Health Educator

Health Educator

Howard Brown Health is a nationally recognized leader in LGBTQ+ health and wellness. Our commitment to inclusive and affirming care has made us a cornerstone of the Chicago community. At Howard Brown, we believe in providing holistic, patient-centered care that empowers individuals and enriches lives.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a mission-driven organization dedicated to health equity and social justice.
• Work in a supportive, inclusive, and culturally competent environment.
• Access to continuous learning opportunities and professional development.
• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Contribute to groundbreaking health initiatives and research.

Pay: $20.92/hour

Work Location:

This position is based at our Sheridan clinic (4025 N Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60613) and requires regular travel throughout the Chicagoland area to support community partners, programs, and events. This role also requires a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings, weekends, and other irregular hours.

What you can expect:

A Health Educator provides client-centered HIV and STI education, test counseling, and gender-affirming pregnancy screening and options counseling services to individuals and couples in the Sexual and Reproductive Health Walk-In clinics at Howard Brown Health.

POSITION SUMMARY: A Health Educator provides client-centered HIV and STI education, tests, counseling, linkage to care and other referrals/services to individuals at agency approved community outreach events and locations across the city of Chicago and suburbs. This role is also responsible for connecting communities to primary care at Howard Brown Health locations.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides patient-centered HIV, STI and identifies patient needs due to social determinants of health.
• Provides direct health education with a focus in HIV and STI education and completes internal HIV and STI counseling training.
• Provides patients with appropriate requisition, information and instructions for ancillary tests and procedures ordered by physicians.
• Analyzes internal services including Primary Care, Social Services, Reproductive Care, and provides appropriate referral information.
• Identifies and assists patients who visit community testing site and outreach events clinics seeking PEP, PrEP services, and other effective biomedical HIV prevention interventions.
• Performs evidence-based HIV/STI prevention interventions, sexual health assessments and offers HIV/STI prevention and harm reduction counseling for patients in conjunction with the Medical Provider.
• Conducts phlebotomy via intravenous blood draw, or capillary finger stick for HIV/STI testing, collects specimens such as urine and extragenital swabs, coaches patients on self-swabbing as needed, and labels specimens with correct patient information. Performs routine clinical functions including urine dips and documents visits and interactions in the Electronic Health Records System (EHRS).
• Reviews, maintains, and ensures proper quality of lab results through EPIC (EMR) and ensures that patient visits are properly checked in and closed out at the end of the visit.
• Responds to patient questions and flags through EMR as needed.
• Maintains awareness of supplies for testing and/or alerts the lead or Manager if supplies are running low.
• Utilizes OSHA guidelines to properly dispose of biomedical waste and clean testing spaces to ensure proper cleanliness and standards.
• Supports all outreach patients and directs them to appropriate service lines.
• Provides proper trauma-informed support and connects patients to appropriate services when patient discloses sexual harm.
• Assists with the training of new Health Educators and other staff, including screening and counseling protocols, using data collection tools, counseling theory and approaches, and conducting effective referrals.
• Attends all required department and Howard Brown meetings and training sessions, including a biweekly meeting with supervisor; attend and successfully complete all required Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and/or Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) trainings.
• Provides patient-centered care to support clients and clinical teams in response to infectious diseases that are current and those that may arise.
• Assist with phlebotomy or health education coverage at other clinics as needed.
• Support administration for Community Relations outreach and projects
• May represent Howard Brown Health at local meetings that may help to address the prevention and/or sexual health needs of LGBTQI individuals.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in a public health, social services, or a related field is required OR high school diploma and 2 years of experience in a social service, community health, or public health field is required.
• Ability to maintain the highest level of client confidentiality and follow HIPAA regulations
• Ability to work independently with a minimal amount of supervision, but must be a strong team player as well
• Ability to multi-task, take initiative and apply knowledge to variety of circumstances
• Must possess strong communication and written skills
• Ability to work effectively with diverse staff and populations
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously, with consistent accuracy, follow through, and timely completion
• Must possess excellent internet and computer skills

Core Competencies:

• Maintain current knowledge of HIV/STI transmission and prevention information.
• Maintain or gain knowledge on affirming transgender health related services and available resources within HBH healthcare system.
• Review and maintain up-to-date and accurate knowledge of emerging scientific research regarding biomedical HIV prevention strategies, including PrEP, PEP and related interventions; and PrEP utilization.
• Participate in the provision of culturally sensitive, LGBTQIA+-informed, age and gender appropriate sexual health testing, counseling and services.
• Provide HIV/STI screening results to clients in a sensitive, caring and confidential manner.
• Provide HIV reactive results to patients using a compassionate and trauma-informed lens.
• Become familiar with appropriate use of and correctly administer a variety of different rapid screening devices.
• Maintain knowledge of proper collection and laboratory processing of specimens, along with appropriate specimen handling, storage, transport and disposal.
• Maintain knowledge of agency's PEP and PrEP programs. Ensure patients get connected to appropriate medication access programs and communicate with pharmacy staff when needed.
• Knowledgeable in a variety of ways in which harm reduction can be applied based on each patient's unique circumstances.

WORKING CONDITIONS: Primary work setting is an indoor office/healthcare environment for administration days but requires staff to work at various sites across the city and suburbs. Full-time position, working a minimum of 40 hours per week. Must be able to work every Saturday/Sunday at times due to outreach goals, irregular hours could occur with summer events, late night outreach events, etc.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT: Decisions and criteria governing the employment relationship with all employees at Howard Brown are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age, FMLA status, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state or local statutes. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.