AmeriCorps

What do Sea Mar – AmeriCorps Members do?
The Sea Mar – AmeriCorps members at Sea Mar Community Health Centers provide direct service to Sea Mar clients while enhancing their skills and experiences in the field of health and human services. Each member’s personal growth is fostered through a highly supportive, challenging, and educational team environment.

Members are committed to improving access to services, increasing utilization of clinic services, assisting patients to navigate the medical system, providing culturally appropriate services, and providing health education for the medically underserved.

AmeriCorps members are placed in Sea Mar Community Health Centers (CHC) that offer health services, including health education, maternity support services, medical clinics, child development center, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for youth, volunteer program, and childhood literacy program. Members serve at sites in various geographical areas of Western Washington.

AmeriCorps members also participate in team-led service projects and regular (weekly or bi-weekly) team trainings.

To learn more about the Serve Washington’s AmeriCorps program, visit the Serve Washington! website.

Service Term
Sea Mar Community HealthCorps service starts in mid-August and runs through early July of the following year. Sea Mar offers full-time HealthCorps contracts which require completion of 1,700 service hours within 11 months. This equates to working about 40 hours a week.

Benefits
HealthCorps’ annual living stipend is approximately $18,000 or about $1600 (net) every month. Members receive an education award of $6,495 upon completion of their service contract.

In addition, AmeriCorps members gain the personal satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of the most underserved populations in our society, and they benefit from unforgettable personal and professional growth experiences. AmeriCorps builds a solid foundation for anyone interested in pursuing careers as future health-care leaders and community advocates.

Other benefits include:

• Modest living allowance ($1600-1500 per month depending on individual tax situation)
• Child care (when eligible)
• Food assistance (when eligible)
• Individual health insurance
• Student loan deferment
• Various professional training opportunities
• Education award for college, graduate school, student loan repayment, etc.
• Improved communication and leadership skills
• A unique perspective on healthcare

Program Eligibility:

• Must be U.S. citizen, U.S national or permanent legal resident at the time of application
• Must be at least 18 years old
• All education levels considered, but minimum of high school diploma, or GED is required
• Strong interest in serving the community within the health and human services fields.

Required Paperwork
Newly accepted members of our program need several documents on the first day of orientation in August. The following documents are required in order to start service in our program:

• Driver’s license or state-issued ID card
• Social security card
• One of the following:

• Copy of birth certificate
• Unexpired US passport
• Certificate of citizenship (INS Form N-560), or
• Certificate of Naturalization (INS Form N-550)

• Proof of health insurance coverage (or Signed Waiver) if you will not be using the Americorps insurance.

AmeriCorps Training and Development
Sea Mar AmeriCorps members receive training in ten Prescriptions for Success (below) for service in a public-health setting. Members learn new skills and gain knowledge that enhances their effectiveness and value to patients. Members also take part in a variety of other professional trainings such as motivational interviewing, grant writing workshops, and a course on the Social Determinants of Health.

Prescriptions for Success
HealthCorps members receive training in the following areas:

• Health Disparities
• Professional Development
• Civic Engagement
• Health Education
• Case Management
• Patient Relations
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Health Outreach
• Disaster preparedness
• Primary Care Environment