Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness (WPHW) is growing, and we are excited to be adding new people to our team! If you value inclusivity, balance, and cultural centeredness and have a true passion for serving others, you may be a great fit for our team! WPHW is a non-profit organization that serves four federally recognized tribes located in five communities: the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Aroostook Band of Mi'kmaq, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point, and the Penobscot Nation. Wabanaki traditions, language, and culture guide our approach and describe the ways we live in harmony with each other and the land we collectively share. Services are available to community members living on and off-reservation across the state of Maine.

Position Summary:

Voices of our Elders is a study created to help identify symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementia (ADRD) diseases and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) amongst our Tribal Elders. The data from this study will be used to provide information on prevalence of ADRD and MCI in Wabanaki Elders and contribute information to help better understand these conditions. It will also contain components of the Wabanaki Health Needs Assessment (WHNA) for Elders that will collect important health information.

This position would serve as the community researcher that will help administer the study to Wabanaki Elders and assist with data collection and consent. This position is a per diem position for up to 24 hours a week with flexibility pending on Elder participant availability over a 5-month period. It will also require individuals to attend an in-person, paid training at the Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness Bangor office, as well as completing additional online trainings before research work. There are multiple positions available for each Tribal community.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Check-in with site supervisor at the beginning and end of your day.
• Conduct the Voices of our Elders survey via REDCap software including clinical evaluation and other components.
• Confirm with research coordinator that you have all the items on the survey checklist.
  • MoCA assessment tools
  • Elder medication sheet
  • Elder information sheet (provided by site supervisor)
  • Medicine bag offerings for Elders
  • Sage for smudging
  • iPad with REDCap
  • Gift cards
  • Refreshments
  • Crisis and information sheets
  • Dementia roadmap
  • Masks, hand sanitizer and rapid tests
  • Sanitizing wipes
  • Games (Domino’s, deck of cards, etc.)
  • Verify eligibility of Elders looking to participate.
  • Set up and put away refreshments.
• Ensure the setting is private for the survey and that all information is kept private.
• Participate in other research related work as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned by site supervisor.
• Practice WPHW Covid safety policies. (Provide masks, hand sanitizer and rapid tests as needed.)
• Report to a designated location in the Tribal communities to conduct the survey.
• Potential opportunity to collaborate with Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness on future research work.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience Required:

• Compassion and empathy.
• Experience in working with Tribal communities.
• Experience utilizing tablets and app-based software.
• Experience with Microsoft Office tools.
• Opportunity to enhance on professional skills.
• Reliable transformation.
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Survey experience preferred, but not required.
• Time management skills.