Patient Care Navigator

Headlight • San Diego, CA

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Care Navigator is responsible for helping patients successfully move from a behavioral health referral to appropriate care. The role owns the non-clinical navigation process between referral and connection, working proactively to resolve barriers, reengage patients, and prevent referrals from falling through the cracks. Care Navigation is a non-clinical role. Care Navigators facilitate access to care, provide peer-informed support within the scope of their training, and follow established escalation protocols. Care Navigators do not diagnose, independently assess clinical acuity, provide treatment recommendations, deliver psychotherapy, or replace the judgment of licensed clinical professionals. Care Navigators bring a patient-centered, peer-informed approach to every interaction. They help patients feel heard, supported, and connected throughout their journey. When Headlight is not the appropriate destination, Care Navigators help patients navigate onward to appropriate care through trusted providers, community resources or strategic partner. Care Navigators may work onsite within a healthcare partner’s office, in a hybrid model or virtually. When working onsite, the Care Navigator provides real-time warm handoffs and patient navigation within the partner environment. The role extends beyond the physical location and includes referral recovery, patient reengagement, referral quality, follow-up, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required
• Experience in healthcare, behavioral health, patient access, intake, care coordination, navigation, customer experience or related field.
• Experience interacting directly with patients or healthcare consumers.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to establish trust and rapport quickly.
• Strong judgment and ability to navigate ambiguity, exceptions, and unexpected situations.
• Ability to manage multiple referrals, follow-ups, and priorities independently.
• Comfort working across multiple technology systems.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to identify the appropriate next step.
• Ability to work independently while recognizing when escalation is appropriate.
• Commitment to confidentiality, professionalism, and patient-centered care.
• Certified Peer Specialist certification or willingness and ability to complete certification as part of onboarding, where applicable.

Nice To Haves

• Associate's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, or related field, preferred.
• Spanish language skills preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the initial point of contact when a healthcare partner identifies a patient with a behavioral health need.
• Depending on the partnership model, provide navigation onsite within a healthcare partner’s office, virtually or through a hybrid approach.
• Receive real-time warm handoffs from physicians, clinicians, and other healthcare staff.
• Establish rapport quickly and create a seamless transition from the referring provider to Headlight.
• Mirror the language and tone used by the referring provider, so the patient does not feel as though they are being handed from one system to another.
• Understand the patient’s needs, preferences, and barriers to accessing care.
• Explain Headlight’s services clearly and in a patient-centered manner.
• Support insurance verification, appropriate clinician matching, and scheduling of the patient’s initial appointment.
• Complete the navigation and scheduling process whenever possible during the initial interaction.
• Provide appropriate follow-up when additional support is required.
• Recognize situations requiring escalation and follow established safety and clinical protocols.
• Take appropriate ownership of the navigation process when a patient encounters friction.
• Review referrals that have not successfully progressed to care and identify the barrier preventing connection.
• Follow up on missing insurance information, inaccurate or disconnected phone numbers, incomplete referrals, and other administrative barriers.
• Coordinate with referral sources and internal teams to obtain missing information or clarify next steps.
• Reengage patients who expressed interest in care but did not successfully connect.
• Work appropriate referrals through resolution rather than allowing an unresolved disposition to become a lost patient.
• Maintain a clear next step for referrals requiring additional action.
• When Headlight is not the appropriate destination, help facilitate connection to an appropriate alternative provider, community resource or strategic partner.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and meaningful referral dispositions.
• Review referral queues for incomplete, inaccurate, ambiguous, aging, or unresolved referrals.
• Identify and resolve disposition discrepancies.
• Ensure referral information and patient interactions are accurately documented in Headlight systems.
• Identify patterns in referral barriers, patient drop-off and unsuccessful connection to care.
• Conduct targeted call listening or interaction reviews when appropriate to identify opportunities to improve patient experience and navigation quality.
• Surface recurring issues or trends to the appropriate internal team.
• Support ongoing improvement of referral and navigation workflows.
• Build strong working relationships with partner clinical and administrative staff.
• Develop familiarity with partner workflows, terminology, and operational needs.
• Provide timely and appropriate updates regarding patient connection and referral status.
• Follow established partner protocols while maintaining Headlight’s standards for patient experience.
• Surface partner workflow issues and opportunities to the Partnerships team.
• Help ensure the partner has confidence that patients referred to Headlight are being appropriately supported and connected to care.
• Complete Certified Peer Specialist training or certification as required by Headlight and applicable state or program requirements, either prior to or as part of onboarding.
• Apply peer-informed communication principles to build trust, reduce barriers, and help patients feel understood and supported.
• Use lived-experience-informed skills within the defined scope of the role and without representing the role as clinical treatment.
• Respond to patients with empathy, dignity, and respect, particularly when they are frustrated, anxious, or struggling to access care.
• Help create an experience in which patients feel genuinely cared for regardless of whether Headlight ultimately provides their care.
• Participate in the development and refinement of Care Navigation workflows.
• Provide candid feedback about patient barriers, referral friction, and operational gaps.
• Help test and improve new workflows, tools, and processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve patient access and the overall referral experience.
• Share frontline observations that can inform the evolution of Headlight’s Care Navigation model.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental and Vision on the first of the month after employment (based on FT hours)
• Paid Vacation, Sick, and Holiday time
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides confidential counseling services, resources, and support to help you navigate personal or professional challenges.
• 401(k) plan with company contribution
• Hybrid work schedule
• Opportunity to work in a cutting-edge healthcare technology environment
• Professional development opportunities and training
• Collaborative and supportive work culture
• Impactful role contributing to the enhancement of patient care and healthcare processes

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED