Wellness Advocate Supervisor, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care and Treatment

NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development; New York (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Wellness Advocate Supervisor to lead a dedicated team in providing critical support to individuals recovering from substance use. This role involves clinical and administrative supervision of Wellness Advocates, ensuring they deliver effective overdose prevention training and ongoing support. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in public health, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Join a mission-driven organization committed to improving health outcomes for New Yorkers and making a real difference in the community.

Benefits

Loan Forgiveness Programs

Premium-Free Health Insurance

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

Tax-Deferred Savings Program

Worksite Wellness Program

Work From Home Policy

Job Security

Qualifications

• Master's degree in public health or related field required.
• Experience in managing budgets and programs is essential.

Responsibilities

• Supervise Wellness Advocates providing support after overdoses.
• Conduct research and develop protocols for program expansion.

Skills

Public Health Experience

Interpersonal Skills

Research Skills

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Ability to Multi-task

Education

Master's Degree in Public Health

Doctorate Degree in Relevant Field

Tools

Excel

Access

Word

PowerPoint

SPSS

SAS

Job description

The Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care, and Treatment (BADUPCT) works to close gaps and reduce overall morbidity and mortality related to alcohol and substance use among New Yorkers. BADUPCT develops, implements, and evaluates interventions and prevention strategies through contracting of treatment, recovery and support services; policy analysis and development; epidemiology and surveillance; dissemination of treatment and management guidelines; harm reduction initiatives; public and provider outreach and education; and community involvement and interagency collaboration. The Bureau amplifies the voices of those most impacted and focuses on inequitable structural, social, service, and communication factors that drive disparities.

Position Summary:
The Wellness Advocate Supervisor will provide clinical and administrative supervision to full-time and part-time Wellness Advocates in Relay, an initiative that provides 24/7 support to individuals transported to hospital emergency departments (EDs) following a non-fatal overdose. Wellness Advocates visit patients in the ED to provide immediate support and overdose prevention training following an overdose event and offer ongoing support and linkage to care for three months following hospital discharge. We work to ensure that all people who use drugs have an equal opportunity to achieve their full health potential.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Assistant Director of Relay Peer and Clinical Services, the Wellness Advocate Supervisor will:

1. Provide research and data support for the expansion of Relay at new hospitals in collaboration with hospital leadership.
2. Conduct research to develop protocols, communications materials, and presentations.
3. Provide regular supervision to full-time and part-time Wellness Advocates in their role supporting patients following a non-fatal overdose and conducting research. Review reports from the program’s database and dashboard on a regular basis to support data-driven supervision.
4. Utilize the program's database to monitor Wellness Advocates' cases to ensure quality assurance standards are being met for research, data collection and data entry, decision making, and overall documentation.
5. Collaborate with colleagues to support the program’s reporting requirements and record observations, including by performing internal auditing activities and assessing participant records.
6. Participate in monthly calls with ED leadership to discuss program implementation and data trends within each collaborating ED. Using program data, lead discussions around the ED staff training needs.
7. Review resumes, screen and interview candidates, hire, orient and on-board new Wellness Advocates.
8. Help to conduct new hire and ongoing trainings for Wellness Advocates responding to non-fatal overdoses.
9. Work collaboratively with other Relay and BADUPCT staff to support the goals and mission of the program and agency.
10. Other duties as assigned.

Preferred Skills:
- Experience practicing public health and working across systems to further a public health approach to alcohol and other drug use.
- Experience in working with programs serving people who use drugs, including those using harm reduction approaches.
- Experience in managing a budget and/or contracts.
- Experience in program monitoring and evaluation.
- Experience with quantitative data, including the ability to read, interpret and synthesize epidemiologic and other scientific literature.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Possess exceptional interpersonal, research, written and verbal communication skills.
- The candidate will also be detail-oriented with outstanding organizational skills.
- Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
- Proficiency in Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint and statistical software such as SPSS or SAS.

Why you should work for us:
- Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal/state loan forgiveness and repayment assistance programs that lessen your payments or even fully forgive your full balance. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website (https://studentaid.gov/pslf/)
- Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as:

1. a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment.
2. additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund.
3. a public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement.
4. a tax-deferred savings program.
5. a robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.

- Work From Home Policy: Depending on your position, you may be able to work up to two days during the week from home.
- Job Security - you could enjoy more job security compared to private sector employment and be able to contribute to making NYC a healthy place to live and work.

Minimum Qualifications:
1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.

Additional Information:
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.