HEALTH OUTREACH WORKER

Full Job Description

Preferred Qualifications & Experience:

• High School Diploma or GED required
  
• Minimum of 1 year of experience providing peer support in a behavioral health setting
• Lived experience with recovery from a mental health condition and/or substance use disorder.
• Certification as a Peer Specialist

Key Responsibilities:

• Conducts outreach to Fulton County residents with mental health, substance use, or co-occurring disorders; explains available behavioral health services and makes appropriate referrals.

• Facilitates substance use support groups for clients referred through the Fulton County Diversion and Deflection Recovery Program (FDR), providing services within community-based recovery housing.

• Conducts client intake interviews and document personal history, maintains client files, and assesses eligibility for services based on interview findings.

• Provides individual coaching and support related to substance abuse treatment and recovery.

• Provides warm handoffs and/or transportation support to ensure clients successfully access scheduled appointments.

• Actively participates in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings to staff cases and collaboratively discuss client needs, progress, and care planning.

• Participates in training to support effective crisis prevention and management. Coordinates substance use treatment and referrals, and engages with families and community support to enhance care.

Minimum Qualifications:
Associate's Degree in a healthcare or behavioral health related field required; supplemented by two years of experience in social services and/or public health; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Specific License or Certification Required: Must possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver's license. May require a valid Georgia Commercial Driver's License (CDL) including appropriate endorsement(s) based on area of assignment.

Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities: Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all county or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.

EXAMINATION
The examination will consist of an evaluation of education and experience, accomplished by analysis of the application. Application must document that the applicant possesses the minimum knowledge, skills, education and experience as listed to be rated as qualified. If selected, an official, accredited college transcript is required, at time of employment, for all degrees/course work used to qualify for this position.


ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED IN FULL BEFORE THEY ARE SUBMITTED. PLEASE REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION FOR ACCURACY AND MAKE ALL CORRECTIONS BEFORE CLICKING SUBMIT. ERRORS CAN RESULT IN NOT MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER ALL APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT.

Requirements

Purpose of Classification:
The purpose of this classification is to perform duties related to providing education, information, linkages to services related to COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, mitigation measures, vaccination, and behavioral health services in addition to assisting individuals and communities in adopting healthy behaviors, providing information on available resources, social support, and informal counseling, advocating for individuals and community health needs, collecting data to identify community health needs; referring individuals to social services; and attending community meetings or health fairs.

Essential Functions:
The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

Identifies target population, initiates contact, and recruits residents for program participation.

Conducts outreach within targeted communities to explain available services, builds rapport, disseminates information and works to bridge the gap between residents and healthcare and behavioral health providers.

Provides advocacy for individuals and community health needs, and collects data to identify community health needs.

Collaborates with Community Coalition Board (CCB) to make recommendations and provides feedback from community members.

Provides support and encouragement to community members and assists in resolving their problems.

Collects and organizes program data and prepares statistical reports.

Maintains documents and reports in accordance with federal and state regulations.

Assists in the planning, facilitation and marketing efforts for community events.

Provides education on program services to community organizations, schools, and groups.

Assists community members in obtaining referrals and connection to social/community services.

Additional Functions:
Performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications

Performance Aptitudes:
Data Utilization: Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification, and in referencing such analysis to established standards for the purpose of recognizing actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.

Human Interaction: Requires the ability to provide paraprofessional counseling and medical treatment to others.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference and descriptive data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; the ability to calculate decimals and percentages; the ability to utilize principles of fractions; and the ability to interpret graphs.

Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.

Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.

Additional Information

It is the policy of Fulton County that there will be equal opportunity for every citizen, employee and applicant, based upon merit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, genetics, disability or sexual orientation.