Harm Reduction Outreach Specialist, Infectious Diseases Research (Per Diem)

Position: Harm Reduction Outreach Specialist, Infectious Diseases Research 

Location: Boston, MA

Schedule: Per Diem, On-site

ABOUT BMC:

At Boston Medical Center (BMC), our diverse staff works together for one goal — to provide exceptional and equitable care to improve the health of the people of Boston. Our bold vision to transform health care is powered by our respect for our patients and our commitment to ensure everyone who comes through our doors has a positive experience.

You’ll find a supportive work environment at BMC, with rich opportunities throughout your career for training, development, and growth and where you’ll have the tools you need to take charge of your own practice environment.  

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position is for a Harm Reduction Outreach Specialist (OS) who conducts their services in the field as well as in the hospital. The OS will work across all programs/interventions primarily to outreach and engage clients who use substances and are unable to engage in traditional healthcare settings to provide harm reduction supplies, education, and linkages. Performs outreach and works with clients in their community location. They will work with the medical providers, the BMC lab, and program management to ensure that these positive patients receive appropriate interventions such as disease risk reduction, partner notification services, further testing, needs assessments, MDPH/CDC/BPHC funded interventions, and other necessary services. The OS will conduct outreach on the BMC campus and in the community when necessary to follow-up and engage positive cases for linkage to care. All positive STI patients will be followed by the OS through medical engagement up until treatment completion. The position will conduct individual HIV/HCV/STI/TB prevention testing and counseling sessions. Within these sessions, the OS will be required to educate and refer any high risk patients to biomedical prevention strategies such as PrEP and nPEP.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conducts street, hospital, and community outreach to provide harm reduction supplies, education, and linkages. Tailors outreach strategies based on the target population
• Provides harm reduction education and supplies within the drop-in and during outreach to promote safe drug consumption
• Completes targeted outreach in the community and drop-in to provide harm reduction education including safe injection practices, HIV/HCV/STI prevention strategies, and overdose prevention
• Engages patients in risk reduction sessions in the community/street. Performs follow-up risk reduction/counseling sessions as necessary
• Must be able to travel across the BMC campus and throughout the city of Boston to community outreach sites when necessary

Conducts HIV/HCV/STI/TB testing, counseling and education sessions

• Provides patient education on HIV, STI, and Hepatitis, and TB
• Performs HIV tests by finger stick & blood draw methods and performs HIV, Hepatitis, TB, syphilis test by blood draw
• Performs Chlamydia and Gonorrhea test by urine specimen collection.
• Educates patients on self-collection methods for anal, rectal, throat and vaginal swabs. Refers all positive patients to care and services

• Works with the Department of Public Health field epidemiologists on cases
• Assist patients with insurance issues, this will mostly be for positive patients. All testing session information will be documented in the EMR
• Able to conduct chart reviews in the EMR to make decisions about the linkage to care process and follow-up until treatment completion including tracking all the steps in the EMR so the treatment team can view notes

Links high risk patients to HIV prevention clinical services, public health navigation, and case management services

• Communicate effectively, professionally, and in a timely manner with navigators to link patients
• Write accurate notes in the BMC EMR and in the other tracking systems for a specific contracts
• Follows-up with relevant providers and navigators as needed and responds to the EMR messaging system in a timely manner
• Effectively work in a team with community outreach sites and within BMC when necessary

Collects all programmatic data

• Able to input data into computer systems, including the BMC EMR
• Respond in a timely manner to deadlines and program management
• Tracks and monitors referral from various client referrals sources.
• Be able to report basic level data to program management

Models the ability to set professional boundaries

(The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job.  The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required).

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

• Minimum of a High School diploma or GED required

EXPERIENCE:

• Lived experience with substance use preferred

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Bilingual-bicultural preferred. Effective verbal and written communication skills (English).
• Sensitivity to ethnic, cultural, gender, and sexual orientation diversity, values, beliefs, and behaviors.
• Demonstrated ability to be flexible with client’s priorities, evolving needs, and goals.
• Demonstrated empathic understanding of patients who are diagnosed with HIV, mental illness, and substance abuse.
• Demonstrated critical thinking and problem solving ability.
• Computer competency, including Microsoft Outlook, Work, and Excel.
• Physical ability to meet the core job responsibilities in accordance with practice setting demands for the patient populations regularly served.

This position is grant funded through 6/30/2025. There may be opportunity beyond this grant funding for position integration into ongoing operations.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

As the primary teaching hospital for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and BU schools of public health and dentistry, intellectual rigor shapes our inquiries. Our research is led by a belief that skin color, zip code, and financial circumstances shouldn’t dictate health.

Boston Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. If you need accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail to Talentacquisition@bmc.org or call 617-638-8582 to let us know the nature of your request.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans