Harm Reductions Peer Community Health Worker

This position will work with and assist people who use drugs (PWUD) by providing comprehensive harm reduction services for low-income Latinx and Black/African American residing in San Bernardino. Many of our participants will be uninsured, undocumented, homeless/housing insecure, LGBTQ+, reentry, and have substance use disorder (SUD) with co-occurring mental disorder (COD), HIV, and/or vital hepatitis and are in need of support services (outreach, counseling, navigational, and case management services).

Our multi-modality, trauma-informed, peer-driven harm reduction program (HRP) will be delivered by expertly trained staff at San Bernardino Waterman Location, during street-based and in-clinic outreach, and integrated into our continuum of programs that target similar populations. Services will include overdose prevention education/naloxone distribution, syringe services, support services, and linkage to comprehensive services that address medical, behavioral health, and other social determinants of health-driven needs. Annual numbers of individuals to be served are minimum of 300 unduplicated participants. Our overarching goal to reduce the impact of drug-related harm in San Bernardino through expanding access to comprehensive harm reduction services.  As a Harm Reduction Peer Community Health Worker, shared lived experiences with potential clients is strongly desired.

Benefits:

• Free Medical, Dental & Vision
• 13 Paid Holidays + PTO
• 403 (B) retirement match
• Life Insurance, EAP
• Tuition Reimbursement
• SEIU Union 
• Flexible Spending Account
• Continued workforce development & training
• Succession plans & growth within

Qualifications:

Education:

• Associate’s or Bachelor's Degree (preferred)

Experience:

• Minimum of two years’ experience in healthcare and/or harm reduction-based services, in community mental health, or related discipline;
• Significant knowledge of health-related issues faced by PWUD;
• Knowledge and understanding of HIV, viral hepatitis, overdose prevention & other areas of healthcare as program develops;
• Bilingual in Spanish and English (Required) read, write, speak;
• Knowledge of community resources in area of residence;
• Comfortable working with diverse populations including people who use drugs, formerly incarcerated individuals, undocumented individuals, LGBT populations, communities of color, and those experiencing homelessness, and/or mental illness;
• Exceptional ability to connect and engage with people;
• Good oral and written communication skills;
• Detail oriented, organized and possess time management skills;
• Able to work flexible job hours;
• Willingness to work in various environments, including jail settings, street outreach, home visits, homeless encampments and/or shelters;
• Prior experience working with currently and formerly incarcerated individuals and/or homeless individuals is desirable;
• Prior experience as a health navigator, peer support worker, outreach worker or promotor is desirable;
• Persons with a history of SUD or homelessness strongly encouraged to apply;
• Position requires staff to become Narcan certified within 30 days of hire. 

Responsibilities:

• Provide direct harm reduction services to people who use drugs (PWUD);
• Distribute harm reduction supplies and ensure safe disposal of collected bio-waste;
• Provide safer injection/smoking and safer sex education to participants;
• Provide street-based outreach, engagement and health promotion for PWUD;
• Provide support services to participants;
• Maintain outreach activity calendars and logs according to program standards;
• Conduct motivational interviewing with participants to assist them with identifying their needs and strategizing to address needs;
• Empower, support, and educate clients in their SUD harm reduction process through mentorship;
• Operate in a supportive role within an interdisciplinary health care team utilizing an integrated care and treatment model;
• Connect patients to SJCH for a medical home and support services as needed (MAT, HIV/HCV, housing services, transgender health).  
• Work with medical and behavioral health providers to ensure coordination of services and that all support service needs are met;
• Collaborate with primary care providers and behavioral health providers to provide health and behavioral interventions that will maximize patient health outcomes;
• Provides support, empowerment, education and targeted case management services to clients;
• Conducts assessments of client’s history with medical/dental/behavioral health services, social and economic resources for purposes of linkage;
• Educates clients with chronic illness about evidence-based standards of care and self-management of their chronic illness;
• Educates clients about the health care system and facilitates relationship building between the two;
• Documents work with clients through appropriate record keeping that follows St. John’s policies and procedures;
• Links clients to needed services and facilitates access to community resources;
• Advises clients and others regarding health care and other facilities available to them; assists patients in utilizing services; makes follow-up contacts when required;
• Attend regularly-scheduled and impromptu meetings and maintain communication with program team members and supervisor;
• Attend appropriate community resource meetings and trainings, as assigned;
• Participate in data collection activities;
• Ensure necessary documentation to meet funding contract(s) performance requirements;
• Work in collaboration with other departments and agencies when required;  
• Evening and/or weekend hours may be required to ensure the fulfillment of all duties and responsibilities;
• Other duties may be assigned or may be modified as business needs dictate. 

St. John’s Community Health is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer