Outreach Specialist

Overview

The Outreach Specialist is responsible for engaging community members, identifying individuals at risk for HIV and connecting them to prevention services. This role conducts field outreach, digital outreach, and partnership-building with community organizations to promote awareness and access to care in both Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Outreach Specialist provides education, brief interventions, and linkage support, while maintaining accurate documentation and contributing to program goals. They serve as a frontline representative of the prevention program and play a key role in reducing barriers to care and improving health outcomes in the community.

Responsibilities

• Screen, recruit, and enroll individuals within the target population to prevention services
• Provide rapid HIV and Hep C Testing at mobile and venue-based events and site-based as needed
• Provide pre- and post-test counseling and partner notification services in accordance with State and Federal regulations
• Provide linkage to clinical services, including HIV primary care, PrEP/PEP care, and other clinical services
• Perform sexual history assessments utilizing the GOALS framework
• Provide comprehensive prevention health education
• Participate in community events, such as health fairs, LGBT events, testing events, etc.
• Provides presentations for internal and external programs to promote the program services
• Affiliate with the planning and implementation of events to increase client engagement
• Participate in weekly supervisory sessions with the Program Manager
• Complete documentation of client assessments, consent forms, and demographic information
• Re-engage clients for care, case management, and supportive services by identifying barriers to engagement and sharing insights or trends during supervision and team debriefs
• Cookout and Education: Provide accurate and affirming information about PrEP, including oral and injectable options. Use motivational interviewing and culturally responsive communication to assess client interest and readiness. Maintain a professional and supportive tone that encourages client engagement and builds trust.
• Participate in ongoing training and coaching sessions to strengthen outreach and communication skills
• Conduct all programmatic outreach activities (e.g. street outreach, shelters, piers, day centers, parks, health fairs, soup kitchens, house balls and other venues where LGBTQ youth are known to gather)

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED with relevant work experience required
• Minimum 1 year of relevant non-profit employment experience required (i.e. outreach, testing, group facilitation, case management, etc)
• Knowledge of HIV/AIDS, homelessness, substance use and mental illness, and LGBT youth issues
• Good problem-solving skills and ability to work autonomously
• Strong documentation/computer skills (Word, Excel, etc)
• Good verbal and written communications skills