GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Bilingual Peer Retention Specialist ensures successful retention of clients in medical care. Works collaboratively with client's healthcare team to decrease barriers to care and treatment, maintain contact with client, and ensure optimal health outcomes. Coordinates related services between providers of HIV, housing, mental health, substance abuse, Ryan White services, and other supportive services, in Mecklenburg County, in order to enhance care services for people living with HIV.

Additional responsibilities include identifying HIV LatinX clients for the Enlaces Por La Salud Curriculum. The Bilingual Peer Retention Specialist will work with client's medical team to address individual and structural barriers to engaging in HIV care by providing culturally relevant Spanish-language health care navigation for HIV LatinX Community. The Bilingual Peer Retention Specialist will work closely with the county's Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) and State Bridge Counselor (SBC), as well as local HIV providers and support service agencies to assist newly diagnosed/identified or out of care HIV LatinX Community. The goal is to have client enter and remain in care, working with these patients from 12 months as an enhancement to traditional Medical Case Management.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILTIES:

The Bilingual Peer Retention Specialist will work under the supervision and administrative guidance of the Director of Outreach while carrying out the following responsibilities:

• Provide face to face and online education and information on HIV, prevention, safer-sex techniques, HIV testing and ongoing education to clients and their families as well as other organizations, families and individuals as requested
• Build trusting, effective and empowering relationships with the clients/enrolled peers ensuring all quality assurance measures are met
• Work closely with and proactively to connect clients to community health organizations, medical service providers and other services to assist clients in maximizing their medical treatments ensuring screening and enrollment in ACA healthcare plans when eligible
• Track Intervention and Outreach with verification documents
• Work collaboratively with Investigation Specialist
• Working knowledge of and adherence to HIPAA regulations, attend all required trainings and maintain confidentiality of client's records and information
• Document all contacts with participants or others pertaining to the participants in approved format within time deadlines
• Meet all programmatic and third party deadlines; maintaining and providing all billing records, reports, daily and monthly work records, time sheets, surveys, requests and tracked mileage when due and in approved format
• Work effectively with other community service providers to ensure optimal quality of services offered to participants and to develop new resources to meet the needs of the participant; maintaining the highest level of professionalism and cooperation at all times with other service providers
• Participate in continuous quality improvement for the department and the agency
• Establish and maintain relationships with LatinX serving organizations and community
• Conduct outreach and education in the LatinX community
• Attend local and regional LatinX community events and programming
• Be a mentor for the participants

MINOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Participate in training, conferences, supervision, agency and inter-disciplinary meetings and required agency functions
• Must be willing to be trained/certified as a Certified Application Counselor for the ACA

QUALIFICATIONS:

• The Covid-19 vaccination is required as a condition of employment
• Spanish/English proficiency mandatory
• Driver's license, reliable transportation and auto insurance coverage
• Two years' work experience in HIV preferred
• Living with HIV and successfully virally suppressed preferred
• Knowledge of HIV and other STI's
• Demonstrate leadership skills
• Ability to comfortably and professionally build, maintain and navigate working relationships across the agency spectrum; including but not limited to clients and their families, community partners, staff colleagues, volunteers, third party providers, donors and member of the Board of Directors
• Ability to form and build relationships within the Mecklenburg County LatinX community and service providers
• Public speaking, training and strong interpersonal communication skills with an ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing and willingness to train others
• Self-starter able to work with limited supervision with skills in creative thinking and problem solving
• Ability to demonstrate cultural competency and understanding of the structural barriers impacting health outcomes
• Knowledge of and expected willingness to remain current on LGBTQ and LatinX cultural issues

KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Comfort in generally using a computer with proficiency in Word and Excel and aptitude and willingness to learn other job specific programs
• Passing score on HIPAA regulations training, understanding of confidentiality and expected willingness to maintain these standards at all times
• Ability to recognize and maintain personal and professional boundaries as well as practice regular self-care

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned this job classification. They are not to be construed as an all-inclusive list of all duties, skills, and responsibilities of people so assigned. RAIN will engage in an interactive process with employees requesting medical or religious accommodations.

RAIN's policy is to provide equal opportunity in all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status, disability or veteran status.