Social Support Specialist

Description

General Responsibilities

Hyacinth AIDS Foundation’s mission is to help people live with HIV, stop the spread of the epidemic, and serve as a critical voice in the public debate surrounding AIDS in New Jersey. The following foundational behaviors are expected as an employee of Hyacinth:

Service/Customer Services

Consistently demonstrates respect, responsiveness, and professionalism towards others while providing superior service for our customers

· Treats each customer as a priority

· Respects each customer’s right to quality service, confidentiality, and dignity.

· Works with co-workers to ensure integration of services

· Displays a welcoming, helpful attitude to customers

· Establishes and maintains personal boundaries in clinical supervision with customers or co-workers

Community/Teamwork

Actively cooperates within the region and/or program and participates in the constructive resolution of conflict.

· Focuses on improving communication and collaboration

· Tries to understand the other person’s point of view when there is a challenge

· Works with all regional staff to provide a full continuum of services to customers.

· Understands local community resources and can make appropriate referrals.

· Is clear and tactful when collaborating and working with others.

Leadership

Assuming responsibility for one’s own self in the workplace and exhibiting commitment to the customer and agency.

· Takes pride in his/her/their work

· Advances Hyacinth’s reputation for excellence.

· Incorporates boundaries and ethical guidelines into decision making.

Employees of the Agency may learn certain facts about individuals being served by the Agency that are of a highly personal and confidential nature. Examples of such information are medical conditions, sexual orientation, relations with family members and other individuals. All such information must be treated as completely confidential. All staff are required to conform to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) guidelines which require the protection of personal health information.

Position Summary

· Under the supervision of the Regional Services Manager, performs assigned duties relating to the implementation and provision of non-medical case management and PrEP counseling and referral services.

· Engage customers in a sex-positive, non-judgmental, manner encouraging education on HIV and STI related matters.

· Distribute needed supportive services through referrals and linkages.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

Approximate Percentage of Time

Tasks/Duties/Responsibilities

70%

§ Conduct outreach and recruit individuals to engage in PrEP and other supportive services.

§ Refer and connect 100% of newly diagnosed PLWH and out of care customers to medical care and social support services.

§ Provide HIV status-neutral services and engage customers in dialogue pertaining to risk behaviors, risk reduction and testing options for HIV and STIs.

§ Assess needs of customers, prepare appropriate individual service plans and maintain records. Assist customers in implementing the service plan by networking and referral, internally and/or to other community resources.

§ Work collaboratively with other local service providers to develop and maintain the continuum of services available to customers.

§ Provide follow-up services to ensure customer is engaged in medical care, has received the necessary prescriptions and receives required medical care follow up.

§ Assist customer with pharmaceutical assistance programs, as necessary.

§ Assist customer with benefits counseling or refer to appropriate source, as appropriate to ensure medical insurance coverage.

§ Assess customer needs and create service delivery plan. Assist customers with implementation of plan by ensuring appropriate referrals, both internally and externally.

§ Follow-up on referrals from Linkage to Care Navigators a Community Health Educators

§ Refer and connect 100% of customers to medical and supportive services.

§ Prepare monthly reports in accordance with agency policies and procedures and grant requirements

§ Provide PrEP counseling and linkage to medical care.

15%

Reporting /Monitoring

§ Oversee that customer case records using approved agency forms and procedures are maintained and updated. Ensure confidentiality of all records.

§ Track on-line activities such as likes, shares, new page members etc.

§ Prepare monthly and quarterly reports in accordance with agency policies and procedures.

§ Track and spend down quarter program budgets

§ Maintain and update client information in SharePoint, eCOMPAS / CAREWare and/or EvalWeb

§ Develop and maintain database of professional contacts.

§ Develop data update and present to Hyacinth leadership team as well as other stakeholders.

10%

§ Hyacinth representation/advocacy

§ Attend and participate in staff meetings and supervisory conferences

§ Maintain working relationships with other community providers

§ Observe established administrative procedures.

§ Provide written reports and maintain statistics as required

§ Represent the agency at community events, meeting and conferences

§ Attend and participate in staff training opportunities.

§ Adhere to Hyacinth policies and procedures including customer confidentiality provisions

5%

Training and certifications

§ Complete DOH training series and capacity training sessions

§ Attend NJ HIV Planning Group meetings

§ Participate on NJHPG committee

§ Attend regional planning meetings and participate on one committee

§ Attend any additional required community or DOH meetings

100%

Total

Other Duties

1. Monitor schedule and attendance

2. Commitment to Hyacinth philosophy

3. Access to currently registered car and a valid driver’s license a plus

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Demonstrates understanding of objectives, duties, and responsibilities in accordance with the job description.

§ Understands job responsibilities and keeps current on skills and information needed to meet new challenges

§ Works with team leader/manager on areas of job responsibilities that are unclear.

Delivers quality results and balances priorities to meet all project and team commitments in a timely manner.

§ Serves as a steward of the public’s trust and money.

§ Takes responsibility for timely decisions and actions.

§ Routinely checks for accuracy in his/her/their own work.

§ Evaluates how well an event or program was completed (i.e. attendance and target audience specifications, asks clients to rate effectiveness, asks people what was good and what can be better next time).

Disseminates relevant information about decisions, plans and activities to team leaders and supervisors

§ Informs managers about decisions that affect work.

§ Recognizes problems and complaints and escalates to team leaders and/or managers when necessary.

§ Identify potential opportunities to implement marketing plans

§ Outreach and contact key influencers through social media, phone, and in person meetings when possible

§ Monitor and report the success of your outreach efforts

§ Proactively seek ways to improve yourself, team, and company

Requirements

Required Minimum Education: Bachelor's Degree Other: None

Required Years of Related Experience: 2-4 years

• A minimum of two years’ experience in the field of HIV / AIDS

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

(Include any required computer skills, certifications, licenses, languages, etc.

• Demonstrated ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and interests.
• Successful and demonstrated completion of NJDOH/DHSTS Basic Core Series
• Successful and demonstrated completion of Alere and INSTI training; as well as NJDOH/DHSTS HIV Counseling and Testing course

People Management Experience:

• Must be comfortable engaging customers in a sex-positive, non-judgmental manner.

Required Years of People Management Experience:

• At least 1 year

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Minimum Education:

• Bachelor’s degree and one year experience working in the HIV/AIDS field. A candidate who has no degree but seems exceptionally suitable will be considered if he/she can demonstrate additional years of relevant experience in exchange for the educational requirement.

Other:

• Proficiency in written and verbal communications
• Must be willing to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.
• Attention to details.
• Great understanding of entitlement benefits in New Jersey.
• Must understand PrEP/nPEP and the role it serves in ending the HIV epidemic.
• Must understand U=U

Preferred Area of expertise:

• Ability to build, develop and maintain business and community relationships
• Ability to work in fast paced environment.
• Must possess excellent communication skills both written and oral.
• Experience using a trauma informed approach to service provision and customer relation

Preferred Related Industry Experience:

• Experience working with people living with HIV

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

(Include any preferred computer skills, certifications, licenses, languages, etc.)

• Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook
• Verbal Spanish a must, Written Spanish a plus