STREET MEDICINE: MEDICAL OUTREACH FOR UNSHELTERED PEOPLE

Street Medicine is the practice of bringing health care to the people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in locations such as encampments, parks and under bridges.

About MedZed:

MedZed is a fast-paced organization focused on inspiring and enabling better health using technology to bring healthcare to complex, hard to reach patients. We partner with health plans and managed care organizations to allow these high-risk patients to be treated where they live. Serving members in seven states, MedZed has completed over 250,000 in-home visits and continues to expand throughout the country. Join the team and become part of our story.

We are embarking on a new care delivery model of street medicine delivering care to the unsheltered where they live to address their complex medical, behavioral health and social needs.

Our multi-channel engagement platform locates those that traditional bricks and mortar systems are unable to adequately reach despite their disproportionate and avoidable use of healthcare resources. Our team of Community Health Navigators and Licensed Vocational Nurses in-the-home are linked to MedZed primary care clinicians and other professionals using a telehealth platform.

We are seeking an exceptional Community Health Navigator to join our street medicine team. Will you innovate with us?

Job Description:

The CHN supports members who are experiencing homelessness with managing their health, assisting with motivational behavioral changes in patients to improve health outcomes through education, peer support, housing & resource navigation and relaying of shared experiences.

The successful candidate has experience and knowledge of and is comfortable engaging and working with patients experiencing homelessness, as well as those with active mental health and substance abuse conditions where they live, on the street. Possesses strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain team and community relationships, work on a multidisciplinary team of providers, nurses, patients and community navigators.

Responsibilities:

• Be an active participant in outreaching and engaging with the unsheltered
• Build rapport with members by communicating personal experiences with the goal of increasing the likelihood of positive behavior changes.
• Coach members to create and implement strategies that minimize risks associated with the identified common health condition and behaviors.
• Connect members to appropriate programs to address barriers to healthcare and enhance compliance.
• Acts as a resource and contact person for patients.
• Identify and build relationships with local resources that are available to patients.
• Complete all required health record documentation in a timely fashion. Examples include but are not limited to the following: enter all patient touch points and notes in the electronica health records and update members plan of care after every street medicine encounter.
• Serve as a member advocate – ensuring regular member follow ups, delivering medications and other needed supplies.
• While working with the street medicine team, carry a backpack with outreach and medical supplies during your shift. Backpacks can weigh up to 15lbs and staff share responsibility for carrying the backpack.
• Must be able to stand for up to 4 hours at a time and willing to provide care outside and in the field.

Job Qualifications

• Knowledge of community resources within the community to be served
• Able to maintain clear professional boundaries with members and coworkers
• Working knowledge of social and health issues
• Ability to quickly establish trust and build strong relationships
• Highly organized and self-motivated to work independently and manage schedules efficiently
• Sound judgment and the ability to quickly analyze situations
• Ability to establish priorities and meet deadlines
• Ability to problem solve in a proactive, creative manner
• Ability to work independently within a virtual operating environment and as part of a team
• Represent the company with professionalism
• Cultural competency- able to work with diverse groups of community members
• Multi-lingual capabilities preferred, but not required
• Excellent communication skills
• Technologically knowledgeable or experienced in note entry systems, smart phones, and laptops
• Experience providing peer support to patients with complex and multiple chronic conditions and challenging social and mental health conditions (e.g. Community Health Worker, Patient Navigator, In-Home Support Specialist, etc.).
• Training or experience in community health, social determinants of health, and peer counseling.
• Understanding of mental illness and addiction and ability to engage with clients who struggle with these issues at all levels.
• Training and experience in using Motivational Interviewing strongly preferred
• Strong interpersonal and social skills with demonstrated ability to collaborate with a variety of individuals from a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds.
• Knowledge of community-based healthcare and social services systems and the needs of medically underserved populations, and older adults/seniors
• Ability to work with individuals from varied professional background and diverse cultures with multiple chronic conditions.
• Ability to thrive in a complex and rapidly changing environment.
• Ability to build credibility and trust with clients/patients.
• Maintains confidentiality and follows HIPAA standards in safeguarding patient information.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Able to operate small office equipment, including photocopier, telephone, and personal computer
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge and/or experience within Home support Services (IHSS) is highly desirable.
• Life experience overcoming the challenges of chronic disease or work experience with people living with complex chronic conditions is highly desirable.
• Experience working with people living with addiction desirable.
• Bilingual (Spanish) prefered.

Education & Work Experience:

• High School Diploma/GED required
• Bachelor's Degree preferred
• Community Health Worker Certificate preferred
• Minimum of 2 years experience working in health, social, or community services required
• State-based certification may be required

Physical & Other Requirements:

• Must reside in or be very familiar with the language and culture of the community served. There will be daily travel to local geographic regions and, depending on the region, it may require frequent walking
• The CHN will need to pass reference and background checks, submit to a drug test, and have a clean driving record

Candidate Must Possess the Following:

• A valid driver's license
• Access to an insured car