What are the responsibilities and job description for the Emergency Department Navigator position at Loretto Hospital?
DESCRIPTION:
The West Side Health Equity Collaborative (WSHEC) is an initiative on Chicago’s west side that uses a comprehensive network of community-based partners and medical providers to screen community members with chronic illness for social determinants of health and provide a suite of comprehensive services to resolve identified issues. The WSHEC Emergency Department (ED) Navigator will screen patients in the emergency department for The ED Navigator is employed by WSHEC participating hospitals. ED Navigators will serve as a bridge between the patient, the medical system, and community-based organizations by building trusting relationships with community members served by the program. The ED Navigator will also help in identifying barriers to accessing quality care, work with individuals to overcome these barriers, provide relevant referrals.
DUTIES:
- Complete Health Risk Assessments (HRA) with patients living in target zip codes
- Assist with community resources and scheduling appointments
- Facilitate referrals for clinically indicated services outside the primary care clinic (e.g., social services such as housing assistance, vocational rehabilitation, mental health specialty care, substance abuse treatment, etc.).
- Refer to Medical Home CHWs at nearby WSHEC primary care practices for ongoing follow up and engagement with a primary care provider
- Support and closely coordinate behavioral health care with the patient’s PCP and, when appropriate, mental health providers.
- Ensure a warm handoff to the on-call Behavioral Health Care Manager for ongoing follow up
- Encourage patients to become actively engaged in their own health through calm, compassionate communication and by utilizing techniques such as motivational interviewing and behavioral activation.
- Accurately document patient information, assessments, interventions and encounters
- Attend ongoing training and learning related to job position and duties.
REQUIREMENTS
- High school diploma or GED
- Knowledge of Chicago’s West Side communities (resident of a West Side community preferred)
- Demonstrate ability to collaborate and communicate effectively in a team setting.
- Punctual, reliable, and willing to learn
- Ability to maintain effective and professional relationships with patients and other members of the care team.
- Strong interpersonal skills, communication skills and confidence and persistence in seeking out providers time to review patient progress.
- Displays high energy, empathy, and organization skills
- Ability to effectively engage patients in a therapeutic relationship, when appropriate, by telephone or face-to-face.
- Experience with or ability to learn assessment tools and interventions for hypertension, diabetes and mild to moderate depression.
- Ability and opportunity to work flexible hours.
DESIRED
- Experience working with underserved, transient populations.
- Experience working with patients who have co-occurring mental health, substance abuse, and physical health problems.
- Experience with screening for common mental health and/or substance use disorders.
- Familiarity with brief, structured intervention techniques (e.g., Motivational Interviewing, Behavioral Activation) and evidence-based counseling techniques (e.g. CBT or PST), when appropriate.
