Description

Position Title:  Substance Use Health Navigator
Department: Behavioral Health 
Supervisor: Behavioral Health Manager
Hours per week: 35

Primary Function:
The Substance Use Health Navigator serves the OD2A project priority populations in health care, public safety, and community-based settings and helps to improve outcomes and engagement in treatment with high-risk individuals through connection to services and engagement in overdose prevention activities.

Duties & Responsibilities:
• Engage and screen patients into substance use navigation services with a focus on the four OD2A project priority groups [Black, Latinx, Homeless and individuals reentering the community after incarceration]. 

• Assist providers throughout UCC Primary Care, Urgent Care, OB/GYN, and other departments to engage at-risk individuals in substance use and behavioral health services. 

• Interface with Primary Care and Behavioral Health providers when individuals are ready to engage in Opioid Use Disorder care and facilitate referrals to all levels of community-based SUD treatment. 

• Provide prevention activities, support and case management to individuals in need of additional support to meet their care plan goals.

• Meet one-on-one with patients both in house and in the community to assist with intensive Behavioral Health case management, connection to resources, and reduce barriers to both medical and Behavioral Health treatment. 

• Follow-up with new, non-compliant and lost to follow up patients to ensure continuity of care.

• Collaborate with Behavioral Health & Social Services Staff, and Community Health Advocates to educate patients on community resources available to them.

• Participate in required UCC, OD2A project team and supervision meetings.

• Facilitate activities for UCC patients focused on overdose prevention, decreasing stigma and increasing access to care.

• Collaborate with OD2A project partners including EMS and BPHC to respond to cluster of overdoses in the neighborhoods we serve, assisting with outreach, distributing OD prevention supplies and prevention literature. 

• Participate in community outreach events and UCC mobile van community outreach events sponsored by the OD2A project.

• Disburse OD prevention supplies and Rescue kits within UCC sites, at community sites and events.

• Complete in a timely manner all data collection required by the OD2A project.

• Participate in OD2A project required trainings and meetings.

Qualifications

Minimum Basic Knowledge:

• Previous experience working in the field of substance use and hold existing knowledge and/or commitment to learning more about the following subjects within the first 3 months of employment with the support of OD2A project funder Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC):
o Characteristics and examples of evidence-based treatment. 
o Harm reduction approaches and interventions. 
o Recovery-oriented systems of care and the landscape of such services in Boston; medicine for opioid use disorder and where patients can access MAT within Boston; and other forms of treatment (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management). 
o Best practices in serving the re-entry population.
• Good knowledge of common computer programs and use with an electronic health/medical records system or willingness to learn.
• Experience or a desire to work in a multicultural community setting and with low-income populations; sensitivity to socio-economic, trauma, and other factors impacting communities of color. 
• Exhibit an aptitude for thinking creatively in the engagement and support of individuals as they navigate through the challenges of substance use and recovery.
• Familiarity with UCC neighborhoods and agencies is an added plus.

Experience & Qualifications:

• Associate's or Bachelor’s degree desired. 
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a healthcare setting or in the field of substance use disorders or behavioral health services. 
• Bilingual language skills in Spanish or Cape Verdean Creole required. 
• Comfort with the pace of primary care setting.
• Strong communication skills and knowledge of protected health information (PHI) and confidentiality.
• Strong ability to work well in a collaborative team environment.
• Bilingual and bicultural candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

Independent Action:
Work independently adhering to UCC policies and procedures to assess client needs and deliver competent, qualified services.

Supervisory Responsibility:
None

Define Access Level to PHI: Level 3 [Authorized to access only certain limited categories of PHI and certain limited sections of the UCC patient’s medical record that are necessary to perform job duties, whether treatment, payment or operations duties. Staff in this category level should confine the use of PHI to the minimum necessary required and should not access or read parts of the medical record not needed to perform assigned duties.]