Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is seeking applicants for an Outreach Health Educator – Linkage to Care position. The Outreach Health Educator will be the primary point of contact for Linkage to Care services for Prevention teams within Adolescent Medicine. This position will also support Prevention by conducting educational programming related to HIV/STI screening and sexual health, sexuality health education, and other issues impacting adolescents and young adults, as needed.
Essential Job Functions:
- Develops relationships with community members and organizational partners through outreach activities.
- Link individuals with appropriate community resources such as case management, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, food, housing, and public benefits among others.
- Administer an assessment to determine barriers to care and determine appropriate referrals.
- Maintain contact with individuals to track access to services and completion of referrals to medical care and other community resources.
- Timely documentation of all program encounters and activities in the navigation tracker.
- Conduct community-based outreach to individuals previously diagnosed with HIV/AIDS who have disengaged from HIV medical care.
- Identifies new clients and community partners through outreach efforts to participate in HIV/STI testing, and substance use risk screening, naloxone distribution and other community program activities.
- Supports linkage to clinical services within Adolescent Medicine and Lurie Children’s, as a whole.
- Provides high quality, culturally responsive substance use screenings, in support of state and federal grant initiatives, developmentally appropriate HIV/STI counseling and testing services onsite at 1440 N Dayton and offsite via Lurie Children’s Mobile Health Unit and community partners.
- Assists Lurie Children’s Adolescent Medicine staff and faulty in the recruitment of community members for Division and hospital programs and initiatives. Participates in health fairs, festivals, and other community events, which serve as a venue for outreach.
- Participates in the creation and dissemination of culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate education and prevention materials related to substance use/prevention, HIV/STIs and other health needs impacting youth/young adults.
- Maintains current referrals/resources and up-to-date health education information, particularly related to sexual health education (including HIV/STI) and substance use/prevention.
- Coordinates linkages to care for youth as appropriate in conjunction with the Medical Director of Adolescent HIV Program and Special Infectious Disease (SID).
- Participates in meetings as needed.
- Performs job functions adhering to service principles with customer service focus of innovation, service excellence and teamwork to provide the highest quality care and service to our patients, families, co-workers and others.
- Support Adolescent Medicine Community programs with promoting events and activities via social media and other marketing materials.
- Expectation to work nights and weekends.
- Spanish speaking preferred.
- Experience with HIV screening and/or phlebotomy preferred.
- Other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
This position requires a high school diploma or one year of experience in providing community outreach services. The person in this role must demonstrate strong interpersonal and written communication skills, and the ability to work effectively with diverse staff and populations, including individuals from communities of color and LGBTQ+.