PREP NAVIGATOR-BILINGUAL

Job Description

Job Description

About Whitman-Walker Health

Whitman-Walker envisions a society where all persons are seen for who they are, treated with dignity and respect, and afforded equal opportunity for health and wellbeing. Through care, advocacy, research, and education, we empower all persons to live healthily, love openly, and achieve equality and inclusion. For over 40 years, we have been meeting the needs of our communities with the endless dedication of our diverse teams.

Job Summary

The Community Health PrEP Navigator provides support, education, and guidance to clients at high risk for HIV with the goal of supporting access and adherence to PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis) to prevent HIV infection. This person will follow up with clients by phone and in person to try to engage them in services. The PrEP Navigator provides HIV, STD, and general health and wellness-related education in one-on-one and group sessions, conducting specific outreach to targeted populations as dictated by programmatic needs.

The Community Health PrEP Navigator will report directly to the Sr. Director of Community Health and Wellness and will work in collaboration with the Medical Department, Medical Adherence Department, the Behavioral Health Department, Public Benefits and insurance Navigation, and other departments throughout the health center. The Community Health PrEP Navigator will participate in Whitman-Walker Health activities as necessary, as well as any pieces of training, and will follow the direction set forth by Whitman-Walker Health.

Core WWH Primary Essential Duties:

• Performs and behaves in accordance with Whitman-Walker’s mission, cultural norms, and core values of dignity, respect, affirmation, and humility.

• Maintains a respectful, non-judgmental, and compassionate manner with patients/clients/staff.

• Demonstrates excellent customer service by identifying and exceeding customer requirements.

• Adheres to Whitman-Walker policies and procedures, with special attention given to HIPAA requirements.

• Maintains data integrity through conscientious use of relevant tools and employing a system of checks and balances.

• Demonstrates organizational skills necessary to multi-task, meet deadlines, and re-prioritize as needed.

• Participates in organizational quality and performance improvement activities.

Role Specific Primary Essential Duties:

• Performs community outreach to work with other agency navigators to find and support activities to engage new consumers in PrEP services.

• Conduct educational sessions with targeted populations, providing HIV, STI, and general health and wellness-related information using age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, agency-approved materials/models and approaches.

• Educates patients referred for PrEP about PrEP services and facilitates PrEP appointments for those interested in/potentially eligible for PrEP.

• Offers in-person escorts and other support for the first PrEP appointment.

• Works with the Director of Community Health and Quality Improvement and the Informatics Department to develop and implement data collection protocols and internal and external PrEP referral protocols for high-risk HIV-negative individuals.

• Conducts HIV testing and STD testing for clients in both clinic and mobile-testing settings, providing HIV prevention counseling, referring to appropriate programs and Whitman-Walker Health providers, and coordinating logistics of initial medical appointments for all HIV-positive individuals.

• Assists the new consumers in overcoming barriers to accessing PrEP, primary medical care, and support services.

• Educates patients on self-advocacy skills and empowers them to communicate effectively with their healthcare team.

• Documents all work activities according to established standards, collecting data for production in weekly, monthly, and annual reports and assisting with the creation of those reports, as necessary.

• Assists with maintenance of testing kits, incentive items, and other physical inventory.

• Assists with monthly reports and participates in meetings with stakeholders.

• CTRS referrals: Works with patients referred from Clinical Testing and Referral Services (CTRS) to help engage and retain in PrEP care through counseling, education, and navigation.

• Insurance Navigation referrals: Assists potential patients with initial insurance navigations and referrals to the Public Benefits and Insurance Navigation (PBIN) department for insurance inquiries and setup

• PAP: Assists patients who have been prescribed Truvada for PrEP and who need financial assistance to obtain their prescription through various channels, which include the Patient Assistance Program & Co-pay Assistance Program through Gilead’s Patient Advocacy Foundation and others.

• On-call for Providers: Works in coordination with Whitman-Walker Health medical providers to assist patients in need of financial assistance and navigation on an on-call basis.

• Coordinate with the pharmacy: Works in conjunction with Whitman-Walker Health Pharmacy to troubleshoot and assist patients’ issues as needed.

• Assist the PrEP clinic: Works with patients referred from the PrEP Clinic who are experiencing adherence challenges. Assists in other matters relating to the PrEP Clinic when necessary.

• Adherence follow-ups: Assists patients’ retention in PrEP care through adherence counseling to maintain and increase patient adherence and decrease potential lapses through routine telephone or in-person follow-ups

• Assist the Medical team: Schedules patients’ PrEP follow-up appointments and provide adherence support.

• Responsibilities include other duties as assigned, including special tasks involved in responding to an emergency event.

• Additional duties as needed.

Budget Responsibilities - none

Management Responsibilities - none

Core WWH Knowledge, Skills, and Talents Required:

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

• Ability to manage time and effort in order to meet strategic objectives.

• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing excellent customer service, both internal and external.

• Knowledge of all applicable WWH policies and procedures.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Knowledge of healthcare information systems with the ability to adapt to new electronic medical records and population health platforms.

• Analytical skills necessary for the preparation of accurate, concise, and comprehensive reports.

• Ability to maintain records and information in an accurate, timely, and confidential manner.

• Ability to adapt to changes in the service delivery model, re-prioritizing as necessary.

• Flexibility to work various shifts, including afternoon, evening, and weekend shifts as necessary.

• Flexibility to work within the organization’s various locations as necessary.

• Commitment to health equity.

Role Specific- Knowledge, Skills, and Talents Required:

• Knowledge of ambulatory healthcare, PEP/PrEP, HIV, and STIs.

• Knowledge of the DC community.

• Experience working with MSM of color and Transgender individuals.

• Knowledge of HIV/STD risk factors, techniques for reducing the risk for HIV/STD transmission, methods for conducting HIV/STD counseling and testing, methods for counseling clients about test results, linkage to treatment, and support services.

• Ability to conduct sensitive, empathetic interviews that respect the dignity and diversity of clients.

• Excellent face-to-face interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively educate, treat, and counsel clients from diverse educational, social, and economic backgrounds.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the charisma, energy, and enthusiasm to present and facilitate group and individual interventions.

• Well-honed analytical skills, including the ability to understand, interpret, and present data related to the tracking of various Community Health-related events, diseases, and behaviors.

• Developed organizational skills, including the ability to juggle several tasks at once and the capability to consistently reprioritize work as necessary to meet deadlines.

Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor's Degree or at least four years of direct experience.

• Written and Oral fluency in Spanish or Amharic required

• HIV testing and training certification from INSTI preferred; experience providing counseling to people living with HIV preferred.

• Experience working with a broadly diverse population and ability to work harmoniously with diverse groups of individuals required.

• Completion of phlebotomy training is strongly preferred.

Working Conditions:

Working conditions for this position are normal for an office environment. Individual may be required to work evenings and/or weekends and organization events.

Physical Demands:

• Lifting: No more than 20 lbs. and infrequently.

• Movement: Standing and sitting for long periods.

• Visual: Long periods on a computer.

• Concentration: Extended periods of engagement with computer systems where concentration is key to accuracy in data entry. Intermittent periods of engagement with a telephone system to respond to inquiries where concentration is key to task performance.

• Communication: Direct and indirect communication. Written and verbal competency.

Whitman-Walker is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against applicants, its employees, or former employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and gender identity. For accommodation in the application process, please contact Human Resources.