Community Outreach Specialist

Job Title: Community Outreach Specialist

Position Summary

The Community Outreach Specialist is responsible for coordinating and conducting screening and education to the migrant / seasonal farmworkers and their families.  The Community Outreach Specialist provides literature and handouts at various locations throughout Manatee and DeSoto Counties which includes, but is not limited to, farms, groceries, housing complexes, retail stores, churches and social events.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Conducts patient education regarding healthy lifestyles in individual or group settings
• Documents and maintains logs on education sessions to include patient(s) in attendance and topics addressed.
• Assists providers in patient instruction
• Assists in data collection for continuing quality improvement purposes
• Screens and evaluates patients to determine the educational sessions that would best suit their needs. 
• Prepares educational packets for distribution.
• Maintains demographic reports of meetings and outreach sessions, which includes number of people present, ages, gender, etc.
• Coordinates transportation for patients when necessary
• Develops and maintains a network of local resources and agencies serving migrant/seasonal farmworkers and their families
• Participates in community events such as lectures, health fairs, and blood screenings
• Translates for patients as needed.
• Adheres to and supports the patient experience by utilizing the MCR Customer Service vision when interacting with patients, customers, and fellow MCR team members
• Attends and successfully completes all required training program and team communications and meetings
• Supports the goals and mission of MCR Health
• Adheres to all MCR Health policies, procedures, standards, and processes
• Performs other duties as assigned

Skills

• Ability to explain and educate others clearly using language and terminology they will understand
• Ability to connect with patients and help them feel at ease
• Customer and Patient Service focus
• Excellent listening and interpersonal skills
• Must be flexible, resourceful and able to troubleshoot
• Must be able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and set priorities
• Must maintain professional demeanor and appearance at all time
• Ability to interact effectively with customers/patients in stressful and/or sensitive situations
• Empathetic
• Ethical
• Ability to maintain confidences
• Pride in the job and the image presented to our patients & visitors
• A positive can-do attitude

 Requirements

• High School diploma or GED required
• 1 years’ experience with outreach or community-related service
• 1 years’ informal or formal training experience (preferably in healthcare)
• Must be able to work a flexible shift within a 40-hour work week
• Must have reliable transportation to travel throughout Manatee and/or DeSoto Counties throughout the worked shift
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) required with the ability to become a certified medical translator or interpreter within 6 months of hire
• Experience interacting with diverse and multi-cultural populations
• Knowledge of local Hispanic social service agencies, churches, labor camps, packing houses, farms and apartment complexes beneficial

Mental/Physical Demands

• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 lbs.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, controls and talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to walk, stand and reach with hands and arms.  The employee is occasionally required climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Must be able to maintain a professional manner, tactful when voicing an opinion (constructive criticism) when necessary, in a manner which would not demean the profession, clinic and self. Must have ability to communicate and establish effective working relationships. Must be able to coordinate several activities to quickly analyze and resolve problems.  Understands that work can be stressful, and long hours are often required.  Employee understands that there is considerable amount of physical activity, some sedentary talking and writing.
• This job is not limited to the activities described above and this job description may be amended by management as deemed necessary.