AmeriCorps | John Carroll University

The AmeriCorps CRUSH mission is to create a rural and urban volunteer health education corps that provides economically disadvantaged middle school through college aged youth with academic and career support through the utilization of a service-learning model.

Members are trained to teach students to bridge the gap between the needs of a community and the resources the community offers by leveraging their Community Health Worker training through the Ohio Board of Nursing. All members leave the program with a formal certificate and some members utilize the certificate throughout their service year by serving in local hospital settings connecting students and community members to local resources to alleviate their social determinant of health needs. Furthermore, some members focus specifically on mental health needs by serving in mental health centers.

All service members are on a yearlong service contract starting in August and ending in July earning a monthly stipend and education award upon the completion of their contractual hours.

There are three tracks available within the program:

The JCU AmeriCorps CRUSH program establishes and delivers a service-learning based curriculum to Ohio students in under-resourced school districts to provide academic and career skill support necessary for students to obtain a sustainable career in the healthcare industry, a growing Ohio career opportunity.

CRUSH students identify a health issue in their community and develop a project that brings awareness to the issue. CRUSH serves schools and communities statewide in Northeast, Central, Southeast, and Southwest Ohio.

The JCU Community Health Worker track gives members the opportunity to screen patients in local hospital settings and connect them to resources that meet their social determinant of health needs. In some hospital settings, members track common needs trends and develop community-wide programming to address that particular need. In addition, members connect with local youth to deliver resources first hand that align with their hospital settings, as well as conduct health-based summer programming.

In 2021, the JCU AmeriCorps CRUSH leadership team formed a partnership with the JCU Department of Counseling in order to better address mental health needs faced by the students and local communities served. With this new track, AmeriCorps members will have the opportunity to better hone their mental health training by starting the journey for Chemical Dependency Counselors Assistant certification. Members will still receive Community Health Worker Certification through the Ohio Board of Nursing, and will leverage the training with agency experience in order to address the mental health needs of students and community members statewide. Agency support will also provide specific training to address treatment plans for individuals in recovery, addressing their Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and connecting them to local resources in order to alleviate barriers to recovery. This mental health track is aligned for 10 full time members.

AmeriCorps

ServeOhio

University Hospitals

Signature Health

Boys Hope Girls Hope

Monarch Lifeworks

Dayton Children’s Hospital

Crossroads Health Center

Rocking Horse Community Health Center

Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine

Ohio Department of Health

United Black Fund

Health Path Foundation of Ohio

These amounts can vary year-to-year, but the stipend amounts for 2022 are:

A breakdown of the stipend amounts that AmeriCorps provides.

Start by submitting a cover letter and resume to Anita Iveljic, Director of AmeriCorps, at Aiveljic@jcu.edu

Rolling applications for both full time and part time positions are always being accepted.

Positions run on an August to July duration.

Note: JCU current undergraduates with an existing on campus position are ineligible.

Minimum Qualifications Include:

18 years of age or older

U.S. Citizen or Green Card Holder

Transportation Required

Success Stories

Sierra Roundtree

From participant to supervisor

Sierra Roundtree (2016 - 2018) AmeriCorps CRUSH alum and current Site Supervisor

"I served in the Cincinnati OH area with the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing Ohio Minority Health (OMH) grant. The CRUSH program was one that positively impacted me and helped to shape my overall growth and development. While dedicating my time to service, it allowed me to understand the true meaning of service as well as my passions and purpose. From my service years, I learned and recognized that I have passion to serve the youth and uplift the community by being a resource and an individual who strives for the greater good by the development of initiatives that empower the youth to follow their career dreams. Having the opportunity to come back to the CRUSH program in the capacity of a Site Supervisor is very rewarding. This opportunity allows me to stay connected with the youth and to continue to be a resource and advocate of helping them follow and achieve their life goals."

Instagram

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CRUSH Newsletter Vo 5 January 2022

The JCU AmeriCorps CRUSH program is supported by ServeOhio through Award No. 21AFH-1502-22-OC144.

What Our Partners Have to Say

“The Corps for Rural and Success in Health (CRUSH) has made an important impact on the lives of young persons in the Miami Valley. Participating students have gained skills in communication and caring for the health of their communities. CRUSH coaches have gained invaluable experience working on a team and many have gone on to graduate school in their chosen health profession.”

John M Pascoe, MD, MPH

Professor of Pediatrics

Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine

“Our partnership with John Carroll University/ AmeriCorps has made a significant, positive impact on our organization. We cannot say enough about the quality and character of every individual that we have had the privilege to collaborate with. From top to bottom, the JCU chapter of AmeriCorps embodies servant leadership.”

Carl Brass

Executive Director of Lifeworks Autism Services & JCU alum

“At Dayton Children’s, we know the importance of building a diverse workforce for the future. The CRUSH program is integral in showing students health care careers in a really tangible and meaningful way while building critical thinking skills which are applicable for any avenue students may explore.”

Jessica Saunders

Executive Director

Center for Health Equity

"Our partnership with the AmeriCorps CRUSH program has been an incredible asset to our Academy programming here at Boys Hope Girls Hope. Seeing our scholars make connections between social determinants of health and their own communities has been essential to their growth as individuals, leaders, and young agents of change. We couldn't be more excited to continue making strides with our collaboration efforts."

Danielle Rojas

Academy Assistant Director

Early High School

Contact Us

Have a question about JCU's AmeriCorps CRUSH program?

Anita Iveljic, Director of AmeriCorps