Peer Advocate Specialist - Los Angeles, Ca

Planned Parenthood Los Angeles is seeking an experienced full-time Peer Advocate Specialist with excellent communication and customer service skills to work in our Downtown Los Angeles Headquarters office, as well as in Los Angeles County. The Peer Advocate Specialist implements the Peer Advocate program, including training of PPLA Peer Advocates for outreach to target their communities and school campuses and facilitation of weekly meetings, outreach events, and monthly trainings. This position will also include education and outreach work at high schools to increase student knowledge and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services. This position will elevate young peoples' stories for media projects. The Specialist will create online content including videos for online platforms, outreach efforts, and social media to ensure that our content is culturally competent, on message, and reaches the intended audiences. ( Experience in video production strongly preferred)

Over one hundred years ago, Planned Parenthood was founded on the idea that everyone should have the information and care they need to live strong, healthy lives and fulfill their dreams. Founded 57+ years ago, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles is one of the largest providers of reproductive health care services in Los Angeles County. The Planned Parenthood Los Angeles (PPLA) team works together to provide high-quality, affordable reproductive health care to women, men, and young people across Los Angeles County. At PPLA, you will discover a culture of like-minded individuals who are eager to make positive contributions to their community and to the Planned Parenthood mission.

 

All employees of PPLA are defined as Healthcare Workers by current Public Health Orders and are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  Proof of vaccination or an approved exemption must be submitted in order to be eligible for employment consideration.

Our Ideal Candidate will have the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree with a sexuality education, social services or health education background or equivalent work experience preferred.
• Minimum one (1) year experience in and commitment to training and educating teens required.
• Program coordination experience strongly preferred.
• Ability to facilitate sexual health education in classrooms and after-school settings as well as trainings for young people, using creative teaching techniques.
• Experience in video production strongly preferred.
• Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) strongly preferred.
• Comfort talking about sexuality, relationships, abortion, contraception, and STIs.
• Ability to work independently, as a team member, and be a team builder.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. 
• Accuracy and attention to detail. 
• Ability to be flexible and work respectfully within a diverse group.
• Professional appearance and attitude. 
• Strong computer and technology skills, including video creation and editing. 
• Availability to work some evenings and weekends, as needed. 
• Warm, friendly, outgoing. Responsive to new ideas and situations.
• Ability and willingness to travel within Los Angeles County.
• Reliable means of transportation for onsite and off-site work.
• If using a personal vehicle to drive for work purposes, a valid CA driver license and current auto insurance in compliance with the minimum requirements of CA vehicle code are required.

About the position:

• Abortion patients are cared for at each of our health centers, and in part through the administrative, support, and other non-clinical services provided at all PPLA locations, and by all PPLA employees. Supporting these critical services is an essential job duty, and a fundamental responsibility of all employees and contractors.
• Plan, oversee and facilitate weekly Peer Advocate meetings and trainings at various partner schools.
• Master competencies in delivering PPLA's sexual health education programming and teach PPLA's sexual health curriculum in middle and high schools.
• Create and implement the Peer Advocate and Social Media plans for reaching determined goals and objectives.
• Create youth-led videos and social media content to be used as Peer Advocate outreach material, educational content, promotional content and to support advocacy efforts.
• Train 50-70 Peer Advocates in the PPLA program and ensure that they learn about and follow all PPLA Program Policies and Procedures.
• Support the revision of Peer Advocate training content according to relevant laws, requirements, and education needs.
• Develop effective strategies for the recruitment and selection of Peer Advocates on an annual basis.
• Leverage relationships with graduated Peer Advocates and keep them engaged in advocacy, spokesperson, media, and volunteer opportunities.
• Support the priorities for Peer Advocate work based on grant deliverables and program needs.
• Track and input all expenses incurred by the Peer Advocate program.
• Represent PPLA in the community by developing and maintaining relationships with schools, community-based organizations and other collaborations.
• Support relationships with LAUSD key staff, Peer Advocate school administrations, UCLA, and other community-based organizations.
• Collect, organize, and input outreach data to ensure reports required for foundations and donors, PPLA Board and the Public Affairs/Community Education Department are complete.
• Maintain necessary knowledge and skills to provide leadership to programs and staying current on recent studies on sexuality, sexual health, PPLA services, teen pregnancy, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, healthy relationships, reproductive rights, as well as educational approaches to teens, parents, and communities, including LGB and transgender teens and communities. 
• Serve as a trainer, facilitator, presenter and spokesperson for Community Education and support external relationships with media, entertainment stakeholders, donors, foundations, and/or elected officials.
• Work in collaboration with other Community Education programs and other PPLA departments.
• Co-lead team building activities for the Community Education Department.
• As needed and as assigned by supervisor, will perform the following teen call line duties: 1) Schedule patient appointments according to PPLA guidelines, using PPLA's computer-based appointment schedule, 2) Provide callers/patients with appropriate resources as necessary, 3) Communicate information on payment for health services, including self-pay, private insurance, and state benefits such as Family PACT and Medi-Cal, 4) Adhere to PPLA scripts and protocols, 5) Follow laws and PPLA guidelines relating to patient confidentiality as well as reproductive health of minors, 6) Comply with safety procedures, including emergency procedures, & 7) Adhere to affiliate goals and policies on professionalism, wait time in clinics and on the system for addressing client complaints.
• Performs other duties as may be assigned by the Community Education Manager and/or the Director, Community Education, VP of Community Education, and/or Chief Operating Officer.

Generous salary and benefits package includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage options for you and eligible dependents
• Free basic life/AD&D policy with additional voluntary coverage options
• Short Term Disability, Critical Illness and Accident policies
• 403(b) Retirement plan with up to 3% employer match
• Medical and Dependent Flexible Spending Account plans
• Public Transportation and Commuter Pre-Tax Reimbursements
• Generous vacation, sick, and holiday benefits
• Hiring Range: $65,000 - $70,000 per year (Exempt) 


Compensation Philosophy and Position Hiring Range:
At Planned Parenthood Los Angeles we continuously work towards our values of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion including with our compensation philosophy. PPLA recognizes that decisions about pay and benefits have significant impact on staff, so we are committed to ensuring all positions are rooted in a description that identifies competencies, duties, responsibilities and qualifications, and that they are compensated equitably which takes into account both internal organizational equity and market compensation data for similar roles.

Equal Employment Opportunity will be afforded to all applicants and other covered persons without regard to protected characteristics, including their perceived protected characteristic. Protected categories include: race (including traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and protective hair styles such as, braids, locs, and twists as examples but not exhaustive list), color, religion or religious creed (including religious belief, observation, practice, dress, and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding/chestfeeding, or related medical conditions), reproductive health decision-making, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status (including past, current or prospective service in the uniformed service), and any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.  PPLA will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with the requirements of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.