Position Description

The Patient Navigator is responsible for providing outreach, engagement, and patient navigation services to individuals who are contacted through the SAMHSA testing program. They will conduct screenings, service orientation and refer individuals internally and externally to appropriate community resources for needed services. They will also enroll eligible individuals into care by navigating and enrolling them into the SAMHSA program and additional services as needed, linking them to care at Harlem United Health Services as indicated, and connecting them to appropriate case management, health coverage, and supportive services throughout the agency. They will conduct outreach (phone, field) to clients who have been lost to care/follow up and establish ongoing relationships to ensure successful connection to quality medical and social services. 

Essential Job Functions

The following duties are mandatory requirements of the job:

Navigation Services

• Conduct street outreach, home visits, escorts and other related activities as needed to engage community members in order to link and retain them in care and services.
• Effectively screen and enroll clients into the SAMHSA’s GPRA health study (comprised of two interviews) as well as conduct follow-up field visits to ensure that those clients, many of whom may have become disengaged from services, complete a 2nd GPRA interview 5-6 months later.
• Conduct substance use screenings and assessments with people who are using drugs, and make referrals to additional harm reduction services, as well as HIV/HCV/STI screenings as necessary.
• Assist with connection to care activities with enrolled clients. Conduct preliminary interviews/screening for program to assess client’s immediate needs, including medical, insurance, case management, mental health, housing, treatment adherence, and other supportive services.
• Provide referral services to at least 15 clients per month. Referral services involves the implementation of a brief service plan leading to successful connection to harm reduction and substance use services, including substance use treatment, medication assisted treatment, detox programs, outpatient services, groups, or other support services. Verification of referral services is required of all clients. Completion of service verification is required for all clients.
• Complete all necessary programmatic paperwork including assessments, programmatic intakes and reassessments, and service plans. 
• Through continuous quality improvement activities, ensure that all clients referred to medical services are connected to care and attend their first medical visit. Assess client need for additional services and ensure that those referrals are provided and attended.
• Ensure the maintenance of appropriate, accurate, and clear documentation of all outreach, education, and client activities, including chart documentation and progress notes.
• Distribute harm reduction materials including safer sex kits, educational literature, and brochures.
• Assist in the guidance of the program’s peer educators, providing assistance for their work with clients in the field.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Peer Supervision

Supervision of Peer Educators who work with SAMHSA team by conducting intakes and assisting with administrative needs of the program. Peer supervision includes:

• Work with Peer Coordinator and Program Director to ensure agency-wide peer policies are being communicated and followed by department’s peers. 
• Conduct individual monthly meetings in which peer assignments are reviewed, successes are celebrated and areas for improvements are identified. 
• Participate in monthly group meetings/trainings as part of peer supervision in order to find challenges and successes when providing outreach services.
• Model professional behavior and demeanor for peers and other staff; provide feedback in the field to peer educators about developing and maintaining professional boundaries and communication.
• Identify training needs for the peer educators in order to develop peers professionally.

Education and Certification 

A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or commensurate work experience of three years working in community health care, harm reduction, HIV prevention programming or HIV/STI testing is strongly preferred.

Special Skills and Knowledge

In addition to the above-listed job responsibilities and educational requirements, the ideal candidate for this position possesses most or all of the following:

• New York State Driver’s License required.
• Ability to pay attention to details, with strong organizational skills.
• Able to provide culturally competent services and demonstrate respect for the community to be served by our program.
• Knowledgeable about HIV infection, transmission, treatment, risk reduction, and sexuality issues; knowledgeable in local, state, and federal laws regarding HIV and other relevant issues of providing health care, especially the right to privacy and confidentiality.
• Knowledgeable about substance use issues, including but not limited to opioid epidemic, overdose prevention, safer injection practices, Buprenorphine/Suboxone; knowledgeable in local, state, and federal laws regarding Buprenorphine and other relevant issues of providing health care.
• Strong commitment to harm reduction.
• Strong knowledge and access to New York City social services system, especially in upper Manhattan and the Bronx.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Familiarity with online data entry systems such as ECW, SPARS, AIRS, eIcare preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is preferred.