Public Health Nurse Navigator

State of Maine; Virginia (MN); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 84,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Retirement plan

Gym membership reimbursement

Sick leave

Job summary

State of Maine's Department of Health and Human Services seeks a Public Health Nurse Navigator to join the Central referral team in Augusta. You will prioritize, review, and assign public health referrals, monitor receipt of new referrals, and ensure completeness of referrals processed.

As a nurse, you will coordinate care with hospitals, providers, schools, and public agencies to deliver services and remove barriers to referrals.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited school of nursing.
• Licensed Registered Nurse in the state where practice is required.
• Experience with public health programs preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assess resources for clients using nursing background.
• Coordinate client care with hospitals, schools and providers.
• Process referrals through CradleMe referral system.
• Assist with nursing projects alongside management.
• Represent PHN within the community and promote PHN services.
• Provide nursing services and other duties to support PHN operations.

Skills

Nursing skills

Patient assessment

Care coordination

Communication

Independent work

Education

BSN

Tools

Electronic Medical Records

Job description

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

Public Health Nurse I

Opening Date: September 21, 2026

Closing Date: October 2, 2026

Job Class Code: 4051

Grade:20 (Nurses)

Salary: $29.74 - $40.53 per hour*

*This is inclusive of a 15% recruitment and retention stipend

Position Number: 02033-0441

Location: Augusta

Currently, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions.

This position allows for partial telework with management approval.

Core Responsibilities:

As a Public Health Nurse Navigator, you will be part of the Central referral team that is responsible for prioritizing, reviewing and assigning public health referrals. You will be monitoring receipt of new referrals, determining appropriate services required, working with providers to obtain additional information as needed, and for ensuring completeness of referrals processed. You are the initial contact for referrals to the public health nursing team. Additionally, the Public Health Nurse Navigator will work with the referral team to identify and prevent any barriers to a smooth process for submitting referrals to public health nursing. Work is performed under limited supervision.

You will also:

• Use your nursing background and skills to assess the appropriate resources for clients.
• Coordinate client care with hospitals, medical providers, schools, and other public agencies in order to ensure necessary services are delivered.
• Process referrals received through the CradleMe referral system.
• Work with the management team to assist with nursing projects.
• Represents Public Health Nursing within the community, promotes awareness of PHN services, and supports community understanding and access to available resources.
• The position also provides nursing services and performs other nursing duties as assigned to support program needs, continuity of care, and overall PHN operations.

Minimum Qualifications:

Graduation from an accredited school of nursing.

LICENSING/REGISTRATION/CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

(These must be met by all employees prior to attaining permanent status in the class).

Licensed as a Registered Professional Nurse as issued by the State Board of Nursing.

Preferred candidates will also have:

• Experience with Electronic Medical Records systems
• Knowledge of public health programs, current nursing principles and practices, and nursing process
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and written
• Ability to work well independently

Agency information:

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State’s population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.

The mission for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), within which this position is located, is to develop and deliver services to preserve, protect, and promote the health and well-being of the citizens of Maine.

Benefits of working for the State of Maine:

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—“Dirigo” or “I lead”—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce’s health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave. When you or immediate members of your family are ill, utilize 12 days of sick leave per year.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($12,213.60 - $13,650.48 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 14.06% of the employee’s pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
• Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including non-birthing and adoptive parents—receive six weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.

State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated foranything less than full-time.

There’s a job and then there’s purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.