Patient & Community Health Advocacy Specialist (Part-Time Volunteer)

About Lily Foundation

Lily Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering patients and caregivers through compassionate advocacy, accessible health education, and improved access to healthcare resources.

Founded in 2025, our mission is to ensure that individuals and families feel informed, heard, respected, and supported throughout their healthcare journeys.

Our work focuses on four interconnected areas:

- Direct Crisis Advocacy

- Accessible Health Literacy

- Caregiver Fortitude & Mentorship

- Systemic Advocacy & Community Partnerships

With an initial focus on Baltimore City, Maryland, we are developing educational resources, healthcare navigation tools, and collaborative initiatives that strengthen patient empowerment and address barriers to accessing appropriate care.

Stronger Voices. Healthier Tomorrows.

Position Overview

Lily Foundation is seeking a compassionate, resourceful, and community-minded Patient & Community Health Advocacy Specialist to support our Health Advocacy Lead in advancing the Foundation's healthcare advocacy and community education initiatives.

This volunteer will contribute to the research, planning, development, and coordination of resources that help patients and caregivers better understand healthcare options, prepare for medical encounters, locate community services, and advocate for their needs.

The specialist will work collaboratively with the Health Advocacy Lead, program development volunteers, data analysts, communications specialists, and Foundation leadership.

This position is particularly suited to individuals with experience or education in patient advocacy, public health, nursing, social work, health education, community health, healthcare administration, or related fields.

This is a nonclinical, primarily program-development role. Direct patient-facing responsibilities may be introduced only after appropriate Foundation procedures, training, and oversight are established.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Advocacy & Healthcare Navigation

- Research barriers patients and caregivers encounter when navigating healthcare systems.

- Develop patient-friendly resources explaining primary care, urgent care, emergency services, and available community support options.

- Assist with creating appointment preparation guides, patient question checklists, and caregiver support materials.

- Identify reliable community organizations and public resources that may assist individuals experiencing healthcare access challenges.

- Help develop appropriate resource navigation and referral procedures for future Foundation programming.

Health Literacy & Educational Resource Development

- Collaborate with the Health Advocacy Lead to develop accessible, evidence-informed educational materials.

- Translate complex healthcare information into clear, plain-language content suitable for diverse audiences.

- Support educational initiatives addressing community priorities such as mental health, diabetes, cardiovascular health, maternal health, preventive care, and healthy aging.

- Review proposed educational materials for clarity, accessibility, cultural responsiveness, and appropriate sourcing.

- Coordinate with curriculum, website, and communications volunteers to prepare resources for leadership review and publication.

Lily Bridge Program Development

Support the planning and readiness of Lily Bridge, the Foundation's proposed Baltimore-focused healthcare navigation and health literacy pilot.

Responsibilities may include:

- Supporting patient and caregiver education workflows.

- Researching potential referral resources and service delivery gaps.

- Assisting with patient navigation tools and program materials.

- Reviewing proposed participant experiences for accessibility and practical usefulness.

- Identifying program risks, resource dependencies, and opportunities for improvement.

- Collaborating with research and business intelligence volunteers to align educational priorities with community needs findings.

Community Resource Directory

- Research and verify healthcare and social-service resources serving Baltimore City and surrounding communities.

- Help organize resources covering healthcare access, mental health, transportation, caregiver support, financial assistance, and related needs.

- Collaborate with the website team to support development of an accessible online resource directory.

- Identify outdated information, service gaps, and opportunities to improve resource navigation.

Community Engagement & Partnerships

- Support planning for Lily Together 2027, the Foundation's community engagement initiative.

- Research prospective partnerships with healthcare organizations, community nonprofits, public health agencies, and social-service providers.

- Assist with preparing outreach materials, educational presentations, and community engagement resources.

- Support community feedback activities and identify opportunities to improve the Foundation's educational offerings.

- Help strengthen relationships with organizations serving underserved and vulnerable communities.

Collaboration, Documentation & Professional Standards

- Participate in periodic virtual meetings with the Health Advocacy Lead and relevant team members.

- Maintain organized documentation of assigned research, educational resources, and project deliverables.

- Collaborate using Microsoft Teams, Slack, Jira, and Microsoft 365.

- Communicate questions, barriers, and dependencies that require leadership support.

- Follow Foundation policies regarding confidentiality, ethical conduct, accessibility, and professional boundaries.

Required Qualifications

- Experience or education in healthcare, patient advocacy, public health, social work, nursing, health education, community health, human services, or a related discipline.

- Strong communication skills, including active listening, empathy, and clear written communication.

- Ability to research credible healthcare information and explain complex concepts in plain language.

- Understanding of patient-centered care and common barriers to healthcare access.

- Strong organizational, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.

- Commitment to cultural humility, confidentiality, and ethical conduct.

- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote volunteer environment.

- Willingness to contribute approximately 5–10 hours per week.

Preferred Qualifications

- Current college students, recent graduates, and individuals with relevant coursework, professional training, or practical experience in healthcare, public health, social work, human services, or related fields are encouraged to apply. A completed degree is not required.

- Experience as a patient advocate, community health worker, patient navigator, health educator, nurse, social worker, or care coordinator.

- Familiarity with Baltimore City communities and Maryland healthcare resources.

- Experience developing health education materials, patient support tools, or community resource guides.

- Familiarity with health literacy principles, accessible communication, and community outreach.

- Experience with Microsoft 365, Jira, or other collaboration platforms.

* Clinical licensure is not required. We welcome qualified emerging professionals and individuals with relevant community service experience.

Professional Boundaries

Lily Foundation is developing nonclinical healthcare education, advocacy, and resource navigation programs.

Volunteers do not independently diagnose medical conditions, prescribe treatments, provide individualized medical advice, or manage clinical cases.

Any future patient-facing activities will be conducted only under approved Foundation procedures, appropriate supervision, and applicable privacy and safety requirements.

What You'll Gain

- Meaningful experience supporting a growing 501(c)(3) healthcare advocacy organization.

- Opportunities to collaborate with healthcare professionals and nonprofit leadership.

- Practical experience in health literacy, patient advocacy, resource navigation, and program development.

- Opportunities to contribute to Lily Bridge and Lily Together 2027.

- Experience working with multidisciplinary teams on community-focused initiatives.

- Potential eligibility for a professional reference or recommendation based on sustained contributions.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply through Idealist or submit a resume and/or LinkedIn profile to info@lilyadvocacy.org.

Please include brief responses to the following questions:

1. What motivates you to support patient advocacy and healthcare access?

2. Describe your experience helping individuals understand healthcare information, navigate services, or connect with community resources.

3. Which areas interest you most: patient education, healthcare navigation, community resource development, or community outreach?

We welcome candidates from diverse professional and educational backgrounds who are passionate about improving healthcare experiences and strengthening community well-being.

Lily Foundation

https://lilyadvocacy.org

Stronger Voices. Healthier Tomorrows.