Outreach MOUD Care Navigator

Schedule

Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Position is based out of REACH’s Belltown office but requires frequent travel to all REACH and partner sites.

Responsibilities

Outreach Engagement & Relationship Building Receive warm handoffs from the Harborview-based Navigator and initiate engagement prior to discharge. Build rapport with high-risk individuals and conduct outreach in community settings (street, shelter, clinic) to engage and re-engage participants post-discharge. In addition to Harborview partnership, respond to referrals from REACH staff and partners (e.g., Public Health Street Medicine, ETS-TIM, DESC ORCA) for MOUD linkage support. Rapid Linkage to MOUD Care Coordinate and support direct transport from Harborview to MOUD providers immediately upon discharge. Facilitate seamless handoffs to community-based treatment and maintain close follow-up during early engagement. Short-Term Case Management & Retention Support Provide focused, short-term case management to address immediate barriers to MOUD engagement, including transportation, housing instability, communication access (phones), insurance, and co-occurring health needs. Develop practical care plans to support stabilization beyond the first visit and proactively reengage participants who disengage. Harm Reduction & Patient Education Deliver harm reduction education and supplies in community settings, including overdose prevention, naloxone distribution, safer use & recovery strategies. Support participants in understanding MOUD options and navigating treatment in a low-barrier, patient-centered manner. Collaboration & Care Coordination Partner closely with the Harborview-based Navigator to ensure continuity across hospital and community settings. Coordinate with MOUD providers, REACH teams, shelters, and partner organizations to align care plans and reduce service gaps. Participate in case conferencing and cross-system collaboration to improve linkage and retention outcomes. Documentation, Data & Systems Improvement Document outreach, care coordination, and client engagement activities in required systems. Identify and elevate systemic barriers impacting MOUD access and retention to support program and system-level change.

Note

New and/or different duties and responsibilities may be assigned to this job at any time.

Requirements

Qualifications

Education and/or Relevant and Lived Experience (if applicable): High School Diploma or GED required; additional education preferred. Academic training in social services, substance use disorder, and mental health treatment desired. Lived experience is highly desirable and may substitute for some educational requirements if relevant project management and/or effective team-building experience is demonstrated and reflected in work history. Minimum of three years of experience in social work, outreach programs, or a related field. Knowledge of the medications used to treat opioid use disorder (e.g. methadone, buprenorphine, etc.) and ability to offer options counseling related to this service adapted to an individual’s stage of change. Experience providing services from a harm reduction perspective to individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges is highly desirable. Knowledge and Skills: Have an understanding of racial justice and social equity and a commitment to helping create an equitable environment for all ETS clients and patients as well as fellow staff. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, patients, and staff from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds. Strong interpersonal skills and verbal/ written communication skills. Ability to adhere closely to specific communication guidelines established by the ETS Communications Department concerning all interactions with partner organizations. Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload, work independently, and complete tasks timely and efficiently. Dependable, able to work under pressure, receptive to change, willingness to learn, cooperative approach to problem solving. Flexible team player, with excellent attention to detail. Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when handling highly sensitive information. Adhere to all the confidentiality requirements and guidelines outlined in the 42 CFR, Part 2 federal regulations pertaining to SUD treatment records. Ability to set boundaries, resolve conflict and de-escalate issues. Computer literate, with basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, as well as a high level of initiative in keeping current with technological change. Additional Essential Information: Physical Conditions and Requirements: The employee may be exposed to illicit drug residues and fumes or other bio-hazardous materials when carrying out job functions. There is also potential for exposure to bloodborne pathogens. ETS will provide employees with appropriate training to limit the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Policies and procedures are in place addressing each item specifically. The employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear; frequently required to stand, walk, and kneel; occasionally to climb balance, or stoop; rarely to crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, color, and peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate. Must be comfortable working within outside agency locations, such as hospitals, community centers, shelters, clinics, and/or other partner organizations. Equipment Used: Computer, photocopier, fax machine, phone, and appropriate equipment in hospital setting. Use of a program vehicle, for which a valid Driver’s License and acceptable driving will be required. Note that a driving record background check will occur initially and at periodic intervals. Inclusivity and Reasonable Accommodation: Evergreen Treatment Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. Note that a Washington State Patrol criminal background check will be conducted periodically as a condition of ongoing employment, and candidates with prior criminal convictions will be invited to provide additional context as needed. ETS will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation, or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship for ETS. We also seek to provide reasonable accommodation for the interview process.