Community Health Worker - Emergency Dept (Substance Use Navigation Focus)

Cedars-Sinai•Los Angeles, CA

6d•$25 - $37•Onsite

About The Position

The Community Health Worker (CHW) supports Emergency Department (ED) patients with complex social, behavioral health, and substance use-related needs by providing comprehensive navigation, education, advocacy, and care coordination. This role has a specialized focus on engaging individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), applying harm reduction principles, supporting access to evidence-based treatment, and connecting patients to appropriate levels of care while continuing to address health-related social needs. Working collaboratively with physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers, peer support specialists, behavioral health providers, and community partners, the CHW serves as a trusted liaison between patients, the healthcare team, and community resources. Through relationship-building, motivational engagement, care coordination, and ongoing follow-up, the CHW helps reduce barriers to treatment, improve continuity of care, and support patients in achieving their health goals both during hospitalization and following discharge. The CHW also provides subject matter expertise in substance use resource navigation, supports workflow development related to SUD services, mentors other CHWs in this area of practice, and helps strengthen partnerships with community treatment providers.

Requirements

Subject matter expertise in substance use resource navigation
Ability to support workflow development related to SUD services
Ability to mentor other CHWs in this area of practice
Ability to strengthen partnerships with community treatment providers

Responsibilities

Engage patients using trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and person-centered approaches to establish trust and promote ongoing engagement in care.
Conduct assessments of health-related social needs and identify barriers impacting health, recovery, and treatment engagement.
Develop individualized care plans that address social needs, behavioral health concerns, and substance use-related goals in collaboration with patients and the interdisciplinary care team.
Provide education on substance use disorders, overdose prevention, harm reduction strategies, recovery resources, and available treatment options using non-stigmatizing, evidence-informed approaches.
Educate and support patients in understanding medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and other medication-assisted treatment (MAT) options, including helping patients navigate referrals and linkage to prescribing providers.
Assist patients in exploring the full continuum of substance use treatment options, including outpatient services, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), residential treatment, withdrawal management, recovery housing, peer recovery support, and other community-based recovery resources.
Facilitate timely referrals and warm handoffs to behavioral health providers, substance use treatment programs, community-based organizations, primary care providers, and specialty services.
Assist patients in overcoming barriers to treatment by identifying, locating, connecting to, and navigating community resources, including accompanying patients to appointments, assisting with applications, and coordinating transportation when appropriate.
Conduct proactive follow-up with patients and families to promote successful linkage to treatment, encourage continued engagement, and address barriers to care. Engage in crisis intervention when appropriate.
Collaborate closely with physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers, behavioral health clinicians, peer support specialists, and other members of the interdisciplinary care team to coordinate patient-centered care.
Participate in Emergency Department multidisciplinary rounds, case consultations, huddles, and discharge planning activities to identify patients who would benefit from substance use navigation and social care support.
Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with community treatment providers, harm reduction organizations, behavioral health agencies, recovery support organizations, managed care plans, and other community partners.
Identify gaps in community resources related to substance use treatment and recovery services and collaborate with leadership to improve access and strengthen referral pathways.
Participate in community outreach events, health fairs, overdose prevention initiatives, and community engagement activities that promote health equity, harm reduction, recovery support, and resource navigation.
Support program operations through accurate documentation, data collection, quality improvement activities, program evaluation, and reporting.
Promote patient satisfaction and reduce stress by providing compassionate support, education, advocacy, and navigation for patients and their families throughout the care continuum.