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Health Access & Empowerment AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate

Salt Lake City

  • Organization: IRC - International Rescue Committee
  • Location: Salt Lake City
  • Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Development Cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background on AmeriCorps VISTA

Founded in 1965, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is a federal national service program designed to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift Americans out of poverty. In 1993, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs, housed at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). AmeriCorps VISTA supports efforts to alleviate poverty by recruiting Americans 18 years and older from a diverse range of backgrounds to dedicate a year of full-time service with a sponsoring organization ("sponsor") to create or expand programs designed to empower individuals and communities in overcoming poverty.

Job Overview

IRC SLC Health Programs promote physical, psychosocial, and mental wellbeing by ensuring access to healthcare services and providing culturally appropriate and strengths-based programming. These programs support refugee families and individuals for two years post arrival through skill building, healthy literacy improvement, nutrition programming, mental health and psychosocial support, and connection to health-focused resources and providers.  

Duration: 6/7/2021-8/16/2021

The IRC SLC Health Empowerment Program helps newly-arrived refugees complete their initial health screening, establish a medical home with a primary care provider, and access any specialty care they may need. The program assists refugees in accessing health care by scheduling appointments, scheduling interpreters, and providing transportation to and from medical appointments. The goal is to complete this process within the first 8 months arrival in Utah, after which time refugees may lose their Medicaid coverage.  

The program also works with clients to assess their health status and establish personal health goals and plans. Clients are assessed in their health attitudes, behaviors and knowledge along outcome areas that align with the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). SDOH include access to transportation, fresh foods, outdoor space, safe and affordable housing, and other environmental factors that impact health and wellbeing. The results of client SDOH assessments are used to develop personal health plans that are shared with health providers and guide referrals to programs that will assist clients in achieving their health goals. 

The Health Empowerment Program will provide the AmeriCorps VISTA summer associate with an opportunity to provide direct service to IRC clients by providing and coordinating transportation to and from medical appointments for newly arrived refugees and assisting IRC clients with their individualized holistic health plans. Transportation may include driving clients to medical appointments in an IRC vehicle, for which the member is covered by IRC insurance, or conducting bus orientations with clients. Bus orientations entail teaching clients how to take the bus from their home to the primary care provider. Other activities include conducting SDOH assessments to current resettled IRC clients in order to support them in achieving their health goals as outlined in their individualized holistic health plans. Lastly, the associate will also serve as an advocate to ensure that interpretation and culturally-appropriate care is provided at medical appointments.

Major Responsibilities

·Assist with transportation to and from clinics either by IRC vehicle or by conducting bus orientations 

·Coordinate medical appointments and provide referrals to clients as needed to achieve their individual health goals

·Ensure client’s medical bills are correctly billed to Medicaid

·Ensure and advocate that refugees receive the services they are legally allowed at medical appointments, specifically interpretation through the health care facility.

·Utilize the Success Measures database and interpretation support to conduct an SDOH assessment with clients at 45 days post-arrival.

·Work with Health Empowerment Coordinator to review results of client assessments and create client health plans from them

·Work with clients to develop and review personal health plans based on Success Measures assessment

·Support overall health programming and the IRC-SLC programs as needed

·Other duties as assigned


This vacancy is now closed.
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