Refugee Health Promotion (RHP) Peer Facilitator

YMCA International Services is a unique branch of the YMCA of Greater Houston that seeks to meet the needs of Houston's significant refugee and immigrant communities. We provide comprehensive programs that focus on building human assets and fostering self-sufficiency.

Position Summary:

The goal of the program is to promote the health and well-being of eligible newcomers by providing opportunities to increase health literacy, peer support, and wellness groups. Newcomers arrive with immediate and long-term physical and mental health needs and it is critical to ensure they can understand and access the U.S. healthcare system. In addition, supporting non-clinical services for clients is vital to enhancing the well-being of this population; this is where the RHP Peer Facilitators come in. As a Health Promotion Peer Facilitator, you will be responsible for delivering a curriculum in mental health and wellness. Peer Facilitators will work alongside members of the YMCA's staff, community partners, and active clients to deliver prepared content related to physical health, mental health, cultural adjustment as it relates to health and wellness, family resilience, and other topics. Clients will be empowered to play an active role in choosing topics to address throughout the sessions. The RHP Peer Facilitator will facilitate weekly sessions using a variety of modalities all based on trauma-informed care, identify group participants that need more support or referrals, and support the program's overall delivery. The Peer Facilitator will document client interactions and summaries of each group session, as required by the funder. YMCA will provide ongoing training and support to the Peer Facilitator on the curriculum, principles of mental health and wellness, and group facilitation, as needed.

This position is ideally suited to a bilingual/multilingual community member with knowledge of concepts of mental health and experience working with members of the target community or facilitating a support group. No clinical background or licensing is required, but intensive training will be provided within the first 90 days. The Peer Facilitator should be willing and able to apply life experiences and connect them to group participants' experiences in a way that is inclusive, safe, and dynamic. This person can learn to recognize when referral of a group member to specialized mental health care may be necessary. A skilled facilitator can receive and respond to feedback from peers or supervisors, work to maintain group cohesion, and navigate group dynamics.

Duties /Responsibilities:

• Identifying and managing referrals through community outreach.
• Providing sessions during a time of day when clients are available.This may include Saturday sessions or evening hours.
• Completing required training, including Community Health Worker certification and group facilitation training, within the first 90 days of employment
• Meeting grant requirements including determining client eligibility and maintaining digital databases.
• Conducting intakes through phone calls, home visits, and office visits.
• Maintaining updated case notes for clients and tracking the participation of clients.
• Planning sessions in collaboration with specialists, the coordinator, the director, and the Sr. director with input from an FQHC as well as clients
• Referring clients to internal and external programs when clients need additional services.
• Working with community partners to bring guest presenters and facilitators for topics such as domestic violence and parenting.
• Facilitating two separate groups of approximately 10 individuals each, with each group meeting twice per month (four group sessions total per Group Facilitator per month).
• Working closely with the program director and family engagement specialist to coordinate large events for participants and their families.
• Completing required certifications and being familiar with updated resources.
• Reporting suspicious and inappropriate behaviors and policy violations.
• Following mandated abuse and incident reporting requirements.
• Meeting timelines and deadlines related to supporting systems and employee compliance. Examples include but are not limited to Kronos Workforce Ready for review and approval of time sheets.
• Welcoming new refugees with airport pick-ups and participating in food pantry rotation.
• Completing other duties as assigned.
• Peer Facilitators will support the Cricket and Soccer Wellness Groups through peer group sessions and wellness activities

Outcomes:

• Enrolling, assessing, and serving the required number of clients per term
• Creating a replicable and culturally sensitive curriculum
• Reporting documentation through case notes and peer group session summaries

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Psychology, Social Work, Education, or Social Sciences (or related field)If the degree is in an unrelated field, experience volunteering or working in the public health, psychology, social work,education, or social sciences field is required.
• Good communication skills with the ability to speak at a level of ease of English and either Dari, Pashto, Swahili, or Kinyarwanda fluency. Reading and writing at a level of English fluency is required.
• Lived experience with newcomer communities required
• Must be comfortable interacting with refugee and immigrant communities with a high degree of sensitivity to new arrivals and refugee groups who may lack family or community ties and may experience multiple barriers to accessing key services.
• Open and receptive beliefs around supporting individuals who are experiencing mental health challenges.
• Experience with group facilitation, adult education, youth development, popular education desired
• Able to communicate with group participants through a variety of platforms, such as WhatsApp, Text, Google Voice, and Zoom.
• Flexible, innovative, practices sound judgment and take initiative
• Texas Driver's License, clean driving record, own vehicle, and applicable auto insurance within 90 days of employment.

How to apply:You must complete an online application at theYMCA of Greater Houston.No phone calls, please.You will be contacted to schedule an interview if you are considered a qualified candidate.

The YMCA of Greater Houston provides the following for full-time staff:

- Highly competitive compensation

- Generous and flexible PTO

- Health, dental, and vision insurance

- Long-term disability, basic life insurance, and other voluntary benefits

- 403(B) retirement plan

- Free YMCA membership

Note: All positions are filled in response to current refugee arrivals and their language needs; as language needs change, this will necessitate flexibility in our staffing.

The YMCA of Greater Houston provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.