Patient and Family Navigator

University of Virginia•Charlottesville, VA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

HealthHaven supports primary care clinicians and other prescribing clinicians in addressing common mental and behavioral health concerns through training, consultation, and resource support. Its programs include VMAP, VMAP for Moms+, and APAL. The HealthHaven call line provides consultation and resource support through regional and specialty hubs staffed by consulting physicians, licensed mental health professionals, and care navigators. The Patient and Family Navigator helps primary care clinicians, patients, and families find appropriate local mental health resources and services. The role calls for strong knowledge of local resources and/or lived experience navigating healthcare or mental health systems for children and families. The position collaborates with the hub team to connect people with services based on their needs, location, and insurance status. This is a benefited, exempt-level, restricted position based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and must be performed fully on-site. It is dependent on funding availability. The anticipated starting pay is $53,506 annually, commensurate with education and experience. Background checks, pre-employment health screenings, and drug screenings are conducted for new hires.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
Three years of relevant experience.
No licensure required.

Nice To Haves

Strong organizational and time-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple tasks and respond promptly to requests.
Strong writing skills and the ability to document work thoroughly and consistently.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage effectively with providers, agencies, patients, and families from diverse backgrounds.
Strong customer service skills, particularly when engaging by phone.
Proficiency in Word, Excel, data entry, and editing.
Flexibility and willingness to learn.
Lived experience navigating healthcare systems and/or mental health services is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain relationships with intake coordinators at community mental health agencies, clinics, and organizations.
Participate regularly in community-based meetings to stay current on resources in the region or area of specialization.
Research, maintain, and regularly update accurate lists of local mental health resources and availability, including providers, family support services, community resources, peer support programs, and Children Services Act-related programs. Maintain resources in internal databases and verify them at least annually.
Answer calls and emails to the HealthHaven line during normal business hours and connect callers with appropriate resources.
Respond to primary care clinician requests within 24 hours with regional mental health resources, including practice information such as insurance participation and appointment wait times.
When needed, work directly with patients and families to facilitate and coordinate referrals to services.
Make follow-up calls to referred patients and families within designated timeframes to support continuity of care.
Provide primary care clinicians with requested updates on family engagement and service connection status.
Record and log information from daily calls in the HealthHaven database.
Conduct post-navigation surveys to gather feedback from clinicians, patients, and families about satisfaction with the process.
Adhere to HIPAA privacy policies and applicable hospital or health center regulations.
Participate in supervision with the HealthHaven Licensed Mental Health Professional in the regional or specialty hub.