YPS Care Navigator

The Care Navigator (CN) will implement effective Care Navigation strategies intended to serve New York City’s most at-risk LGBTQ+ and TGNC (Transgender and Non-Gender Conforming) communities of color for the AIDS Institute (AI) Advancing Access Case Management program. As a CN, your primary responsibility will be to provide comprehensive support and guidance to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. You will work closely with clients to ensure they receive the necessary resources, medical care, and social services to manage their condition effectively. Your role will involve conducting outreach, coordinating services, and advocating for clients within the healthcare system. The CN will support outreach efforts including both in-person and online. This will be accomplished by utilizing new media technology, work drop-in activities and weekend events that engage target populations that need connections to care.

• Conduct thorough assessments of clients' medical, psychosocial, and support needs. Collect relevant information regarding their HIV/AIDS diagnosis, current treatment plan, lifestyle, and any barriers they face in accessing care.
  
• Collaborate with clients to develop personalized care plans that address their specific needs and goals.
  
• Linkage to primary care. Identify and prioritize interventions, including medical treatments, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, housing support, and social services.
  
• Identify and participate in managing new outreach referral channels whether through digital resources (social media, & email) as well as events and partnerships with other community-based organizations.
  
• Facilitate and encourage recruitment from internal programs in our targeted populations.
  
• Conduct Hep C testing as needed.
  
• Coordinate with internal and external departments and partners interested in the services provided by Youth and Prevention Services department.
  
• Provide clients with up-to-date information on HIV/AIDS, treatment options, medication adherence, and healthy lifestyle practices. Offer support and education on prevention strategies, including safe sex practices and harm reduction techniques.
  
• Assist with the recruitment for Evidence Based Intervention groups as well as group facilitation.
  
• Assist with the planning and implementation of events to increase client engagement.
  
• Participate in community events, such as health fairs, LGBT events, testing events, etc. to engage new at-risk clients for prevention services and treatment services.
  
• Provide frontline support including helpful information, answer questions, and respond to inquiries forHIV treatmentwith an emphasis on delivering excellent customer service that supports quality of care.
  
• Refer clients to Housing Works Behavioral Health Services, Medical Services, Housing Services, Intensive Case Management Services.
  
• Participate in social media activities and support content development that speak to ourcommunity�sneeds.
  
• Responsible for connecting all newly identified HIV positive clients to HIV Care and ensuring clients maintain adherence with treatment protocols.
  
• Track client attendance at medical and behavioral health appointments and initiate outreach to clients with missed appointments, as necessary.
  
• Participate in reoccurring clinical meetings with Medical Case Manager to discuss retention issues, and internal CQI projects.
  
• Maintain documentation of all client encounters in electronic health record (eiCARE and ECW) and funder database (AIRS) and complete reporting requirements according to organization standards.
  
• Accompany clients to medical appointments, HRA appointments, when required.
  
• Facilitates Evidence Based Intervention (EBIs) groups.
  
• Manage organization and documentation of engagement/outreach efforts.
  
• Participate in supervisory sessions with the Assistant Program Director and other team and departmental wide meetings.
  
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  

Other functions that may be required with this position include:

• Participate inreoccurringinteragency meetings, as well as external community meetings to improve integrated care andmaintain relationships with community partners.
  
• Participate in department activities such as new staff onboarding, YPS Pride Committee, CQI efforts,etc.
  
• Participate in Housing Works advocacy events (minimum 3 in person per year, 4 via other mode July-June)
  
• Perform other duties as assigned
  

• High School Diploma or GED required
  
• 2 years ofoutreach or patient navigation experience,preferablyin health services settingor related experienceworking with medical
  
• Knowledge ofHIV/AIDS, homelessness, substance use and mental illness,LGBT youth issues andMSMnetworks/hot spots
  
• Strong socio-cultural identificationand understandingwith the priority populations.
  
• Ability to problem-solve effectively under pressure while maintaining a professional demeanorand communicate in a timely manner with an appropriate sense of urgency.
  
• Knowledge ofissues pertaining to homelessness, substance use, harm reduction, mental illness,transgender healthcare, and LGBTQ+ youth
  
• Ability to work evening and weekend hours for special events.
  

The following additional competencies are viewed as important to success in this position:

• Extraordinarily strongwritten documentation skills
  
• Good computer skills (Word, Excel,etc)
  
• Social Media outreach and engagement skills
  
• Excellent communication skills with all levels of staff and clients
  

Housing Works was founded in 1990 with a long-term commitment to AIDS advocacy. Housing Works established New York State’s first harm reduction-based, OASAS-licensed outpatient drug treatment program. Other services include Health Home care management, behavioral health, and syringe exchange programs.

A pioneer in the social entrepreneurship movement, Housing Works operates 10 high-end thrift shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a much-loved Bookstore Cafe in Soho. Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention, and treatment, among other lifesaving services. For more information, visit www.housingworks.org.

• COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: Housing Works requires employees working in our Health Services division to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless approved for a legal accommodation. If you need an accommodation for any reason, including related to this job requirement, please contact Human Resources.
  
• Fraud Alert: Job candidates should be aware that scammers may pose as employers and create fake job postings in order to extract personal information from individuals for financial gain. Housing Works will never ask job candidates for personal information, such as social security numbers or bank account details, over the phone. If you suspect that a job posting may be fake or wish to confirm that a job posting from Housing Works is genuine, please contact us at recruitment@housingworks.org.
  

• We have three comprehensive healthcare plans to choose from based on your priorities and budget. Housing Works covers most of the plan; you pay a portion, based on your salary.
  
• Staff begins accruing PTO immediately for a total of up to 30 days earned in the first year.
  
• We offer employees an educational benefit. This money is available for tuition loan reimbursement, tuition costs, and textbooks.
  

Housing Works provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Housing Works complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Housing Works also does not request prior salary information during the hiring process. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.