Public Health AmeriCorps Member - Community Justice

Come join our life-changing team building hope, resilience and well-being as a Public Health AmeriCorps Member in Community Justice!

Shift Details: Full-time - 32 hours/week – Monday-Friday

Compensation: AmeriCorps Living Allowance Stipend $15,500.00

Location: Minneapolis, MN

About the job:

As a VOA-MN Public Health AmeriCorps Member, your work will focus on reaching underserved individuals served within our Community Justice service area.

Within Community Justice, VOA-MN offers one of the state's longest standing and most successful relationship-based mentoring and supportive service programs for community members with a criminal record. VOA-MN supports women and men as they overcome the challenges and obstacles that a criminal record imposes, offering a support network that instills hope and imparts practical skills and strategies that are evidenced-based and trauma-informed.

As a VOA-MN Public Health AmeriCorps Member, you will gain valuable experience assisting participants in identifying and accessing health and well-being resources. In partnership with VOA-MN staff and those you will serve, this work will seek to address stark health inequities and provide hope to community members.

Essentials:

• Assist residents in obtaining vital documents.
• Creating and implementing education on Medication Compliance, working individually with residents that are struggling in the area Medication Management.
• Assist residents in obtaining health care 2 weeks prior to release, educating residents on health care and the importance of having insurance.
• Facilitate programming in a group or individual setting for managing diabetes, providing community resources pertaining to the management of diabetes.
• Meeting weekly with residents that are unemployed due to a disability to create healthy structure of time while in the facilities.
• Assist in strengthening and enhancing resource development and community relations at both facilities
• Meeting new residents in the first 2 days, taking inventory of specific needs, and collaborating with staff to meet the needs and provide resources.
• Assist in developing, supporting, and facilitating programming that meets the need of the reentry population
• Facilitating group or individual, grief support as needed.
• Promote attendance of in-house programming, including MIMS, Yoga, Bible Studies, special events
• Assist in planning and set up of CRB meetings
• Effectively communicate with Case Managers any concerns about a resident
• Meet every Friday with Program Services Coordinator to collaborate and create a working schedule and list of responsibilities to be completed in the upcoming week between the Lake Street and Roseville facilities
• Assist in creating weekly, monthly, or periodic reports that are required.
• Maintain and demonstrate working knowledge of VOAMN policies
• Assist in maintaining / organizing the clothing closet at both facilities
• Meeting with residents and providing general resources as needed

AmeriCorps Member Benefits:

• Student Loan Deferment and Interest Forbearance
• Child Care Benefits Program
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits
• Department of Education's Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Access to Schools of National Service Network for Additional Education Benefits
• Access of AmeriCorps Alumni & Employers of National Service Network
• Segal Education Award upon completion of service
• Health Insurance provided while serving

Qualifications to serve with Public Health AmeriCorps: 

• Must be 18 years of age or older by two weeks prior to your start date.
• Must have at least a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent by your start date.
• Must be either a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident of the United States.
• Must pass mandatory National Service Criminal History Checks.
• Must not have served four or more prior terms of service with AmeriCorps State or National.
• Must speak, read, and write English fluently.
• Must have experience with professional computer skills and confidence using computers.

About Us:

As a Public Health AmeriCorps member serving at Volunteers of America-MN, you will gain valuable experience assisting individuals in identifying and accessing health and well-being resources within our Minneapolis based Community Justice or Housing programs.  Whether you choose to serve with our Community Justice or Housing teams, you will be a part of a vibrant community addressing stark health inequities, building resilience and well-being and providing hope for our community members.

Public Health AmeriCorps members serving within our Community Justice program join a team of dedicated staff supporting individuals as they overcome the challenges that a criminal record imposes, offering a support network that instills hope and imparts practical skills and strategies to enhance well-being that are evidenced-based and trauma-informed. Public Health AmeriCorps members serving with our Housing program join a team of dedicated staff supporting children and parents with flexible, voluntary on-site health and well-being services that promote stability, healing, and thriving in school, career, and life.