Community Health Peer Ambassador

Description

Project POWER’s Community Health Peer Ambassador supports community engagement and HIV prevention efforts by serving as a trusted peer resource within communities most impacted by HIV. The Peer Ambassador helps promote awareness of sexual health, HIV prevention strategies, and available services while encouraging community members to access resources offered through GMHC and partner organizations.

Working under the supervision of the Project POWER Community Health Worker, the Peer Ambassador helps build trust, reduce stigma, and support community members in making informed decisions about their health. This role brings valuable community insight, cultural awareness, and peer-based engagement skills that strengthen outreach efforts and help ensure Project POWER activities are responsive to community needs.

Essential Job Functions

The Community Health Peer Ambassador will be responsible for the following duties:

Community Outreach & Engagement

• Assist the Community Health Worker with recruitment and promotion of Project POWER activities, workshops, and community events.
• Support outreach activities in community spaces, events, partner organizations, and other community-based settings.
• Engage individuals in conversations about health, wellness, HIV prevention, and available services in a non-judgmental and culturally responsive manner.
• Serve as a relatable and trusted peer resource for community members.
• Support efforts to reduce stigma related to HIV, sexual health, prevention services, and healthcare access.
• Participate in contracted events throughout the New York City area as assigned.

Health Education & Resource Support

• Share general information about HIV prevention, sexual health services, PrEP, PEP, harm reduction, and GMHC programs.
• Distribute health education materials and prevention resources, including condoms, informational flyers, and other outreach materials.
• Encourage community members to access HIV testing, PrEP services, and other prevention resources.
• Provide basic referral information to GMHC programs and community resources as directed.
• Help connect individuals to the Community Health Worker for additional support or follow-up when appropriate.

Event & Program Support

• Help set up, staff, and break down community events, health fairs, outreach tables, workshops, and other Project POWER activities.
• Encourage participation in health education sessions and community programming.
• Assist with special projects and other program-related activities as directed by the supervisor.

Documentation & Team Participation

• Track and document outreach activities, community engagement efforts, and event participation as directed by the Community Health Worker.
• Participate in team check-ins, supervision, and program meetings.
• Follow program procedures related to confidentiality, documentation, participant engagement, and professional boundaries.

Requirements

Special Skills and Knowledge

Required:

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to engage community members in a friendly, respectful, non-judgmental, and culturally responsive manner.
• Comfort speaking with community members about health, wellness, sexual health, and prevention-related topics.
• Reliability, professionalism, and willingness to learn.
• Ability to follow direction, work as part of a team, and support program activities in community-based settings.
• Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries and protect confidential information.
• Familiarity with, or willingness to learn about, HIV prevention strategies, including PrEP, PEP, harm reduction, and sexual health resources.

Preferred:

• Experience in program support, peer education, community outreach, grassroots engagement, or a related area.
• Experience supporting community events, outreach tables, workshops, or health fairs.
• Familiarity with communities most impacted by HIV and barriers related to healthcare access, stigma, sexual health, and prevention services.
• Experience assisting with referrals or connecting individuals to community-based services.
• Education and Certification
• High School diploma, GED, or equivalent experience required.
• Peer education, community health, HIV prevention, public health, or outreach-related training preferred.
• Experience supporting HIV prevention, sexual health education, community outreach, or peer-based programming preferred.

Technical Skills

The ideal candidate should have the following technical competencies to support outreach, communication, documentation, and program activities:

Required

• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to use email, calendars, shared files, and basic computer or mobile technology to support scheduling, communication, and outreach activities.
• Ability to enter and maintain accurate outreach notes, activity logs, attendance information, and program-related documentation as directed.
• Ability to follow confidentiality, documentation, and data-entry procedures in accordance with GMHC policies and program requirements.

Preferred

• Experience using databases, electronic forms, or other documentation systems in a nonprofit, outreach, public health, or community-based setting.
• Work Environment and Schedule
• This position is primarily community-based and supports outreach activities, events, and partner-based programming throughout New York City.
• Community-based work includes outreach events, health fairs, workshops, partner organization activities, community engagement events, and other off-site program activities.
• In-office work may include team meetings, supervision, documentation, planning, reporting, and coordination with internal staff.
• The schedule may require evening or weekend availability based on community events, outreach activities, and program needs.
• Participation in the annual AIDS Walk New York event is mandatory for all GMHC staff.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described below are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Travel and Mobility: Ability to travel to GMHC offices, community sites, partner organizations, outreach locations, and events throughout New York City. Ability to navigate indoor and outdoor community-based settings, including public transportation, sidewalks, stairs, elevators, and event spaces.
• Physical Activity: Ability to assist with setting up, staffing, and breaking down outreach tables, workshops, health fairs, and community events. Ability to carry, organize, and distribute light outreach materials, prevention supplies, flyers, signage, and other program materials.
• Sitting, Standing, and Movement: Ability to sit for meetings, documentation, and computer-based work. Ability to stand, walk, and move through community or event settings for extended periods during outreach activities.
• Manual Dexterity and Technology Use: Ability to handle outreach materials and prevention supplies, use standard office or mobile technology, and complete paper-based or electronic documentation accurately.
• Communication and Documentation: Ability to communicate clearly and respectfully with community members, participants, partner organizations, supervisors, and team members. Ability to read, enter, review, and maintain outreach documentation, activity logs, forms, and program-related records while following confidentiality procedures.