LGBTQ Community Advocate Internship Position

PDF of LGBTQ Community Advocate Internship Position Description

The LGBTQ Community Engagement Project is an initiative of the Your Way Home public-private partnership to end and prevent homelessness in Montgomery County. The project is funded by a grant from the HeathSpark Foundation. The project is designed to further understand and bring awareness to the unique needs of LGBTQ individuals experiencing extreme poverty in Montgomery County. 

Interpreting and addressing the needs of LGBTQ youth, adults and seniors has been a challenge for Your Way Home since its inception. It is our hope that this project will build on the work of the current Your Way Home Equity Evaluation, leverage existing Your Way Home system and partnership mechanisms, forge new alliances with cross-sector system leaders, and engage people with lived experience in meaningful ways that lead to transformational and systemic changes that will advance a more equitable and inclusive system for all.

Transportation and travel will be compensated.  Phone and work station are available at the Montgomery County Office of Health and Human Services. 

Salary: $12-$15 per hour with a max of 15 hours per month.  Advocate will be paid on a monthly basis.  Advocate will work from date of hire until the project end: January 1, 2020.

The LGBTQ Community Advocate:

·  Has lived experience of homelessness/extreme poverty (required)

·  Has lived experience in the LGBTQ community (required)

·  Has experience in community outreach and engagement (preferred)

·  Is comfortable public speaking (preferred)

·  Is a resident of Montgomery County (preferred) or is knowledgeable of the area

·  Has experience using social media i.e. Facebook and Twitter (preferred)

·  Is comfortable organizing and coordinating meetings/gatherings (preferred)

 The role of the LGBTQ Community Advocate is to:

·  Interview LGBTQ individuals with lived experience of homelessness/extreme poverty to help determine barriers to accessing services in the system.

·  Engage through social media

·  Conduct interviews or focus groups with LGBTQ Community members and Your Way Home System Leaders

·  Compile a resource list to help educate the community about LGBTQ resources

·  Provide feedback to the Your Way Home Operations team and LGBTQ Community Engagement Action Team

·  Present findings to the Your Way Home Operations Team, scheduled meetings of Health and Human Services, and providers, partners and community members in the County. 

Management will support the Advocate in all aspects of the work.  Outcomes of the internship include:

·  Identifying barriers for LGBTQ community members to access services

·  Identifying challenges and pitfalls for LGBTQ community members to access services

·  Identifying services that can be added to make the health and human services system equitable

·  Better engagement of the LGBTQ Community

·  Education and outreach

Contact Blair Dawson on or before May 1st at bdawson@montcopa.org  or 610-278-3929 with all resumes and letters of interest.  Resumes and letters of interest can be dropped off at the Human Services Center: 1430 DeKalb Street, Norristown, PA 19404