10/27/2020
As part of the emergency response to the pandemic caused by COVID-19, we looking for temporary staff members to assist with case investigation and contact tracing. Chosen candidates will conduct interviews of patients with confirmed or probable COVID-19, as well as any primary contacts of individuals who have tested positive, focusing on motivational interviewing and cultural competency. Clinical experience is not required and all information necessary to conduct the interviews will be provided during the training period.
Interviews are guided by standard protocols and will include:
• Providing disease-specific information . Assessing signs and symptoms of Covid-19, as well as underlying health conditions. Discussing symptom onset to determine time period/dates for contact elicitation and exposure risk for close contacts. Discussing work, social, recreational, and community activities to identify who may have been exposed, Eliciting information of close contacts, including names, exposure dates and locating information. Providing recommendations for isolation or quarantine based on State and CDC guidelines and reviewing of daily monitoring procedures. Assessing support needs to maintain health and compliance during isolation or quarantine. Communicating with contacts to notify them of exposure, providing disease and transmission information, gathering data on demographics, living arrangements, and daily activities. Providing referrals for testing (if appropriate) and arranging for testing, if needed.
Qualified staff will have many if not all of the following “soft-skills”:
• Strong attention to detail;
• Good phone etiquette when speaking to individuals from all demographics and life situations;
• Empathetic/customer service centered attitude, even when dealing with abrasive individuals;
• Dependable and flexible to changes as we work our way through this pandemic;
• Inquisitive nature/ability to think outside the box to collect as much relevant information as possible; and
• Ability to multitask as you will have to speak with individuals, enter data, and relay information to the appropriate team/team leader as needed.
Additional information:
• These new positions will be hired on a short-term basis, which is currently planned to be 6-12 months.
• The roles will be on-site at RIDOH, remote work may be available after a 4-6 week training period and a competency assessment.
• Priority will be given to applicants with the following qualifications:
o Applicants who are bilingual or multilingual;
o Applicants available for full-time work (35 hours/week), including weekends;
o Applicants who are able to work through at least the end of the year if needed
o Applicants who have experience with data entry while taking information from patients
o Applicants who have experience with customer service with patients, healthcare providers, and the general public; and
o Applicants who work well in a team environment.
