Outreach Coordinator

The AmeriCorps Member’s service will directly impact uninsured and underinsured school age children and their families in the City of Chicago and neighboring suburbs. Through data capture, analysis and use of a Social Determinants of Health screening tool, the member will:

• Determine common diagnosis codes used to target services;
• Provide follow up on referrals for additional clinical services and appropriate referrals to community based social services and supplemental programs such as Medicaid and SNAP;
• Review existing food insecurity programs currently in use across all platforms of the School Health Program.

This referral follow up service is something our program has not been able to do prior to the addition of our Americorps member. There is no staff person duplicating this service.

The AmeriCorps member’s service on our school health program team will be pivotal as we help our patients and families recover and rebuild after the COVID-19 pandemic. The already-challenged communities we serve have been even harder hit by COVID, subsequent job loss, food insecurity, rising food and cost of living expenses and rising unmet health needs. The member will assist in assessing sites of need and expanding access to resources though our community services resource platform to address social determinants of health (NowPow) and other community-based programs. Our School Health Program screens each patient/family for food insecurity with the express goal to immediately intervene with resources. Addressing food insecurities for families with referrals to programs such as SNAP has been shown to have an impact on both nutrition and obesity.

The School Health Program has nimbly adapted and responded to the pandemic and is currently providing onsite services both with our mobile health program and at the school-based health center, each with a careful eye to safe practices. With each phase of the pandemic, the program has readjusted and kept the safety of our team and the needs of our families in mind. The AmeriCorps member’s tasks can and will be modified to respond to the changing pandemic to ensure the member’s safety. Data analysis, referral follow-up and the launch of the social determinants of health screening tool are tasks that can be completed both in person or remotely as the pandemic dictates.

• Gathering data on critical issues impacting the community
• Collecting, recording, and evaluating data to inform education on health issues
• Utilizing partnerships and data to coordinate referrals
• Providing education to clients and referring them to providers
• Developing and maintaining monthly inventory reports

• Flexible
• Able to build strong relationships
• Community engagement/outreach skills
• Able to communicate effectively with individuals of diverse backgrounds and identities 
• Compassionate 

• Knowledge of AmeriCorps/Health Corps member requirements
• Skill with Microsoft Office or other software for a variety of data processing operations involving a range of problem solving, record keeping, correspondence, and service tracking options.

• Member uses initiative in carrying out recurring assignments following set procedures, independently
• The supervisor assigns service activities, advises on changes in procedures, and is available for assistance when required
• The supervisor assigns service activities in terms of project objectives and basic priorities and is available for consultation in resolving
  controversial issues.
• The Host Site Supervisor is available to the member for support through any questions or issues that come up and during weekly in-person supervision. This is very much a collaboration between the member and the supervisor to best serve the families served by the School Health Program.

• The member independently plans and carries out the projects and selects the approaches and methods to be used in solving problems.
• Completed projects are reviewed very generally to determine that objectives have been met and are in compliance with policies and regulations.

• Written and oral guides provide specific instructions for doing service
• Guidelines are generally applicable, but the member independently makes adaptations in dealing with problems and unusual situations.

• Member has to develop, analyze, or evaluate information before the service position can progress
• The member will receive referrals from the providers in the School Health Program, use NowPow and knowledge of community resources to direct familes to resources in their zip code, and contact families with the referrals. Member will have access to computer, cell phone, and translation services.

• Personal vehicle required
• Criminal history check requirements beyond those required by National Health Corps
• An AmeriCorps member at Advocate Children's Hospital will have the occasional event on a weekend or evenings to attend. The position is mainly Monday-Friday 9:00-5:30. If a family requests a call/text in the evening due to the family work schedule, it is expected that the AmeriCorps member will flex their time to communicate with the family. There will be teleservice - remote activities for this position and in-person event attendance. 

• Languages other than English are preferred, but not required.

• AAH requires an onboarding process that will require proof of vaccines and an additional criminal background check prior to the first day of service.