SLH Substance Use Navigator

Alameda Health System; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Alameda Health System is seeking a SLH Substance Use Navigator to engage patients across clinic, ED, and hospital settings, promoting harm reduction and access to medications for addiction treatment. You will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team and rely on motivational interviewing and coaching to support patients and families.

The role emphasizes rapid response in diverse community settings, warmline duties, and direct advocacy to connect patients with healthcare, housing, and social

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• Associates degree preferred.
• One year of direct patient care experience in substance use disorders and harm reduction within the last two years OR current full-time employment as a substance use navigator in an ED for at least three months, with experience supporting buprenorphine initiation and maintenance in OUD; naloxone distribution/training preferred.

Responsibilities

• Engage people using drugs in non-judgmental conversations to promote engagement in harm reduction and treatment.
• Educate on medications for addiction treatment (MAT) including methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, bupropion, mirtazapine, and gabapentin.
• Motivate and assist patients to access healthcare, behavioral health, and social resources, including advocacy with pharmacies, insurance, and treatment facilities.
• In ED and on hospital floors, screen for substance use, initiate MAT, and coordinate psychosocial supports.
• Answer the Substance Use Navigator Warmline and recruit staff to respond to patient needs.
• Schedule clinic visits and provide transportation or access facilitation.
• Document patient interactions in the EMR.
• Coordinate daily activity focus with Bridge practice manager.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Motivational interviewing

Counseling

Harm reduction

Non-judgmental communication

Advocacy

Empathy

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Associates Degree

Tools

Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

Job description

About this position

SLH Substance Use Navigator

SUMMARY: Works in the clinic, Emergency Department, hospital inpatient settings, and community touch points to recruit both people who use substances and clinicians to positively engage in therapeutic relationships that promote the most effective implementation of medications for treatment of addiction, harm reduction strategies, and psychosocial treatments; SUNs are experts in both medications for addiction treatment and harm reduction and use motivational interviewing, behavioral activation, and strengths- based coaching to promote wellness and reduce harm for people using drugs and alcohol; SUNs will work in a fast-paced, team-oriented setting, collaborating with an interdisciplinary care team to meet patient needs; SUNs become trusted resources for the regional community of people using drugs and the network of clinicians and staff at treatment and social services programs that serve this community; SUNs develop large social networks and cultivate an expectation of availability, flexibility, and dynamic problem solving; SUNS are ambassadors of the Alameda Health System Bridge Program promoting friendly, on demand access to the best quality substance use disorder treatment throughout the community.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: NOTE: Following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual in the classification.

• 1. Engages people using drugs in non-judgmental conversation that is friendly, helpful, informative and supports their participation in harm reduction and substance use disorder treatment opportunities. Engagement may occur by phone, text, in the clinic, emergency department, hospital floor or community site.
• 2. Provides patient education and counselling on options for medications for addiction treatment (MAT) including methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, bupropion, mirtazapine, and gabapentin.
• 3. Motivate and assist patients to successfully access healthcare, behavioral health, and social resources for their benefit. This includes direct advocacy with pharmacies, insurance companies, residential treatment facilities, medical facilities, and others to best meet the needs of Bridge patients.
• 4. When in the emergency department and hospital floors, utilizes the electronic medical record and communication with clinicians to proactively screen, identify, and approach patients suspected of struggling with alcohol or substance use; once identified, communicate with Bridge clinicians to develop and initiate medication treatment for substance use disorders and coordinate psychosocial supports.
• 5. When in the clinic, answers the Substance Use Navigator Warmline voice and text messages and recruit additional staff and/or clinicians to respond to patient needs.
• 6. Directly schedules clinic visits for patients, motivate attendance, and provide logistical support to complete the visit such as arranging transportation or access via phone.
• 7. Documents patient interactions and status updates in the electronic medical record.
• 8. Communicates with Bridge practice manager to coordinate daily focus for activity.
• 9. Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities as well as possession of any required licenses or certifications is qualifying.

• Required Education: High School diploma or equivalent
• Preferred Education: Associates Degree
• Required Experience: One year of direct patient care experience in substance use disorders and harm reduction within the last two years OR current full-time employment of at least three months working as a substance use navigator in an emergency department AND experience supporting initiation and maintenance of buprenorphine for treatment of Opioid Use Disorder within the last two years; experience distributing naloxone and training people on overdose recognition and treatment.
• Preferred Experience: Personal, lived experience with substance use disorders and recovery.

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