Lay Health Promoter/Outreach Worker

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS

The Lay Health Promoter/Outreach Worker is responsible for engaging community members by providing educational materials, outreach messages and collecting data pertaining to programs. This role focuses on coordinating and managing the "Tu Salud si Cuenta Program" and the "Diabetes Prevention Program." Responsibilities span field and office work, including organizing exercise locations, participant sign-up, data collection, and promoting the programs. This position also involves supervising exercise sessions and ensuring the programs' success. The Lay Health Promoter/Outreach worker is a grant funded position that will conduct outreach and educational visits to participants of community wide campaign programs relating to healthy lifestyles to Harlingen residents.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

This list is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate.

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  Discuss project materials and messages with community members and other members of the program.
• Establish rapport with community members to aid in behavior change.
• Create partnerships with city and school entities in the community to promote the programs.
• Encourages community members to participate in community-based project activities and education.
• Provide small/large group educational classes on physical activity, healthy eating and disease prevention.
• Assist in data collection efforts including surveys and focus groups. This includes tracking participants’ activities in programs, making referrals for unmet care and educational needs, and obtaining basic anthropometric measures on participants (blood pressure, weight, height, hip and waist circumference).
• Communicate participants’ questions and/or concerns to project leadership.
• Oversees exercise classes at various program sites.
• Enrolls new participants, maintains records of attendance, and follow up with participants.
• Actively promotes program classes and activities using platforms such as Facebook.
• Uploads participant enrollment information and follow-up data to a designated website for program management.
• Cultivates partnerships with organizations, including BCFS Family Service, through weekly nutrition classes, and engage in health fairs and relevant health-focused coalitions.
• Performs other related duties as required.
• Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality seamless customer service.

Additional Requirements:

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  Some positions will require the performance of other essential and marginal functions depending upon assignment.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED & EXERCISED

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  General supervision is received from the Parks & Recreation Director.
• This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES

Knowledge of:

Local Community.

• Computers.

Ability to:

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  Understand text messages, smart phones, data bases.
• Teach individuals and large groups.
• Teach physical activity and nutrition topics.
• Work some evenings and weekends.
• Establish relationships and work cooperatively with City officials, employees, and the general public.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Teach and participate in exercise classes.
• Speak Spanish and English fluently.
• Produce written documents in the English language using proper sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
• Make presentations to City Commission and UTHSCSA staff.

Education & Experience:

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  High School Diploma or equivalent; and one (1) year relevant outreach/teaching experience required.

Licenses, Certificates & Registrations:

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  Community Health Worker Certification preferred.
• Valid Texas Driver’s License.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The employee is regularly required to sit and use hands and fingers. The employee is occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

SAFETY SENSITIVITY

This position is not classified as a safety-sensitive position.