Location: Flint
Full time, Temporary (4 months) 
Compensation: $40,000 annual equivalent 
Benefits: Health care, Health savings account, phone, and internet stipends.

 

Many of the communities that are most vulnerable to COVID-19 have the least access to information about it. Low-income communities, communities of color, and immigrants have many barriers in this regard, from language to literacy to trust in government. These are major contributing factors to the inequitable access to adequate health care and vital health information among minority populations which has impacted the disparity in disease outcomes. In Genesee County, African-Americans and Latinos are roughly 25% of the population, but 47% of the deaths related to COVID-19. Males also have a higher than average death rate from COVID-19. 

 

Flint is a majority-minority city within Genesee County and has unique challenges related to the ongoing effects of the Flint Water Crisis. The Flint community is also uniquely positioned with numerous community-government partnerships and community collaboration groups, including the Community Foundation of Greater Flint's COVID-19 Taskforce on Racial Inequity. Michigan United is an active participant in the Flint Communications Workgroup, which convenes a regular standing meeting for resource sharing and collaboration, however, has identified a need of spreading vital health information into the community. 

 

Michigan United has a long-standing commitment of leadership development throughout Flint and relationships throughout the greater area. The Public Health Navigator Program will train 15 Flint community members to become public health grassroots navigators in the community. We will implement a community-based approach to disseminate vital COVID-19 information using our leadership training model to reach Flint residents not accessing up-to-date information on resources, information, and health services. Many of the current strategies to distribute information into the larger community are organizationally led, this program is led by grassroots community members in partnership with the Genesee County Health Department and City of Flint Public Health Office.

 

The Public Health Navigator Program trains leaders in the low-income, African-American, Latino, Arab-American, African, and Asian-American communities who already have deep ties and knowledge of the community to become experts in community outreach, public education, and referral for COVID-19 resources. 

 

Outreach will be conducted through existing community institutions (such as congregations, neighborhood groups, unions, workplaces, social organizations) and relationships. The training program for Navigators will be conducted over a 3-4 week period through digital meetings.

 

The Navigators will be supported and convened by a Coordinator to facilitate sharing, problem-solving, to hear about questions/concerns that navigators hear from the community, to coordinate and guide the information communicated to the community, and for reporting out on progress.

 

Michigan United is seeking a Coordinator of the Public Health Navigator Program.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Recruit and train community health navigators

• Manage outreach efforts of community health navigators to targeted groups

• Attend and participate in community stakeholders meetings (i.e. Flint Communications Workgroup, Healthy Flint Research Coordinating Center COVID-19 Webinar)

• Host and facilitate a weekly debrief with 15-20 Navigators using Zoom

• Support Navigators in making community connections and referrals

• Further develop, maintain, and know about various health, wellness, and social services available in the Flint area, especially related to COVID-19.

• Maintain relationships with the Genesee County Health Department, City of Flint, and City of Flint Public Health Office.

• Conduct regular community outreach to disseminate vital health information provided by the County Health Department and City of Flint and connect with the community around concerns and needs. Make referrals as appropriate. Duties include scheduling appointments, following up with residents, organizing community informational meetings and other needs that may come up during outreach.

• Conduct regular community outreach encouraging civic engagement, which could include voter participation, census participation and/or contact tracing.

• Assist in presentations promoting the Community Navigator Program.

• Connect Navigators and their outreach with larger community-building efforts with Michigan United 

 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:

• Passion for our issues and vision of a more just world.

• Passion for developing the leadership of volunteer leaders.

• Knowledge of public health, safety, and community organizing.

• Ability to use various communications media (i.e. Zoom, Google Hangouts, Facebook, phone, text, etc.)

• Excellent judgment in internal and external communication and in managing internal and external relationships.

• Highly organized and self-starter.

• Ability to work in a team and supervise others in a team

• Have flexible work hours 

• Experience in community organizing, with experience in grassroots leadership development preferred

 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Experience in community organizing, with experience in grassroots leadership development preferred 

• Computer savvy preferred

 

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work is done remotely

• Normal business hours, some additional hours required with possible Saturday activities.

• This position is based in Flint.

 

SUPERVISION/SUPPORT

• Michigan United's Environmental Justice Organizing Manager and Lead Flint Organizer will support and supervise the work of the grassroots Navigator Coordinator. 

 

COMPENSATION:

• Full time, Temporary (4 months) 

• Compensation: $40,000 annual equivalent 

• Benefits: Health care, Health savings account, phone, and internet stipends.

 

 

APPLICATION DETAILS:

• This position will remain open until filled. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis but those accepted by June 30th, 2021 will be prioritized.

• Submit resume, statement of interest with the names and contact information of three references (at least two references must be work related, one may be personal) to this link.

• If you have an issue uploading please submit all materials to: resumes@miunited.org.

 

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Michigan United is a statewide organization of community members and institutions fighting for economic and racial justice. We use the tools of community organizing, leadership training, advocacy, media work, and civic engagement to run strategic campaigns that win real change. We're committed to winning a better world for all of our communities, not just the privileged.

We are the largest community organizing group in the state, with offices in Detroit, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Flint. We represent 100 member community organizations.

Michigan United organizes along the following issue areas: immigrants' rights, criminal justice reform, environmental justice, universal family care (including health, child care, elder care and paid sick time), and civic engagement. We work to build the capacity of community members who are directly impacted by these issues to lead and win concrete reforms that will change their own lives and shift the balance of power in our state.

Michigan United, along with Michigan People's Campaign, our affiliated 501(c)(4), is serious about building long-term, political power with the aim of transforming our political and economic system into one that puts people and the planet first. Our main office is in Southwest Detroit, with additional offices in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Flint. As a racial and economic justice organization, we actively encourage individuals who are underrepresented on the basis of race, ethnicity, income and sexual orientation, as well as those who share the life experiences of the members we serve, to apply.