Youth Services Navigator

Youth Services Navigator

Hawai'i Health & Harm Reduction Center (HHHRC) provides harm reduction-focused services to marginalized populations in Hawai'i, including people living with and/or affected by HIV, hepatitis, substance use, homelessness, and the transgender, LGBQ, and the Native Hawaiian communities. HHHRC bridges gaps and helps individuals access essential resources such as housing, health care, entitlements, and treatment. We foster health, wellness, and systemic change in Hawai'i and the Pacific through outreach, care services, advocacy, training, prevention, education, and capacity building.

The Youth Services Navigator functions as the key linkage between LGB&T youth homeless persons, and the service systems throughout the community. This position responds comprehensively to the needs of the program participants through outreach, referral, and case management.

This is a permanent, full-time, non-exempt, hourly position with HHHRC located in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Expected hours of work are generally between 8:30 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday, with some evening and weekend attendance required for night outreach, weekend outreach, and agency events. Flexible schedule required – some evenings, over-nights, and weekends may be required for on-call duties.

Reports to: Housing & Outreach Manager

Supervises: N/A

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Conduct street-based and online outreach in areas frequented by LGB&T homeless youth.
• Provide one-on-one support services to encountered youth to enhance linkage services.
• Assist program participants in acquiring emergency supplies including food, clothing, bedding, medicine, and hygiene.
• Provide linkage to additional HHHRC services including substance use, behavioral health and clinical services.
• Take program participants through financial (general assistance, SNAP), medical, and mental health systems to connect them with services, as needed.
• Provide outreach and supportive services for mobile crisis unit during assigned weeks and in partnership with the Hui including responding to crisis calls.
• Conduct intake and assist in assessment, counseling, and referrals for health and social services. Make appointments for program participants and escort them to such appointments as needed.
• Provide counseling, consultation, and crisis intervention as needed. Encourage medication adherence as appropriate.
• Assist with family and social relationships as appropriate. Teach communication and social skills development, as needed.
• Provide HIV & HCV screening and linkage.
• Provide supportive case management and navigation services for each program participant, and cross-train in community health outreaching to provide back-up and coverage for homeless outreach workers and community health outreach workers as needed.
• Advocate on behalf of program participants to ensure equity of treatment.
• Complete required documentation and reporting requirements for program activities, adhering to outreach guidelines, maintaining records of all program participant cases, and ensuring that records are kept confidential.
• Work with other HHHRC outreach workers to provide a coordinated system of care to the program participants.
• Perform other duties as needed and assigned. Duties are subject to change.

General Responsibilities:

• Contribute to a safe, creative, enthusiastic, and cooperative working environment for all.
• Work as a team with other staff and support team members.
• Maintain appropriate professional and ethical standards while serving as a representative of HHHRC.
• Observe and comply with rules and regulations – such as HHHRC Code of Conduct, Drug-Free Workplace – and other administrative policies of HHHRC.
• Abide by all policies and procedures of the HHHRC Health & Safety Program and the Quality Management Program.
• Comply with HHHRC confidentiality policy, HIPAA requirements, cultural competencies, and rights to persons served, as well as CARF standards.
• Demonstrate steadfast understanding of, and commitment to, the Mission, Vision, and Values of HHHRC.

Working Conditions/Physical Demands:

• Office environment: indoors, air-conditioned.
• Outreach environments: outdoors, including sidewalk and off-road homeless encampments.
• Long hours sitting using office equipment and computers, which can cause muscle strain.
• Regular use of computers keyboards, telephone, and operating office equipment.
• Navigating uneven off-road paths, sometimes at an incline.
• Essential physical activities: standing, sitting, walking, finger dexterity, seeing, hearing, speaking, reaching above, at, and below shoulder, and frequent gripping of an object.
• Occasional physical activities: stooping, bending, squatting, twisting body, and lifting.
• Occasional lifting and carrying of supplies and equipment (up to 25 pounds).
• Must be able to walk for long periods of time to engage in street-based outreach.

Required Qualifications:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, etc.).
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong crisis intervention and de-escalation skills.
• Knowledge of the LGB&T community, especially LGB&T youth.
• Non-judgmental attitude and ability to respect the knowledge, actions, and feelings of others.
• Demonstrated ability to work productively, both independently and as part of a team.
• Capability to work well and thrive professionally in an atmosphere of significant diversity, working with marginalized populations.
• Ability to handle difficult interactions with care, compassion, and assertiveness with the confidence to work alone.
• Capacity to relate effectively to people of a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures.

Education/Experience:

• High School diploma/GED, or equivalent work experience.
• One or more years of professional and/or personal experience with homelessness.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associates degree, or undergraduate degree, in Social Work or related field.
• Experience in street-based outreach.
• One or more years of experience in the human services field.
• Extensive knowledge of O'ahu including supportive services and resources.
• Training in substance use, harm reduction, and dual diagnosis.

Required Work Cards/Certifications:

• Valid Hawaii Driver's License and clean three-year (3-year) Driver's Abstract.
• TB Clearance
• Hep B Clearance and/or Vaccination
• Must pass Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services eligibility screening.

Hawai ʻ i Health & Harm Reduction Center provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.