Harm Reduction Specialist

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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. For more information, visit www.housingworks.org
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.
 
Benefits:
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 text books.
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.
This position is included in a bargaining unit of Housing Works' New York City employees represented by a labor union known as the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union ("RWDSU"). Accordingly, the RWDSU has the exclusive right to bargain over the terms and conditions of employment related to this position and this position may become covered by the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (a "CBA") between Housing Works and the RWDSU
Compensation Range: $17/hr - $19/hr commensurate with experience
Overview: 
The Harm Reduction Specialist is the main link among clients, agency staff and medical care providers. This will be done by conducting assessments, enrolling clients into case management programs, providing health education and various other services. HR Specialists build relationships, solve problems and locate resources for program participants. HR Specialists promote, the recovery, independence, health and wellbeing of service users. The HR Specialist must be knowledgeable about agency services and community resources. These include educational, social and emotional supportive services available to clients. Duties may also include client outreach, coordinating care, proper documentation and maintaining patient databases, conducting individual and/or group services, and performing various administrative tasks.
Responsibilities:

• Conducting an initial assessment with each new participating consumer to assess his/her health and wellness status and experience with getting health care.
• Provide health promotion, health education, and risk reduction interventions as needed.
• Maintains routine communication and assist with care coordination services for primary care and psych services. Including reminder calls.
• Maintain appropriate and timely communication with all members of the care team.
• Communicating with clients on a regular basis to keep them engaged and to assess progress as well as tracking the progress of clients including conducting follow-ups.
• Navigate the medical system including such things as helping the clients make medical appointments, going with the client to appointments, helping the client communicate with medical personnel and/or talking to clients about ways to communicate with medical personnel, helping with any follow-up necessary.
• Complete and submit documentation of services provided in a timely and efficient manner (e.g., within two business days past the provision of service).
• Conduct group services for clients on topics including general wellness, overdose prevention, safe injection, sexual risk reduction. 
• Attend meetings as deemed appropriate and related to the scope of service.
• Adhere to workplace policies and procedures, including confidentiality, documentation, channels of communication, workplace culture, dress code, and conflict resolution.
• Participate in quality assurance and quality improvement planning project and activities as directed.
• Participates in monthly staff and peer workers development meetings and interventions.

• Minimum of a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma required.
• Experience providing care navigation services preferred.
• New York City Department of Health Peer Certificate Training or the ability to obtain certificate through attendance at an AIDS Institute Authorized training center.
• Preferable training in the following areas: HIV 101 ,Viral Hepatitis 101 , Motivational Interviewing, LGBT Sensitivity, Syringe Exchange and Harm Reduction Training, HIV confidentiality, and risk-reduction counseling, Deescalation
• Culturally aware and sensitive to PWUD (People Who Use Drugs), PLWHA (People Living with HIV/AIDS), LGBTQAI, YIDU (Young Intravenous Drug Users), SMI (Severe Mental Illness), and MSM (Wen who have Sex with Men).
• Ability to make data entries into programs database such as AIRS, e-Share, EiCare.
• Good group facilitation skills and overdose prevention training experience. Skilled with health insurance navigation and documentation.
• Good verbal, written, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Use of computer software --Microsoft Office Suite including Word and Outlook calendaring, and Excel.
• Bilingual in Spanish/English helpful Frequently remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods
• Occasionally moving around to additional worksites
• Occasionally lifting and moving objects up to 25 pounds in ordinary office related tasks.