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Backpack Guide Jobs in Maryland (NOW HIRING)

Backpack Guide information

What does a backpack guide do?

A backpack guide is a professional who leads individuals or groups on multi-day hiking or trekking trips, often in remote or wilderness areas. Their responsibilities include planning routes, ensuring the safety of participants, providing information about the local environment, and helping with camping logistics such as setting up tents and preparing meals. Backpack guides are trained in first aid, navigation, and outdoor survival skills to handle emergencies and enhance the experience for their clients. They also educate hikers about Leave No Trace principles and the natural or cultural history of the areas visited.

What key skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a backpack guide, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Backpack Guide, you need strong outdoor survival skills, wilderness navigation experience, and certifications in first aid or wilderness medicine. Familiarity with GPS devices, map and compass navigation, and knowledge of Leave No Trace principles are typically required. Exceptional communication, leadership, and decision-making skills help guide groups safely and foster a positive experience. These abilities are crucial for ensuring client safety, managing unexpected challenges, and delivering memorable outdoor adventures.

What are some common challenges faced by backpack guides during multi-day trips?

Backpack guides often encounter challenges such as adapting to changing weather conditions, ensuring group safety, and managing diverse skill levels among participants. They must be well-prepared to handle unexpected situations, like injuries or route changes, while keeping morale high and maintaining a positive group dynamic. Effective communication, sound judgment, and strong leadership are essential for successfully overcoming these obstacles and providing a memorable, safe experience for all participants.

What is the difference between Backpack Guide vs Tour Guide?

AspectBackpack GuideTour Guide
CredentialsOften requires outdoor or adventure certifications, first aid, and sometimes language skillsTypically needs tourism or hospitality certifications, language skills, and local knowledge
Work EnvironmentOutdoor settings, trekking routes, adventure parksIndoor and outdoor sites, museums, city tours
Employer & IndustryAdventure travel companies, outdoor tour operatorsTravel agencies, sightseeing companies, museums
Search & Comparison IntentPeople comparing outdoor adventure rolesPeople interested in city or cultural tours

The main difference between a Backpack Guide and a Tour Guide lies in their work environment and required skills. Backpack Guides focus on outdoor, adventure-based settings, often requiring outdoor certifications, while Tour Guides typically operate in urban or cultural sites with hospitality or tourism credentials. Both roles serve travelers but cater to different experiences and settings.

What are popular job titles related to Backpack Guide jobs in Maryland?

For Backpack Guide jobs in Maryland, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What cities in Maryland are hiring for Backpack Guide jobs?

Cities in Maryland with the most Backpack Guide job openings:

Infographic showing various Backpack Guide job openings in Maryland as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.

Social Determinants of Health Coordinator - 3078

Baltimore, MD โ€ข On-site

AbsoluteCare
Health Care and Social Assistanceย โ€ขย 501 - 1,000 employees

$52K - $62K/yr

Full-time

Medical

Re-posted 2 days ago


Key responsibilities

  • Assist members by linking them to community resources through referrals, application assistance, and follow-up.

  • Coordinate with community resources, care team members, and behavioral health professionals to address members' SDOH needs.

  • Document all member interactions and prioritize tasks to ensure timely completion of requests.


Job description

Schedule: Monday - Friday (8:00AM - 5:00PM) with an 1-hour lunch
Compensation: $52,000 - $62,000 a year(Based on experience)

Job Summary
This role assists primary care providers, nurses, and care managers with complex situations related to resolving the SDOH needs of our members. The SDOH Coordinator supports our members by linking them to the community resources that meet their SDOH needs through referrals, assistance with completing applications and follow up. Skills that are key to the success of this position include maintaining knowledge of community resources, understanding eligibility requirements and application processes for benefits and resources (e.g., health plan benefits, entitlements, SNAP, housing/shelter programs, transportation), identifying the appropriate resource for each member's unique situation, and organizational skills to follow up timely to ensure successful access to resources.
Duties and Responsibilities
  • Receive referrals from the Integrated Care Team (ICT) to address members' SDOH needs as identified during routine assessment or as requested by the member.
  • Assist members with referrals and coordinating services with community resources including, but not limited to:
    • Housing, e.g., voucher programs, halfway houses, shelters
    • Government benefits, e.g., SNAP, phones, transportation
    • Food and personal/household items e.g., food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless outreach centers, clothing, seasonal resources such as toy and backpack drives, winter clothing closets
    • Utility assistance, e.g., LIHEAP
    • Advocacy including coordinating letters of medical necessity related to eviction or utility shut off notices
    • Obtaining picture ID and/or birth certificate documents
    • Medication assistance, i.e., enrolling patients in any assistance available for medication co-pays
    • Transportation, e.g., health plan eligibility, public transportation / bus passes
    • Educational and vocational resources
  • Update the local Center's Community Resource Guide when needed.
  • Collaborate with ICT related to services not covered by the health plan.
  • Exhaust all community and health plan options prior to requesting additional funds for SDOH items.
  • Work closely with the local Resource Specialist related to member fund requests for SDOH expenses not otherwise provided in the community or covered by the health plan.
  • Work closely with the Behavioral Health team related to mental health and substance use services and referrals.
  • Participate in integrated care team huddles, population health meetings, and ad-hoc case consultations.
  • Follow primary care provider action plan to meet member needs.
  • Coordinate with local licensed behavioral health professional (e.g., Supervisor, Manager, Behavioral Health Care Manager) for support and clinical oversight to complete referrals requiring clinical assessment or intervention.
  • CPR/BLS certification required
  • Coordinate with Community Health Workers (CHW) to meet the SDOH needs of members in the community.
  • Communicate with assigned care managers and interdisciplinary care team to provide status of barriers, interventions, and referrals to facilitate continuity of care.
  • Work with members directly while in the center to engage, build relationships, and connect to SDOH resources.
  • Meet with members in the community, as necessary.
  • Engage members telephonically.
  • Document all interactions with the member and/or on behalf of the member in the electronic health record following required timeliness standards of documentation.
  • Prioritize tasks to ensure requests are completed in a timely manner by appropriately discerning the urgency of the need and meeting response time performance metrics.
  • Work closely with the local Resource Specialist related to ordering, distributing, tracking, and reporting on the local Center's SDOH inventory of on-demand items.

Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in public health, social work, human services or related health care field or equivalent experience of 3 years' experience in serving the needs of complex populations.
  • 2 years' experience in serving the needs of complex populations (e.g., Medicaid, Medicare, uninsured), preferably in a healthcare or social services setting.
  • Extensive knowledge of local community resources and entitlement/application processes
  • Strong teamwork skills to work effectively within an integrated care team.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills.
  • Strong interpersonal skills to build relationships with staff, members, and community stakeholders.
  • Ability to work independently to complete and follow up on assigned tasks.
  • Problem solving skills.
  • Operates personal motor vehicle.
  • Hold and maintain active driver's license and proof of insurance in state of practice.
  • Passion for addressing health disparities and social needs of low-income, high-risk populations of diverse backgrounds, ages, and abilities.
  • Proficiency in computer software including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
  • Comfortable communicating by video conference and phone.
  • Experience with electronic health record documentation preferred.

Working conditions
This job operates in a professional office environment and out in the local community. This role routinely uses general office equipment. This role requires access and use of own reliable transportation, current driver's license, and proof of insurance to complete visits out in the community as needed.
Physical requirements
  • Ability to communicate clearly and exchange accurate information constantly.
  • Ability to remain stationary for long periods of time.
  • Constantly operates computer, keyboard, copy and fax machine, phone, and other general office equipment.
  • Operates personal motor vehicle.
  • Ability to occasionally move objects up to 20 lbs.

Direct reports
None.
All Employees are expected to maintain the security and privacy of all information that is owned by AbsoluteCare or maintained on behalf of the company's patients, employees, and business partners. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This description reflects management's assignment of essential functions, it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. This job description is subject to change at any time.
Company Description:
Why Work at AbsoluteCare?
At AbsoluteCare, we serve the most vulnerable individuals in America. These are our neighbors, people who are at higher risk for disease or who have multiple, complex, chronic illnesses. Often, they deal with an unequal healthcare system and wind up seeking basic care from emergency rooms. We take these patients out of those spaces and turn them into members: people who are entitled to some of the best, most focused care this country has to offer.
We call this "care beyond medicine." We have turned the doctor's office into a comprehensive care center. Here, we surround our members with a core care team of doctors, nurses, social workers, and medical assistants who have the time and skills to get to know our members' needs. We make the most important services available to our members under one roof. This includes a pharmacy, X-rays, a blood lab, nutrition services, urgent care, and much more.
We don't stop at our four walls. We engage members in the communities where we all live to find the people who need us most. Through these community care teams, we remove the barriers to healthcare that so many people face daily. And it works.
Our unique care is guided by our core values of accountability, caring, trust, and teamwork. We call it ACT2.
AbsoluteCare, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetics, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law or policy.