Job Title: Community Organizer – Healthcare Focus
Organization: Congregations United for Neighborhood Action (CUNA)
Location: Allentown, PA

(Follow the link to "Apply for this Position")

Congregations United for Neighborhood Action (CUNA) works to stop the unraveling of our communities caused by racial and economic inequities and poverty by bringing together people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, economic levels, and religious traditions to use a faith based community organizing model rooted in the democratic process that builds relationships and addresses community concerns at their source, making long-term systemic changes for the good of the entire Greater Lehigh Valley.

CUNA is currently working in partnership with some of the most forward-thinking healthcare providers in the nation to create local health-delivery systems that improve health outcomes for residents in underserved communities and reduce overall medical costs, savings which can then be reinvested back into the community to address residents’ priorities. (For more background, read a New Yorker article that highlights PICO’s health organizing in nearby Camden: www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/01/24/110124fa_fact_gawande).

CUNA is affiliated with the PICO National Network (www.piconetwork.org).

CUNA is seeking a Community Organizer to lead our health transformation work in the Greater Lehigh Valley. The Organizer will interview residents in the valley about their healthcare experiences and help them to identify shared barriers to quality care. The Organizer will develop a core team of resident-leaders to analyze and problem-solve with local health professionals, culminating in the implementation of new interventions that make primary care more available to low-income communities of color through greater coordination of services and resources among health providers.

Responsibilities:

Use hospital data to identify high-cost/high-need health “hot spots” (buildings or neighborhoods)

Interview clergy and grass-tops leaders in and around each hot spot

Organize presentations to at congregations in and around the hot spot area

Complete at least 50 face-to-face interviews with residents in each hot spot

Conduct 20 to 25 one-to-one visits and house meetings each week with new or established CUNA community leaders, clergy, and community stakeholders on a consistent and frequent basis

Help assist/facilitate healthcare story collection project that documents barriers to preventive care and inform new interventions

Convene and provide training to a team of residents in each hot spot to prioritize barriers, engage other neighbors, conduct friendly visits with patients, and educate residents about ACOs

Organize a local problem-solving partnership involving residents, providers and other stakeholders to identify specific responses to improve care and reduce cost in hot spots

Help organize public actions will for broader changes to health delivery system, if needed

Mobilize public support to implement at least one local strategy to improve patient care and reduce Medicaid costs in the hot spot

Assist CMMI team in creation of local Community Advisory Board to evaluate the impact of the intervention

Integrate residents from each hot spot into a citywide ACO leadership team of 10-20 residents who will elect and support 2 residents to serve on the citywide healthcare coalition.

Meet regularly with CUNA Director and CMMI project staff

Participate in national network efforts to move policy at state and national levels

Participate in weekly professional development sessions and other training activities

Coordinate with Community Exchange Coordinator Volunteer efforts and patient outreach

Qualifications:

Associates or Bachelors degree, or equivalent work experience

Strong public speaking, writing and analytical skills

Strong interpersonal and relational skills and interest in people

Disciplined and able to work effectively in highly unstructured environment

Desire to learn and openness to challenge

Experience working in communities of color

Spanish-language facility a plus

Experience in social justice, political, union organizing, community development or related work

CUNA has a strong learning culture, including weekly staff development and coaching opportunities and PICO regional and national trainings. We place a high priority on personal learning and creating a respectful multicultural organization.

Full-time, some evening and weekend work.

Opportunities for advancement.

Compensation: competitive pay structure, based on experience.

Application Procedure:

All applicants must apply for this position online. (Follow the link to "Apply for this Position")

Please have the following three (3) documents ready to upload to your online application:

An electronic file of your resume (preferably in PDF format) including 3 references and salary history;

A cover letter (outlining your qualifications for this position);

A writing sample (demonstrating your ability to think critically and communicate effectively).

For more information about this position, contact Joshua Chisholm at cuna.director@rcn.com.