Patient Navigator

Harlem United Community AIDS Center Inc•New York, NY

12d

About The Position

The Patient Navigator is responsible for providing outreach, engagement, and patient navigation services to individuals in the target population who are contacted through street outreach and community partnerships. They will conduct screenings, provide service orientation, and connect individuals to needed medical and social services, both internally at Harlem United and to external providers as indicated. They will conduct outreach (phone, field) to clients who have been lost to care/follow up and establish ongoing relationships to ensure successful connection to quality medical and social services. This position will start March 1, 2026.

Requirements

A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or commensurate work experience of three years working in community health care, harm reduction, HIV prevention programming or HIV/STI testing is strongly preferred.
NYS driver’s license preferred.
Ability to pay attention to details, with strong organizational skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Experience working with street-based populations, such as people who use drugs, people experiencing homelessness, veterans, individuals with mental health care needs, and sex workers.
Strong commitment to harm reduction.
Ability to listen to and communicate clearly and respectfully with people who use drugs, community members, peers, volunteers and agency staff.
High level of self-motivation.
Commitment to working as a member of a diverse staff and peer team.
Flexibility and willingness to work outdoors, including inclement weather conditions, and weekends as need it.
Knowledgeable about substance use, including but not limited to opioid epidemic, overdose prevention, safer injection practices, substance use treatment options including medications, issues around health care access for people who use drugs, and challenges stemming from systemic.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual English/Spanish is preferred.
Strong knowledge and access to New York City social services system, especially in upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Knowledge of services available to veterans a plus.
Familiarity with online data entry systems such as ECW, AIRS, eSHARE, eIcare preferred.
Veterans strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

Conduct street outreach, home visits, escorts and other related activities as needed to engage community members in order to link and retain them in care and services.
Provide direct linkage to HIV, HCV, and STI testing, both in the field and on site. Coordinate testing opportunities and events with Harlem United’s testing team.
Ensure access to program by providing targeted outreach and education to members of the community and service providers through presentations and community networking activities.
Conduct individual needs assessment sessions with clients who use drugs and assess for medical services and other health related services. Enroll eligible and interested clients into program.
Assist with connection to care activities with enrolled clients. Conduct preliminary interviews/screening for program to assess client’s immediate needs, including medical, insurance, case management, mental health, housing, treatment adherence, and other supportive services.
Complete all necessary programmatic paperwork including program intakes, chart documentation, and progress notes.
Through continuous quality improvement activities, ensure that all clients referred to medical services are connected to care and social services. Assess client need for additional services and ensure that those referrals are provided and attended.
Collaborate with other veteran-serving organizations to connect individuals with substance use and harm reduction services.
With the support of the Managing Director and in collaboration with the Outreach Specialist, connect with managers and staff of veteran-serving organizations to ensure linkage to needed services.
Identify resources and promote program; serve as liaison to internal and external service providers and the community by conducting presentations on all program activities, attending joint events, and connecting for referrals between organizations.
Ensure the maintenance of appropriate, accurate, and clear documentation of all outreach, education, and client activities, including chart documentation and progress notes.
Assist in the guidance of the program’s peer educators, providing assistance for their work with clients in the field.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Work with Peer Coordinator and Program Director to ensure agency-wide peer policies are being communicated and followed by department’s peers.
Conduct individual monthly meetings in which peer assignments are reviewed, successes are celebrated and areas for improvements are identified.
Participate in monthly group meetings/trainings as part of peer supervision in order to find challenges and successes when providing outreach services.
Model professional behavior and demeanor for peers and other staff; provide feedback in the field to peer educators about developing and maintaining professional boundaries and communication.
Identify training needs for the peer educators in order to develop peers professionally.