least 1.5 hours a week of case follow-up on campus. These time commitments do not include time required for travel between the BU campus and BMC. Available to participate in regularly scheduled activities on campus at these times: o o Every Sunday 6:00 to 7:00 PM (Reflection Sessions) Alternate Sundays 7:00 to 8:00 PM (Case Support Groups) Available to attend the Pre-Service Training for Advocates on Saturday, February 16 th and Sunday, February 17 th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For Advocates at the desk in The Dimock Center: Able and willing to commit a minimum of 10 hours of service a week, including two shifts at the desk and at least 1.5 hours a week of case follow-up on campus. These time commitments do not include time required for travel between the BU campus and The Dimock Center. Available to participate in regularly scheduled activities on campus at these times: o Every Sunday 6:00 to 7:00 PM (Reflection Sessions)
o Alternate Sundays 7:00 to 8:00 PM (Case Support Groups) Available to attend the Pre-Service Training for Advocates on Saturday, February 16 th and Sunday, February 17 th 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Responsibilities Attends one shift per week if assigned to the desk in the BMC-Pediatric Clinic and two shifts per week if assigned to The Dimock Center desk, spending this time working with patients in-person and undertaking outreach and/or screening activities to engage new patients. Attends a Follow-Up Family (FUF) session on campus for 1.5 hours a week. Undertakes the additional follow-up activity needed to maintain consistent, high quality service to clients. Attends a Case Support Group on campus for one hour every other week to enhance service to clients and further skill development. Attends a Reflection Session on campus for one hour each week to extend learning by relating the Advocate service experience to broader health care policy, poverty reduction, and community development issues. Maintains clean and up-to-date case records, and documents hours of volunteer service each week. Responds promptly to questions and requests from the Advocate Coordinator and Program Manager by email, phone, and in-person. Attends the two days of Pre-Service Training for Advocates at the start of the semester. Participates in a mid-semester evaluation with the Advocate Coordinator. Completes a Volunteer Experience Survey at the end of the semester. IV. The Application Process Information Sessions Interested in learning more about Health Leads? Information sessions will be held in the evenings of Wednesday, January 23 rd and Thursday, January 24 th in Room 220 at Sargent College at Boston University. Please contact the University Coordinators for BU at bu@healthleadsusa.org for session times. Applications Applications are due by Friday, January 25 th no later than 12:00 pm (noon) EST. To request a link to the application, please email the University Coordinators for Boston University, at bu@healthleadsusa.org with your first and last name only in the body of the email. You will be sent a unique link tied to your email address. Caution: Do
NOT forward this link to anyone else or their answers could overwrite yours! Medical Tests and Background Checks Before beginning work at Health Leads, accepted students must submit certain health documentation to be cleared to volunteer in clinics. This is a process mandated by the hospitals and clinics in which we work. To work in the BMC-Pediatric Clinic, you must submit the following documents by email or fax (617-414-3620) to Claire Zukin, Health Leads Boston Operations Coordinator, by Tuesday, February 5 th at 9:00 am: The documentation results of a tuberculosis skin test (TST) administered within the last three (3) months. This documentation must include the date the test was given, the date it was read, as well as the millimeter (mm) of duration. Please obtain this information in a timely manner and check to make sure all required information is listed on the document. If information is missing, please bring the document back to the clinic that administered the test. Be sure to make an appointment with University Health Services/Student Health Services ASAP as appointments fill up very quickly. Note: All Advocates working at the BMC-Pediatric Clinic will need to obtain a second TB test within the first three weeks of starting shift. The second test can be from any time within the last 12 months. A copy of your immunization records. These records must include: 2 MMR vaccines and a Varicella vaccine or proof of Chicken Pox Disease. Note: Student Health Services may not have documentation of your varicella/chicken pox. If this is so, please have your doctor fax a copy of your immunization records to 617-414-3620. Documentation of a flu shot within the last 5 months. To obtain a flu shot, call Student Health Services at 617-353-3575 or contact your local CVS pharmacy. To work in The Dimock Center, you must submit the following documents to Allison Quinn, Health Leads Boston Program Manager at The Dimock Center, by email (aquinn@healthleadsusa.org) or fax (617-752-3733), by Tuesday, February 5 th at 9 am: The documentation results of a tuberculosis skin test (TST) administered within the last three (3) months. This documentation must include the date the test was given, the date it was read, as well as the millimeter (mm) of duration. Please obtain this information in a timely manner and check to make sure all required information is listed on the document. If information is missing, please bring the document back to the clinic that administered the test. Be sure to make an appointment with University Health Services/Student Health Services ASAP as appointments fill up very quickly. Note: All Advocates working at the BMC-Pediatric Clinic will need to obtain a second TB test within the first three weeks of starting shift. The second test can be from any time within the last 12 months. A copy of your immunization records. These records must include: 2 MMR vaccines and a Varicella vaccine or proof of Chicken Pox Disease. Note: Student Health Services
may not have documentation of your varicella/chicken pox. If this is so, please have your doctor fax a copy of your immunization records to 617-414-3620. Documentation of a flu shot within the last 5 months. To obtain a flu shot, call Student Health Services at 617-353-3575 or contact your local CVS pharmacy. A completed form allowing Health Leads to obtain a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) report for you from the Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice. We will provide you with this form and guidance in completing it. Interviews Interviews will be conducted by Health Leads student leaders on the BU campus, and will last approximately one half hour. If you are selected for an interview, it will be scheduled on one of the following days: Tuesday, January 29 th Wednesday, January 30 th Final Decisions Health Leads student leaders will notify applicants of acceptances by: Wednesday, January 30 th We hope that you accept our offer! All applicants offered an Advocate position must reply to the offer by: Thursday, January 31 st at 5:00 pm Training Dates If you decide to volunteer with Health Leads, please note that you will be required to attend training on both the following dates: Saturday, February 16 th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Sunday, February 17 th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM V. Questions If you have any questions, please contact the University Coordinators at bu@healthleadsusa.org. Thanks for your interest in Health Leads. We look forward to working with you!