Substance Use Navigator

Alameda Health System; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Alameda Health System seeks Substance Use Navigators to recruit and engage individuals who use substances across clinic, ED, and community settings. You will promote medications for addiction treatment, harm reduction, and psychosocial care while coordinating with an interdisciplinary team.

The role emphasizes motivational interviewing, strengths-based coaching, and flexible problem solving to connect patients with comprehensive services and supports in the Bridge Program.

Qualifications

• Education and experience aligned with substance use care and harm reduction.
• Strong communication and counseling skills.
• Familiarity with medications for addiction treatment and harm reduction concepts.

Responsibilities

• Engage people who use substances in non-judgmental conversations across settings.
• Educate on medications for addiction treatment and harm reduction options.
• Advocate for patients to access healthcare, behavioral health, and social resources.
• Screen and coordinate treatment in ED, hospital floors, or clinics.
• Answer warmline messages and coordinate staff responses.
• Schedule clinic visits and assist with transportation or access.
• Document interactions in the electronic medical record.
• Coordinate with Bridge practice manager on daily focus.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Motivational interviewing

Behavioral activation

Harm reduction

Patient counseling

Non-judgmental communication

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Associates Degree

Job description

Summary

SUMMARY: Substance Use Navigators (SUNs) work 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.

• 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.
• Provides patient education and counselling on options for medications for addiction treatment (MAT) including methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, bupropion, mirtazapine, and gabapentin.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Directly schedules clinic visits for patients, motivate attendance, and provide logistical support to complete the visit such as arranging transportation or access via phone.
• Documents patient interactions and status updates in the electronic medical record.
• Communicates with Bridge practice manager to coordinate daily focus for activity.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

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.

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.