Job Announcement - BILINGUAL Healthy Homes Specialist

Job Announcement Healthy Homes Specialist - Bilingual (Spanish/English)

Job Title: Healthy Homes Specialist Department: Social Services Hours: 40 hours per week, generally M-F 8-5. Evening and weekend hours may be required periodically. Mandatory Training: September 22 & 23, 2010 in Portland Compensation: $14.50/hour ($30,160 annually) Benefits: Medical, dental, short and long term disability and AD & D insurance, paid holidays and paid leave. Funding: Grant funded at least through April 30, 2013 Supervisor: Deputy Director FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are not bilingual in Spanish and/or if you are unable to make the mandatory training on the dates listed above your application will not be competitive for this position.

SUMMARY The Healthy Homes Specialist will conduct Healthy Homes Assessments in the homes of families with children who are experiencing health problems that may be at least partially environmentally based. Extensive training will be provided. Follow up will include linking participants to appropriate services. This is a partnership project between Human Solutions, Self Enhancement Inc and the Multnomah County Health Department. Regular contact between all project partners will be required. The Healthy Homes Specialist is grant funded at 32 hours per week. In order to bring this position up to full time pay and benefits, 8 hours a week have been added in a data entry/program aide function for the Green Careers Training project in the Human Solutions Employment Department.

CRITICAL PERFORMANCE FACTORS: * Conduct Healthy Home Assessments: Healthy Home Assessments will identify: 1) structural deficiencies in the home that may impact health; 2) environmental health behaviors of the family; 3) health of the participants; 4) environmental health education and interventions/remediation needed. * Link Participants to Appropriate Services: 1) If structural deficiencies are found that warrant a closer inspection, the participant will be referred by the RS for an in-depth home inspection performed by the project Environmental Health Specialist. The home inspection will identify structural remediation needed to remove environmental health hazards; 2) If uncontrolled health issues (ones that are exacerbated by housing issues are identified (asthma, allergy, dermatitis, respiratory problems) the participant will be referred to the project Community Health Nurse for further health assessment and intervention; 3) based on individual health and housing assessment findings, all participants will be linked to appropriate community-based resources that will help improve their housing condition (i.e. Portland Housing Bureau, Community Energy Project, Multnomah County Weatherization program, etc.). * Case Management; The Healthy Homes Specialist will assist the family to implement structural, behavioral, educational and health interventions identified as needed through the healthy homes assessment(s). ? Data Entry/Program Aide: (8 hours/week) Assist Green Career Training Project with data entry using I-Trac or a similar database, and also Human Solutions internal database. Training will be provided. Assist with other office duties as requested by Employment Program Manager.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES include the following, although other duties may be assigned: * Establish rapport and trust with families * Conduct healthy home assessments and provide health education, referral and case management to families enrolled in the project. * Support the design and implementation of culturally appropriate healthy home assessment, education and case management tools that will support the Healthy Home project. * Provide case management, behavioral interventions, and linkages to community resources * Collect and document project data to monitor healthy home interventions and remediation. * Assist families to access remediation and intervention services. * Provide community outreach as needed to enroll eligible families in the project * Collaborate with project team members to ensure completion of services, timelines and deliverables. * Assist in the collection of data to support the project's evaluation plan. * Consult with project team on eligibility screening criteria, collection and interpretation of related health, housing and intervention/remediation data, and implementing health evaluation services. * Participate in project meetings and work closely with the project manager from Multnomah County Health Department to ensure that project timelines, activities and deliverables are met. * Maintain professional boundaries with project participants and other Human Solutions and project staff. * Maintain strict confidentiality of all information disclosed an individual basis, even during informal encounters with project participants. * Develop and maintain productive working relationships with Human Services staff, Self Enhancement Inc. and other public and private agencies * Maintain records in a clear, organized, and timely fashion. * Assist the Green Career Training Project with data entry or other functions as directed by Employment Program Manager * Understand and follows complex written and oral instructions, rules, and procedures. * Work independently and as a vital and contributing member of a team. * Actively participates in ongoing learning of both Human Solutions resources and other community resources. Learns about Human Solution programs in order to refer project participants to other services. * Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS The successful candidate must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge and abilities required.

Knowledge of: * Social and economic issues creating poverty * Community resources and agencies providing health and social services needed by the low-income population.

Ability to: * Apply required knowledge and identify in partnership with participants, their healthy home needs and effective solutions * Non-judgmentally elicit information and help problem solve around sensitive issues including but not limited to alcohol and drug use, cigarette smoking and other behaviors which may impact the health of family members * Plan and coordinate delivery of services * Empower and support participants in life choices and change * Develop and maintain productive working relationships within Human Solutions, with Multnomah County Health Department, Self Enhancement Inc and other public and private agencies, the general public and project participants * Be culturally sensitive to and work respectfully with a broad diversity of families

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE * Any combination of volunteer or paid work experience in social services, residential housing management, health services or low income housing provision totaling at least six months. * Experience with crisis intervention and community networking * Bilingual Spanish/English required. * General computer skills and willingness to learn additional computer and data entry skills.

This position requires a valid drivers license and reliable automobile.

To Apply: Send cover letter and resume via e-mail to [email protected] along with three professional references. References need not be written, just the names and contact information of people familiar with your work.