5-Contact Tracer

The City of Somerville was one of the first communities to implement a free, universal COVID-19 community testing initiative. We also implemented a robust contact tracing operation as part of a test-trace-isolate strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19.  The City of Somerville Health & Human Services Department seeks (5) Contact Tracing Team Members. Our contact tracing team calls every resident diagnosed with COVID-19 and provides isolation guidance, identifies their contacts, and calls their contacts to provide quarantine guidance and help get them tested.  Our team also follows-up with residents about their symptoms and well-being, and connects residents to any needed social services.  We are seeking empathetic, persistent, professional, discreet, detail-oriented, technologically-savvy individuals with public health expertise to join our Somerville COVID Contact Tracing Team.  

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Call newly diagnosed patients
• Follow the script to inform patients about the importance of isolation
• Collect and record information on symptoms during the initial case interview
• Gather information that will help identify exposure origin
• Identify any social service needs and connect to social services
• Identify close contacts of diagnosed patients
• Call contacts of diagnosed patients
• Follow the script to inform contacts about the importance of quarantine and what to do if symptoms develop
• Provide information about community testing procedures and locations
• Identify any social service needs and connect to social services
• Follow up with diagnosed patients and contacts throughout the duration of their isolation/quarantine

Requirements: 

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s Degree in public health, social work or allied field required; minimum of three (3)  years’ professional experience in public health preferred; or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and/or training which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job. 

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Public health proven expertise; knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms, current quarantine and contact tracing guidelines and best practices; knowledge of MS Office programs; experience with public health data systems.  Familiarity with Somerville geography, services and community preferred. 

Ability: Ability to interact with the public effectively and appropriately; ability to handle problems and emergencies calmly and effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both spoken and in writing; ability to operate a computer; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records. Empathetic, with the ability to build trust with culturally diverse individuals during a time of crisis and distress; persistent, with the ability to investigate a case and close contacts to identify exposure origin; professional and discreet, with the ability to handle sensitive health information professionally and with discretion.

Skill: Detail-oriented, with the focus and follow-through to carefully document ongoing communication with diagnosed patients and contacts; technologically-savvy, with the ability to be trained in the states’ disease surveillance and case management system or a connector system.  Excellent organizational skills; excellent data processing skills in the use of personal computers and office software including MS Office programs, specifically Excel. Multilingual skills preferred by not required, especially Spanish and Portuguese

Work Environment

During the COVID-19 related shutdown of City buildings, Contact Tracing Team members will be expected to work remotely from their home or similar location where they can confidently and consistently manage calls and interactions without issue or distraction. Work equipment will be provided by the City.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills
Little to no physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks.

Motor Skills
Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as operating a telephone ot personal computer.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents on screens for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Send your resume and cover letter by Wednesday, March 24 to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Nancy Bacci at 617-625-6600 x 2250 or nbacci@somervillema.gov.