The City of Boston and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition are recruiting bilingual Community Outreach Specialists to assist with public health outreach in immigrant and minority neighborhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specialists will play a critical role in ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities for better health and social well-being of all people and communities. This position is a key team member who strengthens and supports communities experiencing a significant number of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 and facing disparities in access to public and preventative health services. Specialists will conduct outreach (remote/in-person) to develop and maintain engagement between the City and communities. Priority is currently for speakers of Spanish, Haitian Creole and Arabic. Hours: 20/hours per week

Responsibilities:

  • Assist in the development and implementation of a community outreach and engagement plan for immigrant and ethnic minority communities in the City of Boston;
  • Foster new relationships with non-traditional partners including but not limited to community groups, agencies, faith-based organizations, and institutions to enhance public health outreach strategies;
  • Be a liaison between the community and City agencies and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) to enhance public health outreach strategies;
  • Coordinate, facilitate, and/or participate in activities (e.g., virtual meetings, in-person prevention/testing events) with local community partners;
  • Assist in the translation and/or adaptation of COVID-19 outreach materials;
  • Conduct public-facing activities with professionalism as a representative of the City and BPHC
  • Provide support to address the needs of those who are contacts under quarantine when not engaged in outreach activities and events.

Skills and Qualifications:

  • The ideal candidate will have the following skills and qualifications:
  • Experience working with immigrant communities and providing educational outreach and training;
  • Experience working as a health professional or readiness to learn about public health services
  • Ability to multi-task and balance needs of multiple stakeholders to meet planning goals;
  • Self-directed and able to work both independently and as part of a team;
  • Ability to exhibit a professional, positive attitude and work ethic;
  • Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism;
  • Excellent interpersonal skills required and ability to interact professionally and empathically with culturally diverse individuals and individuals in distress and on challenging health issues;
  • Excellent communication skills with knowledge of how best to reach different audiences and executing communications among immigrant communities;
  • Readiness and flexibility in adapting to changing day-to-day work priorities
  • Critical thinking and sound judgment required;
  • Proficiency with computers;
  • Must have access to good/reliable WiFi;
  • Must be a Massachusetts resident and preferably be familiar with Boston area neighborhoods and immigrant communities;
  • Availability to work afternoons, evenings, and weekends strongly preferred;
  • Ability to speak, read, and write in English clearly and concisely. Fluency in one of these languages is required: Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Portuguese Cape Verdean, Somali, Arabic, Cantonese and Mandarin, or Vietnamese.

Please send a copy of your resume to Sue Parsons, MIRA Coalition, sparsons@miracoalition.org