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What is The Institute for Family Health?

The Institute for Family Health is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality and availability of family practice services to medically underserved populations. Founded in 1983, the Institute operates 16 full-time and 9 part-time federally funded community health centers throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, and the Mid-Hudson Valley in New York State, including a school-based health center and eight part-time sites that serve the homeless.

What is Community HealthCorps?

The Community HealthCorps is a national AmeriCorps program that promotes health care for the underserved while developing future healthcare workers. HealthCorps members engage in a variety of projects to promote access to health care and health information in medically underserved communities. They can also recruit and develop volunteers to support community health centers.

What will this project entail?

The HealthCorps depression care manager will work primarily at the Family Practice Centers of Ellenville and/or Kingston. Many Institute patients suffer from depression, often as a co-morbidity of diseases such as diabetes and Hepatitis C. The Institute provides mental health services through the Psychosocial Department. The HealthCorps member will enhance services by outreaching to patients not currently receiving care, and providing health education to new and existing patients. S/he will conduct depression screenings, provide phone outreach, and coordinate patient and provider education groups.

Specific Member Responsibilities and Activities:
• Depression screening and outreach
• Health fairs and community outreach activities to promote depression screenings
• Linkages with community schools, businesses and organizations to conduct screenings and teach community members how to screen for depression
• Work with supervisor to educate providers, develop workflows and meet targets
• Complete patient care documentation for individuals served
• Assist patients in the completion of forms for depression screening
• Identify and call patients in need of mental health services, make appointments, remind patients about appointments.
• Conduct support groups for patients, outreach to patients to enroll them in the group, create appropriate materials for distribution to group.
• Conduct literature review to inform the creation of a mental health electronic health record patient portal (similar to MyChart).


What qualifications should members have?
• United States citizen, United States national, or lawful permanent resident
• High school diploma or GED or commitment to obtain during the service year
• At least 17 years of age
• Strong commitment to service
• Respect for and interest in working in medically underserved communities
• Creativity and initiative

How long is the program?
• Full-time HealthCorps members serve for 1,700 hours over an 11 month period – approximately 40 hours/week; beginning in September of 2009.

What are the benefits of being a Community HealthCorp member?

All members receive extensive training and professional development.

Full-time members also receive:
• A living allowance of $11,400 for the year
• $4,725 taxable education award to be used toward student loans or future education costs
• Health insurance
• Childcare benefits – if income eligible
• Loan deferment on qualified student loans
Transportation Benefits

All applicants must apply through the AmeriCorps website at www.americorps.gov. Search for positions at the Institute for Family Health in New York, NY. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Please apply as soon as possible.

Questions can be directed to Nicki Fietzer at nfietzer@institute2000.org