Peer Coordinator

Westchester Medical Center Health Network; Town of Mount Pleasant (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Westchester Medical Center Health Network seeks a Peer Coordinator to provide client-centered support and education to clients with HIV. This role coordinates and advocates for services with the client's care team to promote positive health outcomes in a collaborative, safe environment.

The Peer will identify barriers to care, navigate to appointments, and deliver educational materials while maintaining confidentiality and adhering to program guidelines. Bilingual Spanish preferred.

Qualifications

• Living with HIV and ability to manage care and adherence.
• Experience in sexual health education preferred.
• Comfortable communicating with patients and community.

Responsibilities

• Identify and address barriers to care; provide emotional support to HIV-positive clients.
• Orient new patients to grant and clinic services and introduce clinic staff.
• Navigate patients to medical visits and other health services.
• Outreach new referrals within 5 work days; follow up for missed appointments.
• Provide educational and organizational materials.
• Support education and adherence through individual or group activities.
• Meet patients at home and escort to appointments as needed.
• Outreach to patients lost to contact and follow up on missed appointments.
• Document interventions in AIRS; maintain logs; submit monthly monitoring data by the 5th.
• Attend the AIDS Institute Peer Certification program to completion.
• Protect confidentiality; ensure consent forms; safeguard devices and passwords.
• Collaborate with team; address staff and client concerns; refer to ACC Administrator.
• Participate in Quality Improvement/QA committees.
• Other duties as requested by supervisor.

Skills

Living with HIV and medication-adheren

Sexual health education experience

Communication with patients and within

Education

High School diploma or GED

NYS DOH Peer Education Training (or willingness)

Job description

Job Summary

The Peer Coordinator will be responsible for providing client centered support and education to clients with HIV. Through a collaborative effort with the client's care team, the Peer will coordinate and advocate for services that will promote positive health outcomes. Peers have a deep understanding of what the patient is experiencing; Patients have an opportunity to discuss personal issues with Peers in a safe environment and with someone who can relate to their situation

Responsibilities

• Identifies and addresses barriers to care, anticipate and pre-empt potential problems, promote patient self-efficacy through teaching and coaching; and provide emotional support - HIV positive with success in managing their HIV care and treatment as well as navigating health care systems
• Responsible for the orientation of new patients to grant support services and to clinic services. In addition, introduce new patients to clinic staff
• Navigation of patients to medical visits or other health and human services appointments.
• The Coordinator is expected to outreach all new referrals within 5 work days, make reminder calls and follow-up for missed appointments
• Provide educational and organizational materials
• Support education and adherence assistance through individual or group activities.
• Peer Coordinator will meet patients in their home and escort them to appointments as needed.
• Conducts outreach to clients who have become lost to contact and make follow up phone calls to patients who miss appointments, if they are receptive to the calls.
• Ensure that program goals of client outcomes are documented in AIRS so that annual service units can be met and demonstrate ability to set priorities and manage time in an efficient manner.
• Responsible for documenting all interventions conducted with the client or on their behalf in AIRS in a manner that is accurate and error free. Track all interventions on the program specific client contact logs. Documentation is to be completed immediately following the intervention and program specific monthly monitoring data is to be submitted no later then the 5th of the following month.
• Will attend the AIDS Institute's Peer Certification program to completion
• Ensure that client's confidential health care and personal information is protected at all times. Responsible for ensuring that appropriate consent forms are signed and updated as required. Ensure that exchanges of information are only disclosed to those individuals for which client consent has been obtained. Responsible for the safeguarding of electronic devices and passwords.
• Work as a team player in all areas to enhance the program as a whole. Hear staff and client concerns in an open and solution-oriented manner and refer all case management/client needs to the Administrator ACC.
• Responsible for actively participating in the Department's Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance efforts, including but not limited to participation in the Department's Quality Improvement Committee.
• Other job duties as requested by supervisor.

Qualifications / Requirements

Experience

• Living with HIV with proficiency in managing care and medication adherence
• Experience with sexual health education, harm reduction strategies preferred
• Comfortable with communicating with patients and within community

Education

• High School diploma or GED
• Completion of NYS-Department of Health's Peer Education Training or willingness to complete

Licenses / Certifications

NYS HIV Confidentiality Certificate. Candidates will have protected time to complete the NYS DOH AI Peer Certification Training requirements and be supported in applying to become a Certified Peer Worker (CPW)

Other

Participate in regular continuing education surrounding HIV

• Maintain annual NYS HIV Certificate

Special Requirements

Specific language skills may be required. Bilingual Spanish preferred (reading, writing, speaking). Proficient with a computer, Microsoft Office skills, possesses well-developed and effective interpersonal skills and is able to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. Demonstrates confidence in actions and exercises good judgment. Possesses the ability to plan, organize, develop and implement goals, objectives, policies and procedures necessary for quality care. Demonstrates ability to recognize problems, approach them in an objective manner and work collaboratively toward solutions is essential.