Community Resource Advocate Community Medicine

Appalachian Mountain Health•Asheville, NC

About The Position

The primary responsibility of the Community Resource Advocate is to serve AMH patients through connecting them to community resources that will support their ability to achieve self-sufficiency and self-efficacy. The Community Resource Advocate will help patients access Public Benefits such as Medicaid, and various other community resources. They will support patients in navigating care within AMH, including referrals to the Behavioral Health team, and dental services. They will provide information and referrals to community supports and treatment options for mental health and substance use disorders. They will maintain professional and respectful relationships with community partners in order to preserve a database of active community resources to share with AMH patients. This specific position will work at the AMH clinic inside the WNC Rescue Mission two days a week, with the mobile medical team two days a week, and support our brick and mortar offices in Asheville when needed. Our Mobile Medical Team provides care at Transformation Village, Safe Shelter, Compass Pointe, Salvation Army, Aston Towers, Pisgah View just to name a few locations. Background Check and Drug Screen required.

Requirements

Experience and knowledge of community resources, and public benefits.
Excellent interpersonal communication and community building skills.
Skilled at time management, well organized, with ability to meet deadlines, and respond to staff and patient requests in a timely manner.
Proficient with technology, with experience in documenting in Electronic Health Records.
Ability to work within a healthcare setting and relate well to people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as well as have a passion for working with at-risk, culturally diverse populations.
Ability to read, understand and follow program guidelines and service materials.
Willingness to work within the clinic schedule and be available for the clinic during hours of operation.
Openness to accepting feedback and willingness to adjust where it is necessary for program adherence and staff and patient safety.
Strict adherence to all Federal and State regulations as it applies to healthcare, health information, patient care, and documentation of patient care

Responsibilities

Primarily responsible for coordination of services to assist clients in increasing stability factors in their lives through accessing community resources; including but not limited to Medicaid Applications, financial services, supportive shelter, transportation, and food resources such as SNAP, WIC, TANF, and community food banks.
Support patients in accessing care resources including referrals to behavioral health programming, dental care, and referring to supportive programming like Detox, Recovery Services, Reentry Services and Crisis Services when appropriate.
Assist patients with care coordination needs such as working with the patient to schedule appointments with specialty care
Assist patients with compiling their medical records to initiate SSI/SSDI claims
Assist patients with job and/or volunteer opportunities to satisfy new Medicaid and HACA requirements
Assist with Patient Assistance Programs (PAP) applications for the patients who have trouble affording various medications
Identify patients who may need additional supports in advance of their scheduled appointments through scrubbing the schedule each week and reaching out to patients ahead of the appointment to help problem solve barriers that may have limited their access to services, such as transportation barriers.
Encourage patients to achieve self-efficacy acting as a liaison to community resources allowing the patient to take over self-advocating once initial contact has been made.
Maintain timely, accurate, and patient specific documentation within the patient’s medical record for each unique encounter with a patient.
The Community Resource Advocate will keep an up-to-date Community Resource database and will maintain collaborative relationships with community partners to insure AMH patients are well represented within the region.
Works in collaboration with AMH teammates to provide excellent wrap around services to enhance patient care.
Adhere to AMH’s policies and procedures; and supports an environment based in mutual respect, using ethical communication with staff and patients.
If a Community Resource Advocate arrives at this position with experience as a Peer Support Specialist they will utilize their lived experience for the specific purpose of establishing trust in a professional therapeutic relationship to help the patient feel safe in navigating in their own recovery journey.
When utilizing Peer Support Interventions, the Community Resource Advocate will adhere to evidence-based interventions including, but not limited to, WRAP, Motivational Interviewing, and Seeking Safety.
Will attend all mandatory AMH meetings, and Behavioral Health Team meetings.
Will become certified in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
Will become a Medicaid Ambassador