About Casa Esperanza

Casa Esperanza, Inc. is a bilingual/bicultural behavioral health treatment provider serving Boston and the Merrimack Valley. Our mission is to empower individuals and families to recover from addiction, trauma, mental illness, and other chronic medical conditions; overcome homelessness and discrimination; and achieve health and wellness through comprehensive, integrated care. Casa Esperanza has an operating budget of $15 million and more than $12.5 million in assets.

About the role

• The role of the HIV Prevention Services Coordinator is to oversee the Mi Vida Mi Historia project focusing on providing support to youth 13 to 24 years of age, who are highly at risk for HIV infection and substance use disorders. This position is funded through the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for five years. The project aims to mitigate risks for substance use and HIV infection faced by Latino populations in Greater Boston through prevention programming, linkage to care and supportive services, transitional housing support, community mobilization, outreach, and awareness campaigns. The project is a peer-focused, peer-led program that provides HIV and viral hepatitis prevention services and sexual health education programming to both those in need of prevention services and those in need of treatment in order to build up resilience from within the experiences of our community’s young people. The Coordinator will conduct outreach activities, including participation in prevention and education community events; facilitate Storytelling for Empowerment Groups; facilitate access to recovery-oriented substance-use-disorder (SUD) treatment, resources, and recovery groups; provide referrals for HIV/STI/Hep A, B, C individual and group prevention sessions, including counseling and testing; and provide other psychosocial support and mentoring for clients living with HIV/AIDS and those at high risk.

What you'll do

Outreach

·       Conduct outreach to engage and educate others in the community on the treatment services available at Casa Esperanza, Inc. and on the related health topics

·       Recruit and engage community providers and youth and young adults for Community Needs Assessment and Storytelling for Empowerment intervention

·       Develop relationships with community agencies who may need support connecting PLWH/A to behavioral health services.

·       Represent the agency by providing education and participating in community events

·       Coordinate outreach efforts and support client engagement in HIV-related annual events

·       Work with Marketing Associate to maintain outreach email lists for network of referrals up-to-date

On-Site Service Delivery

·       Provide one-to-one intensive care coordination and referrals to connect population to HIV and Recovery support services at Casa Esperanza and at other agencies across Greater Boston.

·       Conduct risk-reduction screenings and coordinate admissions and intake for clients to the Familias Unidas Outpatient Program or to Casa’s Residential Programs, as needed.

·       Provides clients with ongoing education regarding substance abuse, mental health, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, tobacco, nutrition and exercise and other health and wellness information;

·       Facilitate Storytelling for Empowerment groups

·       Work closely with the Recovery Support Services team to ensure that client needs are being met

Administrative

·       Take a lead role in facilitating quarterly project working group meetings

·       Document all client encounters and other data as required and maintain up-to-date client records

·       Ensure initial surveys for each client and eligibility checks are completed

·       Ensure data collection requirements are completed within specified time frames

·       Attend and participate in community networking meetings and other collaboration opportunities.

·       Provide supervision and guidance to project staff

·       Assist in all reporting as required by Program funding sources

·       Attend all relevant case conferences and staff meetings including MDT

·       Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

·       Bilingual Spanish/English, preferred.

·       Knowledge of cultural, economic and health factors in the Latino community.

·       Minimum High School Diploma required; bachelor’s degree in related field preferred.

·       Strong verbal and written communication skills in English

·       Knowledge of appropriate community resources

·       Knowledge of HIV/AIDS health screenings and service planning and education

·       Minimum 2 years’ experience of the issues affecting people with behavioral health disorders

·       Minimum 2 years’ experience working with youth and young adults

·       Experience with group facilitation

·       Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor/Certified Alcohol Counselor required or willing to obtain within one year of hire

·       Ability to provide HIV education, service planning, and health navigation.

·       Ability to work as a team member and independently

·       Understanding of harm reduction techniques

·       Strong interpersonal skills;

·       Crisis management Skills

·       Computer skills, minimum Microsoft Word

·       Valid Massachusetts Driver’s License

·       CPR and first aid Certified required

·       Ability to meet the physical and training requirements of the position

Schedule:

40 Hours

Monday to Friday Av. 8am to 8pm

Weekends availability

What we offer:

Casa Esperanza Benefits Package:

• Compensation:  Range from $22 to $26 Hourly Rate
• Holiday Pay (12 days per year + 1 floating holiday)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) - 18 days year one, 20.5 days at year 2, 23 days at year 5
• Sick Pay - 10 paid days per year
• Long / Short Term Disability 
• Paid by Company Life Insurance
• Health Insurance (Medical Dental, Vison)
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• FSA/DCA (Flexible Spending Account & Dependent Care)
• ComPsych Guidance Resources - EAP
• Educational Opportunities
• Tuition Remission
• Employee Ticket at Work (Discounts for Entertainment, travel, movies; etc.)
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Increased Salary for Credentials
• and more....

Physical & Mental Requirements

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to walk, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

At Casa Esperanza, Inc., the health and safety of our people is our number one priority. That’s why all offers of employment are contingent on the candidate showing proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID 19 (currently one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and boosted, when eligible) to pass the pre-employment requirements. Individuals with medical issues or religious beliefs that prevent them from getting the vaccine may request an exemption from the vaccine requirement.

Casa Esperanza’s EEO Statement

Casa Esperanza, Inc. values its diverse workplace and encourages women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, older members of society, and others from minority groups and diverse backgrounds to apply.

We recruit, hire, employ, train, promote, and compensate individuals based on job-related qualifications and abilities. Casa Esperanza, Inc also has a longstanding policy of providing a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of each individual and is free from all forms of employment discrimination, including harassment, because of race, color, sex, gender, age, religion or religious creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.  All employees, interns, volunteers and contractors of Casa Esperanza, Inc. are responsible for maintaining a work culture free from discrimination and harassment by treating others with kindness and respect.

Casa Esperanza, Inc. also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief, in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about an accommodation, or need assistance with completing the application process, please email hr@casaesperanza.org.