HIV Peer Advocate (Regular, Part-Time)

• Do you have a passion for building a healthy peer-based relationship with HIV-positive individuals?
• Are you motivated to use your advocacy skills in working with multiple-diagnosed populations?
• Do you value working in a team-based, service oriented, diverse and multi-disciplinary setting?

If so, we invite you to continue reading this job posting!

Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center is a great place to work where people are concerned about equal access to health services, mutual respect, appreciation for diversity, and social justice. We look for candidates who share our values, and bring a willingness to contribute to our mission and an openness to developing their skills.

Agency Description
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center's mission is to educate, support, empower, and advocate for Asian and Pacific Islander (A&PI) communities – particularly A&PIs living with, or at-risk for, HIV/AIDS. We are the oldest and largest nonprofit in North America focusing on sexual health and HIV in A&PI communities. Founded in 1987 as an all-volunteer, community-based response to the AIDS crisis in communities of color, we are based in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood with satellites in Alameda and San Mateo Counties, operate local, regional, statewide, and national programming, and collaborate with grassroots activists throughout the Asia Pacific Region. All of our work is aligned to fight HIV-related stigma, and focuses on A&PIs who experience the most extreme forms of discrimination and have the least access to quality services. The agency’s greatest assets – our Board of Directors, staff and volunteers – reflect the talents and diversity of the communities we serve; as a cornerstone of our cultural competency, our staff speak 20 languages. Our work is rooted in our core values – Client-Centeredness, Compassion, Justice, Leadership, Respect, Sex-Positivity, and Wellness – which anchor our strategic thinking, our service delivery models, our community collaborations, and our organizational culture.

Position Description
HIV Care Services provides comprehensive integrated care services to over 200 HIV-positive Asians and Pacific Islanders annually. Its main office is in San Francisco’s Tenderloin area, with satellite offices in downtown Oakland and Daly City. The multi-disciplinary team is composed of multi-lingual and bicultural HIV Treatment Case Managers, Peer Advocates, and a Clinical Program Manager/Psychotherapist along with onsite HIV primary care providers (physicians, nurse, and health worker), a psychiatrist, and an acupuncturist and massage therapist from external collaborating agencies. Peer leaders composed of consumers and volunteers provide valuable supplemental program support through outreach and direct client and program assistance.

Job Description
The HIV Peer Advocate assists the Senior HIV Peer Advocate, and Case Managers in providing linkage to psychosocial services and primary care services for clients with severe needs such as multiple-diagnosed populations (living with HIV/AIDS, substance use and/or mental health issues), refugees, political asylees, immigrants or undocumented individuals, those not in primary care or receiving sub-optimal care, homeless or marginally housed, indigent or very low-income, and others with a documented need for case management; accompanies clients to appointments, provides language interpretation and advocates for them with other service providers, supports clients in building their own support networks, helps facilitate education and social support groups for HIV + clients, provides practical services as needed.

Major Responsibilitie

• Conduct outreach to identify and enroll clients in psychosocial and primary care services;
  
• Provide language interpretation and general advocacy for clients with internal and external service providers;
  
• Provide practical and emotional assistance to clients, e.g. accompany clients to appointments when needed, peer support around living with HIV;
  
• Educate and support clients to be more familiar with and better access different systems of care (medical, complementary therapy, mental health, substance use, etc.);
  
• Help facilitate or coordinate educational and social support groups such as language-specific groups;
  
• Provide prevention and risk reduction counseling for high-risk clients;
  
• Participate in required HIV Care Services, inter-departmental and agency-wide meetings, trainings, and activities, which may include some evening and weekend hours;
  
• Document and report Units of Service (UOS) and other required progress reports in a timely manner;
  
• Provide language assistance for HIV testing as needed; and
  
• Perform other duties as needed.
  

Minimum Qualifications

• A high school diploma or equivalency or equivalent life experience;
  
• Experience and ability to work with sexual and gender minorities, refugees, immigrants, homeless, and multiple-diagnosed populations (those with substance use and/or mental health issues) applying harm reduction principles;
  
• Sensitivity and familiarity with HIV/AIDS cultural issues in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities;
  
• Familiarity with HIV psychosocial and primary care service resources in San Francisco, the East Bay and/or San Mateo county areas;
  
• Verbal and written fluency in English and an Asian language specifically Vietnamese, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Japanese;
  
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and privacy of persons, documents, data, and communications;
  
• Good verbal, interpersonal, and group communication skills; and
  
• Good documentation, organizational and time management skil

Preferred Qualifications

• An associate degree in a social or health science related field;
  
• Self-starter, self-motivated and able to work well within a team;
  
• PC computer skills preferred;
  
• Experience in providing social services especially HIV services and refugee assistance.

HIV+ Asians and Pacific Islanders, women, youth and transgender of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

In your cover letter tell us what “leadership” means to you and what motivates you to join a community based organization

To apply, send resume and a cover letter to:
Human Resources Administrator
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
730 Polk Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94109
Fax: 415.292.3404
Email: jobs@apiwellness.org

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package which includes: Medical, dental and vision insurances, generous PTO – vacation, sick leave and holidays - one month sabbatical, 403(b) with employer match, flexible work schedule, Flex Spending Account, Life Insurance, Long Term Disability, professional development opportunities and more!. (Benefits guidelines vary based on tenure, employment status and FTE among other factors)


A&PI Wellness Center is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds. A&PIWC does not discriminate based on age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, disability status, gender identity, HIV status, marital status, medical conditions, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.


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