Hepatitis C Outreach Specialist

Equal Opportunity Employer

The mission of the Health Federation of Philadelphia is to promote health equity for marginalized communities by advancing access to high-quality, integrated, and comprehensive health and human services.  Health equity is at the heart of all our work. We believe in and are firmly committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion, disability, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status.  This commitment applies to all aspects of the Health Federation of Philadelphia’s employment practices, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promotion.

JOB SUMMARY

The Hepatitis C Outreach Specialist will work to improve hepatitis C virus infection and substance use disorder outcomes for people living in Philadelphia, as a part of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH). This project will use data to care approaches to 1) identify people who use drugs and are living with hepatitis C and 2) connect them with any services or resources they need.  These include but are not limited to drug treatment, hepatitis treatment, medical care, harm reduction services and social services such as housing and job placement. As work allows, this role may also provide similar services to people with hepatitis B infections. The person filling this position will report to the Viral Hepatitis Program Manager and work very closely with staff from the Viral Hepatitis Program, the Division of Substance Use prevention and Harm Reduction (SUPHR), medical and behavioral health providers, and community-led organizations.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Responsibilities/Duties

  • Assess individual needs, identify barriers to successful connection to and retention in care, and connect clients to services as appropriate.
  • Educate clients on viral hepatitis and overdose prevention.
  • Help patients schedule appointments with both physical and behavioral health care facilities and assist in accessing supportive services as needed.
  • Support data collection and management for programming and public health surveillance needs.
  • Coordinate with care providers to support program activities and partnerships.
  • Work with key communities to provide education and navigation services for viral hepatitis.
  • Track patient follow-up, run queries.
  • Assist with reports to funding organizations or for grant writing.
  • Provide feedback to the Hepatitis and SUPHR teams.
  • Conduct education and outreach to community-based organizations and providers to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and available services.
  • Support broad program activities through close work with the Viral Hepatitis and SUPHR teams.
  • Participate in emergency preparedness exercises and real response activities at the discretion of the Viral Hepatitis Manager and Division Director.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, or similar field from an accredited college or university preferred. Relevant years of experience can be substituted for Bachelor’s degree.

Skills/Experience

  • Performing community outreach, preferably about health or social services programs.
  • Working with individuals with opioid use disorder, preferred
  • Working in a health care setting (health department, hospital, FQHC, primary care, community-based organization, etc.)
  • Able to maintain confidential medical information.
  • Knowledge of and ability to work and engage with individuals who are part of specific populations, including incarcerated individuals, persons who use drugs, recent immigrants, uninsured, under-served and under-represented populations.
  • Knowledge of harm reduction, stages of change, and motivational interviewing, preferred.
  • Working knowledge of viral hepatitis, including transmission, prevention strategies, laboratory and treatment information preferred (additional training will be provided)
  • Extensive experience engaging with community members, including public speaking, training, and/or individual and small group engagement.
  • Strong written and verbal communications skills
  • Must be skilled in Microsoft Office suite,
  • Capacity to manage data collection and management.
  • Able to handle multiple tasks and support project timeline with a high degree of organizational skill.
  • Able to work effectively and professionally in a fast-paced environment.
  • Fluency in Spanish preferred.

Work Environment:  Standard office setting with extended periods at workstation and periodic use of office equipment. This position also requires extensive time in the field interacting with and linking clients to care.

Position Type and Work Schedule:  Full time position, typical hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.  Work location is the Philadelphia Department of Health Division of Disease Control office at 1101 Market St. 12th Floor in Philadelphia. Remote work may be integrated depending on City of Philadelphia/Health Department policy.

Travel:  Local travel to multiple sites several times per week, as needed.

Physical Demands: Ability to transport materials on occasion; walking to meetings in nearby offices.

Application: If interested, please send a resume/CV and a cover letter  Applications without cover letters will not be considered.

Salary and Benefits:  Our employees are our most valuable resource, so we offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, which can include:

  • Medical with vision benefits
  • Dental insurance
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Life, AD&D and long-term care insurance
  • Short- and long-term disability insurance
  • 403(b) Retirement Plan, with a company contribution
  • Paid time off including vacation, sick, personal and holiday
  • Employee Assistance Program

Eligibility and participation is handled consistent with the plan documents and HFP policy. 

DISCLAIMER

The Health Federation reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the Company desires. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an employee assigned to this position. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, responsibilities and/or skills to be performed by the employee occupying this position. This job description is not an employment contract, implied, or otherwise. The employment relationship remains “at will.” The aforementioned job requirements are subject to change to reasonably accommodate qualified disabled individuals.