Patient Navigator

Patient Navigator

The Patient Navigator is responsible for providing outreach, engagement, and patient navigation services to individuals who are contacted through the street outreach program and who access on-site services in our harm reduction department. They will conduct screenings, service orientation and refer individuals internally and externally to appropriate community resources for needed services. They will also navigate them into the mobile medical program and additional services as needed, linking them to care at Harlem United's 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.
• Conduct intakes with clients who use drugs and assess for medical services and other health related services needs, including but not limited to needs for HIV, HCV, STI testing, treatment, and care, PrEP/PEP, substance use treatment, and wound care.
• 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.
• Complete all necessary programmatic paperwork including programmatic intakes.
• Through continuous quality improvement activities, ensure that all clients referred to medical services are connected to care and are able to meet with a medical provider. Assess client need for additional services and ensure that those referrals are provided and attended.
• Ensure access to program by providing targeted outreach and education to members of the community and service providers through presentations and community networking activities.
• Identify resources and promote program; serve as liaison to internal and external service providers and the community by conducting presentations on all program activities.

Sexual Health and Testing Services

• Discuss sexual health with clients through a sex-positive approach, creating a safe environment for people to discuss their sexual health goals without judgment.
• Provide up-to-date information on HIV, HCV, and STIs to ensure understanding of testing, treatment, and prevention options.
• Screen for recent potential HIV exposure to ensure clients can access PEP if needed.
• Discuss PrEP with all clients who are receiving services.
• Provide rapid HIV/HCV testing and ensure client has a blood sample taken for confirmatory testing if they test preliminary positive.
• Ensure clients receive confirmatory test results through follow-up and outreach, providing opportunities for clients to meet at field or office locations.
• Counsel all HIV-positive individuals on partner notification. Refer client to PCRS as needed. Provide access to counseling for short-term crisis counseling on issues related to living with HIV, disclosure, care, etc. Provide referral to NYCDOHMH CNAP as required.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Maintain appropriate, accurate, and clear documentation of all services, including sexual health counseling and education, intakes, HIV, HCV, and STI screening services, navigation, follow-ups, and service coordination in client charts.
• Input data entry for all services into eSHARE data entry system or AIRS data system upon service completion. Enter data and progress notes into HU eIcare database as required.
• 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.

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, or HIV/HCV/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:

• NYS driver's license required. If candidate has valid out of state license, ability to transfer to NYS license upon hire.
• Ability to pay attention to details, with strong organizational skills.
• Able to provide culturally appropriate 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, AIRS, eSHARE, eIcare preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is preferred.