Wellness Advocate Supervisor, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care and Treatment

The Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care, and Treatment (BADUPCT) works to close gaps and reduce overall morbidity and mortality related to alcohol and substance use among New Yorkers. BADUPCT develops, implements, and evaluates interventions and prevention strategies through contracting of treatment, recovery and support services; policy analysis and development; epidemiology and surveillance; dissemination of treatment and management guidelines; harm reduction initiatives; public and provider outreach and education; and community involvement and interagency collaboration. The Bureau amplifies the voices of those most impacted and focuses on inequitable structural, social, service, and communication factors that drive disparities.

Position Summary

The Wellness Advocate Supervisor will provide clinical and administrative supervision to full-time and part-time Wellness Advocates in Relay, an initiative that provides 24/7 support to individuals transported to hospital emergency departments (EDs) following a non-fatal overdose. Wellness Advocates visit patients in the ED to provide immediate support and overdose prevention training following an overdose event and offer ongoing support and linkage to care for three months following hospital discharge. We work to ensure that all people who use drugs have an equal opportunity to achieve their full health potential.

Job Duties and Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Assistant Director of Relay Peer and Clinical Services, the Wellness Advocate Supervisor will:

• Provide research and data support for the expansion of Relay at new hospitals in collaboration with hospital leadership.
• Conduct research to develop protocols, communications materials, and presentations.
• Provide regular supervision to full-time and part-time Wellness Advocates in their role supporting patients following a non-fatal overdose and conducting research. Review reports from the program’s database and dashboard on a regular basis to support data-driven supervision.
• Utilize the program's database to monitor Wellness Advocates' cases to ensure quality assurance standards are being met for research, data collection and data entry, decision making, and overall documentation.
• Collaborate with colleagues to support the program’s reporting requirements and record observations, including by performing internal auditing activities and assessing participant records.
• Participate in monthly calls with ED leadership to discuss program implementation and data trends within each collaborating ED. Using program data, lead discussions around the ED staff training needs.
• Review resumes, screen and interview candidates, hire, orient and on-board new Wellness Advocates.
• Help to conduct new hire and ongoing trainings for Wellness Advocates responding to non-fatal overdoses.
• Work collaboratively with other Relay and BADUPCT staff to support the goals and mission of the program and agency.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Preferred Skills

• Experience practicing public health and working across systems to further a public health approach to alcohol and other drug use.
• Experience in working with programs serving people who use drugs, including those using harm reduction approaches.
• Experience in managing a budget and/or contracts.
• Experience in program monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience with quantitative data, including the ability to read, interpret and synthesize epidemiologic and other scientific literature.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Possess exceptional interpersonal, research, written and verbal communication skills.
• The candidate will also be detail-oriented with outstanding organizational skills.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Proficiency in Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint and statistical software such as SPSS or SAS.
  
  

Why You Should Work For Us

• Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal/state loan forgiveness and repayment assistance programs that lessen your payments or even fully forgive your full balance. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website (https://studentaid.gov/pslf/)
• Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as:
• a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment.
• additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund.
• a public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement.
• a tax-deferred savings program and
• a robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.
• Work From Home Policy: Depending on your position, you may be able to work up to two days during the week from home.
• Job Security - you could enjoy more job security compared to private sector employment and be able to contribute to making NYC a healthy place to live and work.
  
  

Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the U.S., dedicated to protecting and improving the health of NYC. Our mission is to safeguard the health of every resident and cultivate a city where everyone, regardless of age, background, or location, can achieve their optimal health. We provide a wide array of programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and social justice initiatives. As the primary population health strategist and policy authority for NYC, with a rich history of public health initiatives and scientific advancements, from addressing the 1822 yellow fever outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic, we serve as a global leader in public health innovation and expertise.

Come join us and help to continue our efforts in making a difference in the lives of all New Yorkers!

The NYC Health Department is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation to all individuals. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact Sye-Eun Ahn, Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, at sahn1@health.nyc.gov or 347-396-6549.

Minimum Qualifications

• For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
  
  

To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:

• A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
• A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
• Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.
  
  

Note

Probationary Period

Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.