Street Outreach Health Navigator

The Street Outreach Health Navigator plays a crucial role in improving the health and well-being of people who use drugs (PWUD), particularly those at heightened risk for or living with HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV), and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Working under the supervision of the Access Program Manager, this position delivers compassionate, community-centered harm reduction services through drop-in programming, street outreach, and mobile van operations across Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville.

This is a front-line, client-facing position requiring a commitment to harm reduction, public health, and social justice. The ideal candidate brings empathy, resilience, and cultural humility to meet people where they are and build trust with marginalized populations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide nonjudgmental harm reduction services to PWUD with a focus on health, dignity, and empowerment.
• Assist Health Navigators in the day-to-day operations of the syringe exchange and health access program, including:
• Site setup and breakdown
• Harm reduction kit making and supply distribution
• Pre-shift huddles and team meetings
• Data collection and documentation
• Client engagement and emotional support as needed
• Participate in street outreach efforts in areas or neighborhoods identified as high-risk across Cambridge, Boston, and Somerville. Outreach will be conducted on foot and via the Access mobile outreach van.
• Distribute harm reduction supplies, provide safer use education, offer testing (HIV/HCV/STIs), and connect clients to clinical care and support services.
• Provide training on overdose prevention and naloxone (Narcan) to active users, their allies, and other service providers.
• Build trusting relationships with clients of the Access program, centering their lived experiences and strengths in all interactions.
• Respond to overdose and behavioral health crises as necessary.
• Work collaboratively with the outreach team, exchange staff and program leadership to identify emerging needs and assist with adaptation and implementation of services accordingly.

Representative Duties:

Street and Mobile Outreach Responsibilities (50%):

• Conduct street and mobile outreach activities with active drug users in areas or neighborhoods identified as high-risk or high need within program catchment areas. This catchment area includes, but is not limited to: East Somerville, the Roxbury and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods of Boston, and Cambridge.
• Support clients of the Access program by engaging in follow up activities in an outreach setting
• Connect PWUDs to HCV/HIV/STI testing and treatment through relationship building, viral hepatitis education, and recruitment and retention activities
• Provide rapid testing while on outreach. Provide screening and risk reduction sessions, as well as education and referrals as necessary.
• Train PWUDs in overdose prevention and use of Naloxone. Distribute Naloxone and complete associated MDPH data collection and internal data collection.
• Collect and distribute syringes from PWUDs on an outreach setting. This includes safely handling, storing and disposing of syringes, and general biohazard and infection control protocols
• Administer Naloxone during overdose events or other emergencies.
• Maintain strong data collection and service documentation
• Participate in mobile outreach van operations and maintenance, including driving the van as needed.
• Conduct activities related to building and maintaining partnerships with community support agencies and conduct community advocacy.

Exchange and Drop-in Responsibilities (50%):

• Participate in daily drop-in operations when needed including opening and closing procedures to help ensure facilities are clean, safe and welcoming.
• Provide clients with easily accessible, low threshold services that operate within the harm reduction framework. This includes assisting clients with safer use materials, hygiene supplies, warm handoffs and introductions to support services such as clinical care, legal support, housing support, as well as enrolling them in syringe exchange and overdose prevention services.
• Participate in restorative justice protocols and work to uphold community guidelines of our space.
• Distribute doses of naloxone as well as education to PWUD and clients of the Access program on how to recognize the signs of an overdose and respond to reverse it.
• Collect and distribute syringes and personal sharps containers with a focus on safe handling of any used sharps.
• Assist the team in the preparation of kit materials including but not limited to Narcan kits, safer smoking kits, wound care kits, hygiene kits, injection kits, Xylazine and Fentanyl test strip kits, etc
• Provide counsel to PWUD on safer use practices in an effort to minimize the risk of overdose or injection related injuries.
• Collect materials distributed form data as well as demographic data from our clients and enter this data into REDcap.
• Attend outreach specific and Access team meetings as necessary
• Assist program leadership in program development, evaluation, and implementation

Meet agency participatory expectations:

• Adhere to all agency and departmental policies and procedures
• Participate in quality assessment and improvement activities as requested
• Adhere to the highest principles of client confidentiality
• Adhere to established safety policies, procedures and precautions; enforce agency's policies and clinical procedures, including safety and crisis procedures.
• Attend all required meetings, in-services and professional trainings
• Maintains professional competence necessary to perform job responsibilities; maintains and provides agency with records of continuing education activities
• Perform related duties and projects as required

Ideal Candidate Will Have

• A deep understanding of harm reduction principles and a passion for health equity.
• Experience working with people who use drugs, are unhoused, or are living with HIV/HCV/STIs.
• Comfort with non-traditional outreach environments and crisis response situations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• The ability to remain grounded, empathetic, and nonjudgmental under pressure.

• Minimum two-years relevant work experience. Note: A Bachelor's degree plus relevant experience may substitute for the minimum work experience requirement.
• Prior experience in direct, client-facing service to populations living with addiction, substance use, and/or experiencing homelessness.
• Knowledge of substance use, harm reduction strategies, and public health issues affecting PWUD.
• Experience providing rapid testing, or a willingness to be trained.
• Commitment to practical harm reduction strategies, including drug user health advocacy.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in conflict resolution, crisis de-escalation, and milieu management.
• Ability to manage clinically and emotionally challenging situations with utmost professionalism, care, and discretion
• Current valid driver's license, clean driving record, and a minimum of 1 year driving experience required.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of individuals and communities at risk for HIV -- especially injection drug users, men who have sex with men, transgender people, people of color, those who are foreign-born and may be undocumented, and those who are homeless or unstably housed.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and experience with electronic data entry systems.
• Self-directed, motivated and flexible with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Phlebotomy certification/experience or experience using rapid HIV tests.
• Current CPR Certification
• Proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Kreyol language strongly preferred.
• Previous experience conducting street level outreach with at-risk populations a plus.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to meet the following physical requirements with or without reasonable accommodations:

• Sit at a computer station for extended periods of time
• Ability to keyboard for extended periods of time
• Ability to occasionally lift and move up to 15lbs.
• Work environment involves exposure to potentially dangerous materials, including bloodborne pathogens, and situations that require following extensive safety precautions and may include the use of protective equipment

We offer competitive salaries, and for those who qualify, an excellent benefits package; including comprehensive medical and dental insurance plans, and a retirement plan with employer match. We also provide 12 paid holidays, paid vacation, and more.

LGBTQIA+ identified persons, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), and individuals from other historically underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

This is a union position in a Fenway Health bargaining unit represented by 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.