New Job!

So I'm have a particularly annoying day. My computer is being so so slow. I'm dealing with a bunch of logistical issues--getting back to NC and getting a driver's license in NY and such...fun fun. But I did want to take some time and just write a little explanation about my new job!

First of all, just to give a little background on the structure of what I'm doing right now--I am an AmeriCorps VISTA (at least for a few more hours!), which means I am in some ways an employee of the federal government...but then I work at a particular site where I go every day. This varies immensely by who you are (it's like an assignment). The individual site (as I understand it) pays SOMETHING (less even than what I receive; plus it include my recruitment and everything). My site is the William F. Ryan Community Health Center; even more specifically I've gone to work most days at one of their school-based health centers at West Side High School. So. I'm not employed currently by the Ryan Center; but that is where my new job will be.

Additionally, the Ryan Center has several sites--the William F. Ryan center is only one of them, AND I'll actually be at a satellite site that is only satellite because there isn't enough room at the big center. So it's on 100th street and houses the mental health department. I'm excited about this because it's way more laid-back and chill than the big center.

Onto the actual position--the title is Peer Specialist, although that isn't very descriptive (I don't think). So, the basics of what I'll be doing is this: finding, contacting and bringing in HIV positive patients who have, for some reason or another, disappeared--stopped coming to their appointments. The position is funded by a grant from the City. They have determined, through research, that HIV positive patients are less expensive to take care of, protect their partners (sexual or drug-using) better and healthier (although that's, you know, not as important because it isn't about money directly...) when they go to their primary care physician on a regular basis. If they have missed more than 3 appointments in the past 9-14 months, they are eligible for enrollment into the program I'll be working in, and at that point, I would contact them, or try to contact them, and figure out what is preventing them from coming to their appointment(s) and help them problem-solve for at least 6 months to come to their appointment(s) regularly.

So there you go. In a nutshell.

But the next few weeks will be exciting and interesting. I will be getting to Chapel Hill September 12th, taking care of 3 year old twins and a 5 year old by myself for a week (though taking them to preschool during the day), have a weekend with all of my family (all of my mom's siblings and all of mine will be in the same city probably for the first time since my grandfather died 7 years ago). I'm actually really excited about the random and unintended family reuinion, but because it has been so random, I'm a little worried about it being just crazy/unplanned/overwhelming because of that. So I'll try to blog a bit while I'm home/during that whole experience.