Job | Hep C Care Coordinator @ OnPoint NYC

Position Summary

The Navigation Specialist is a member of the OnPoint NYC’s medical clinic team and is responsible for providing an array of office and street-based linkage and navigation for participants living with Hep C and/or HIV/AIDS. The Navigation Specialist also facilitates buprenorphine access to people who use drugs, sex workers, and people living with HCV and/or HIV/AIDS. The Navigation Specialist will be primarily responsible for conducting outreach and supporting the Hep C Care Coordinator to provide safe drug use and safe sex harm reduction education, Hep C point-of-care RNA testing, Hep C/HIV rapid testing and counseling and linkage to appropriate medical follow up. All activities are designed to be consistent with OnPoint NYC’s service model, which is based on educating and empowering individuals to advocate for themselves and make self-identified changes in their lives.

Responsibilities

•  Perform outreach activities including Hep C prevention education and testing, provide information on buprenorphine access and treatment while recruiting hard to reach injection drug users, other drug users, sex workers and other community members experiencing barriers to services.
• Support the Hep C Care Coordinator in performing outreach activities to engage individuals around Hep C prevention and treatment.
• Conduct Hep C testing on GeneXpert®Cepheid Hep C point-of-care RNA testing machine and facilitate linkage to same-day Hep C treatment start.
• Conduct Hep C and HIV rapid testing and counseling and facilitate linkage to preventative services, treatment, and follow up care.
• Connect OnPoint NYC participants and community members to Hep C treatment and supportive services through the OnPoint NYC Medical Clinics.
• Assist participants in achieving Hep C cure by encouraging medication adherence and providing other support as needed.
• Educate OnPoint NYC participants and community members around buprenorphine treatment and accessibility and follow up with participant through buprenorphine induction, providing support and motivation on adherence.
• Assist with health insurance enrollment, changes and support.
• Follow all documentation standards to keep accurate, consistent, and complete records on all participants served.
• Attend weekly Hep C conferences with OnPoint’s Hep C treatment team including Director of Clinical Services and Hep C Care Coordinator.
• Collect updated contact information and conduct participant tracking efforts.
• Work with the team to set up and pack up site for outreach events.
• Perform other related tasks and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Must be an organized, self-motivated, team-player, with strong interpersonal and communication skills, basic computer skills and the ability and willingness to engage in hands-on work and solve problems as they arise.
• Must be a compassionate individual with an active interest in harm reduction, Hep C prevention and treatment, Buprenorphine treatment and education.
• Familiarity with HCV and HIV testing and providing linkages to Hep C and HIV prevention and care services preferred.
• Familiarity with buprenorphine treatment for opioid addiction and dependance preferred.
• Significant life experience in the areas of drug use, sex work, HIV and STI prevention preferred.
• Strong ability to promote navigation services and connect participants to other services, including mental health, substance use treatment, and other supportive services.
• Familiarity with the full array of supportive services available to individuals in the priority populations, especially Black and Latina/Hispanic women.
• Must be familiar with and believe in harm reduction philosophy.
• Must be willing to work outdoors and at street sites (sometimes in inclement weather).  Hours may include nights and weekends.
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred.

This is a bargaining unit position represented by New England Joint Board, Unite Here.