Nurse Practitioner

POSITION OVERVIEW

Member of the BCORE team to provide clinically oriented outreach, engagement, treatment, clinical case coordination, and therapeutic counseling for individuals who misuseopiates and other substances and may be diagnosed with co-morbid psychiatric or medical conditions. The scope of services includes providing comprehensive medical care to clients in the community, primarily in street-based or mobile settings, and providing medical expertise and oversight to the clinical service delivery of the outreach team. As part of the team, the NP will conduct community-based assessments, consultations, treatment planning, implementation, and follow-up on direct services and rehabilitation to assist clients and their families in coping with health-related social problems, addiction, mental illness, and trauma.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

• Engage clients in outdoor and public areas to develop rapport, monitor safety and health needs, connect clients to services, and support community members.
• Earn and maintain clients' trust through consistency, integrity, honesty, managing expectations, unconditional positive regard, and persistent follow-up; impart this approach throughout the team through role modeling, coaching, and close consultation.
• Continuously seek new insights, options, and approaches to reach hard-to-engage clients with the philosophy that we never give up on anyone.
• De-escalate crisis situations, help clients plan for and prevent crises, and seek assistance as appropriate.
• Throughout the engagement process and upon enrollment, develop a comprehensive health history and needs assessment to understand clients' priority needs.
• Evaluate and treat persons with complex social needs, addictions (such as opioid use disorder and polysubstance use disorder), serious mental illness, infectious disease (e.g. Hepatitis C, HIV, wounds related to drug use).
• Implement time-limited interventions to improve outcomes related to chronic health conditions (COPD, diabetes, heart disease).
• Formulate diagnostic impressions, implement clinical interventions within scope of practice, refer and coordinate care with external providers as needed, and collaborate with the outreach team on an overall plan of care.
• Provide, develop, design, direct, and/or implement interventions to address client health needs.
• Provide medical expertise and oversight to the team.
• Provide medication evaluation, delivery, prescription, management, and education.
• Oversee medication samples and disbursements to clients.
• Provide pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV.
• Provide wound care.
• Administer medications and injections as necessary.
• Order and evaluate clinically indicated lab work.
• Explain to clients all side effects and reasons for prescribing medication.
• Monitor chronic medical conditions that are managed by a primary health care provider and reinforce instruction or coordinate with the primary health care provider.
• Evaluate acute health problems of clients to determine the most appropriate health care provider and level of care and make referrals.
• Maintain up-to-date client records.
• Monitor and document client status and progress.
• Write orders and/or sign off on necessary documentation for tests, treatments, and medications.
• Complete all forms requiring the attention of a clinician, for example, certification of disability and reasonable accommodations, insurance-related authorizations, vocational rehabilitation, and social services documentation.
• Provide emergency services or on-call support as needed, for example, during a public health emergency or severe weather emergency.
• Educate and support clients and their families about harm reduction, nutrition, medication, addictions, common mental health and chronic medical conditions, and health maintenance and preventative care.
• Coordinate client medical care and population health interventions within the outreach team and through collaborations with other social and community agencies.
• Participate in related meetings, client care conferences, clinical programs, and workgroups.
• Initiate professional development and clinical consultation to improve clinical insights and methods regarding the medical needs of the unhoused population.
• Provide case management for an assigned group of clients
• Provide call crisis intervention when assigned, covering nighttime and weekend hours.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Client engagement, assessment, and ongoing treatment

Improvements in client safety and well-being

Effective use of medication

Clinical leadership, collaboration and overall excellence as a member of the Outreach and ACT team

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Experience 7-10 years' experience in primary care, with hospital experience preferred

Education: Master of Science Nursing or higher/equivalent

Skill Requirement: One to six months OJT required for efficient job performance.

Job Requirements:

Excellent communication, problem solving, and organizational skills.

Licensure to practice independently as a Nurse Practitioner in the State of Maryland.

Valid driver's license and clean driving record.

Ability to work independently with minimum supervision.

Active Maryland CDS and DEA number.

COMMENTS

Must exhibit experience, familiarity and sensitivity to working with persons who are actively using drugs and persons with serious mental illness including psychosis.