Healthcare Navigator/Manager

Job Description

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Healthcare Navigator/Manager supervises NJRC’s Veterans Services team and serves as the primary clinical liaison to the Cohen Veterans Network (CVN). The Manager oversees the team’s assessment and intake work, ensures each veteran’s needs are clearly delineated and documented, and directs placement accordingly — into CVN’s mental health counseling services (up to twelve sessions) and, on a case-by-case basis, into NJRC’s broader continuum of care for medical, substance use, intensive behavioral health, residential, and medication management services. The position is based at NJRC’s Carteret office with travel to partner sites.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Management

• Supervise the Veterans Services team, including workload assignment, caseload balancing, and performance management

• Oversee the quality and consistency of assessments completed by team staff — reviewing for completeness, accuracy, and clear articulation of identified needs

• Provide clinical guidance and case consultation on complex or high-acuity presentations

• Conduct regular case review meetings; establish assessment and referral protocols in coordination with the Director of Veterans Services

• Train new staff on assessment standards, CVN referral requirements, and NJRC service pathways

Assessment and Needs Delineation

• Ensure every veteran receives a comprehensive intake assessment covering medical status, mental health, substance use, housing, legal status, employment, family and social supports, and benefits eligibility

• Translate assessment findings into a clearly delineated statement of need and a corresponding service plan

• Determine on a case-by-case basis when a veteran’s needs exceed short-term counseling and require step-up referral

Cohen Veterans Network Coordination

• Screen and refer eligible veterans and qualifying family members to CVN clinics; verify eligibility and service history documentation

• Manage the referral pipeline end-to-end — warm handoff, appointment confirmation, attendance tracking, and follow-up on no-shows

• Track utilization across the twelve-session course of treatment and initiate step-up planning before sessions are exhausted

• Maintain the working relationship with CVN clinic staff, including regular case conferencing

Integration Into NJRC Services

• Direct referrals into NJRC’s continuum of care based on delineated need:

– Primary and specialty medical care, including VA and community providers– Substance use disorder treatment across levels of care (outpatient, IOP, partial hospitalization, residential/inpatient)– Intensive behavioral health treatment, including residential placement– Psychiatric evaluation and medication management, including MAT where indicated

• Connect veterans to NJRC’s legal, housing, workforce development, benefits, and reentry services

• Assist with VA benefits access, including enrollment, discharge upgrade referrals, and service-connected disability claims coordination

• Coordinate crisis response and safety planning

• Serve as the continuity point across providers, ensuring no veteran is lost between systems

Documentation and Reporting

• Ensure team-wide compliance with documentation standards in NJRC’s Salesforce case management system

• Track and report team outcomes: assessment volume, referral volume, engagement rates, session completion, step-up placements, and retention

• Provide reporting to the Director of Veterans Services for funder and board purposes

• Ensure compliance with HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, and applicable confidentiality requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with active, unencumbered New Jersey RN licensure; or master’s degree in social work, counseling, or a related clinical field

• Minimum five years of post-licensure clinical experience, preferably in behavioral health, substance use treatment, care coordination, or work with veterans or justice-involved populations

• Demonstrated supervisory experience, including oversight of clinical or case management staff

• Demonstrated knowledge of VA healthcare eligibility, community care referral pathways, and New Jersey behavioral health and substance use treatment systems

• Valid New Jersey driver’s license; ability to travel to NJRC sites and partner facilities

Preferred

• Psychiatric-mental health nursing experience or PMH-BC certification

• Additional New Jersey licensure or certification (LCSW, LPC, CADC, LCADC)

• Case management certification (CCM, ACM)

• Veteran status or direct experience within military culture

• Familiarity with the Cohen Veterans Network or comparable veteran-serving networks

• Salesforce or comparable case management platform experience

• Bilingual English/Spanish

COMPETENCIES

Supervisory judgment and staff development; clinical judgment under limited information; discretion with sensitive health and criminal history information; ability to work across VA, community provider, and nonprofit systems; and comfort operating without a rigid protocol on case-by-case determinations.

The New Jersey Reentry Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants with lived experience of incarceration, addiction recovery, or military service are encouraged to apply.