POSITION SUMMARY:

The Prevention and Screening Team Lead is a specialized role within the Public Health programs. In conjunction with the Prevention & Screening Manager, this person will maintain the day to day operations of the Project TRUST drop-in. The Team Lead will be responsible for maintaining the clinical flow and providing assistance to the Biomedical Prevention Specialist staff and coverage if needed by the Program Manager. The Team Lead will train and aid in onboarding new employees and providing support to all staff.

In conjunction with the programs, the Team Leader will also act as a Biomedical Prevention Specialist for HIV/HCV/STI/TB positives identified inside the ED, GIM, and both Public health locations. 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 any other necessary services. The BPS 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 and HCV patients will be followed closely by the BPS through medical engagement up until treatment completion. HIV positive cases will be referred to the HIV Clinic and a warm handoff to Medical Case Management will occur. The position will conduct individual HIV/HCV/STI/TB prevention counseling sessions based on a DPH required acuity tool. Within these sessions, the BPS will be required to educate and refer any high risk patients to biomedical prevention strategies such as PrEP and nPEP. The BPS will conduct sexual health risk assessment and risk reduction services, and assessing the acuity of need for further interventions and follow up. Staff will be trained to assess risk for TB and any patient needing TB services including LTBI will be directly referred to the BPHC TB clinic. The BPS will track all work in the EMR as well as an internal database. The BPS will also receive referrals from BMC and community staff for HIV/HCV/STI/TB testing and navigation services. The BPS conducts all activities within the standards, regulations, and contract assurances of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) contract.  

Position: Project TRUST Team Lead        

Department: Infectious Diseases

Schedule: Full Time

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:

Team Lead Responsibilities

Maintains day to day flow within Project TRUST and communicates with Program Manager about issues or challenges that arise

• Maintains quality of patient care within the clinic on a day to day basis
• Responsible for balancing the workload among the team members in accordance with established guidelines.
• Assure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload and assures that each employee has a sufficient workload.
• Responsible for QA and submission of data forms to MDPH including testing, navigation, and STI surveillance forms
• Provides coverage for front desk and biomedical prevention specialists as needed by Program Manager

Provides feedback to Program Manager concerning recognition of outstanding performance, training needs of employees, behavioral problems, and personnel needs.

Provides training to new employees and works with Program Manager to onboard new staff

Provides day to day support to Biomedical Prevention Navigators including aiding in reinforcing policy and procedure systems in cooperation with Program Manager

Coordinates referrals from internal and external providers to the STD Clinic

Coordinates and provides navigation for internal HIV/HCV/STI/TB positives within ED and GIM

• Provides short-term health navigation services for persons testing positive for LTBI.
• Works with positive patients on Partner Notification Services and follows up as appropriate
• Navigate positive patients through the entire process of medical engagement until completion of treatment or cure

Biomedical Prevention Specialist Tasks

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

• Performs HIV tests by finger stick & blood draw methods
• Performs HIV, Hepatitis, TB, syphilis test by blood draw
• Performs Chlamydia and Gonorrhea test by urine specimen collection.
• Able to educate patients on self-collection methods for anal, rectal, throat and vaginal swabs
• Provides navigation based on acuity assessment during testing sessions
• Refers all positive patients to care and services
• Works with the Department of Public Health field epidemiologists on cases
• Provides patient education on HIV, STI, and Hepatitis, and TB
• Will utilize any future testing method required by the funder
• All testing session information will be documented in the EMR

Navigation of positive patients into medical care and other services

• Deliver positive HIV/STI/HCV/TB test results directly to patients
• Communicate effectively, professionally, and in a timely manner with providers
• Work closely with the BMC lab and the MDPH state lab
• Conduct needs assessments and refer patients into care and services
• Referrals to behavioral health services and substance use treatment as necessary
• Must be able to respond spontaneously and immediately when notified about positive results or assigned by management to those cases
• Refer patients to primary care, this will mostly be for positive patients and high acuity patients based on the DPH developed acuity tool
• Assist patients with insurance issues, this will mostly be for positive patients and high acuity patients based on the DPH developed acuity tool
• Write accurate notes in the BMC EMR and in the other tracking systems for a specific contracts
• Follows-up with relevant providers as needed
• Responding to the EMR messaging system in a timely manner
• Must be able to write and communicate in a professional manner appropriate to a major hospital
• Has detailed knowledge of HIV/HCV/STIs/TB and able to communicate appropriate information to patients and providers
• Works with positive patients on Partner Notification Services and follows up as appropriate
• Navigate positive patients through the entire process of medical engagement until completion of treatment or cure
• 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
• Must be able to travel across the BMC campus and throughout the city of Boston to community outreach sites when necessary
• Effectively work in a team with community outreach sites and within BMC when necessary

Conducts individual HIV/HCV/STI/TB acuity based prevention and education

• Will utilize DPH required acuity tool and risk assessment tools
• Performs basic HIV/HCV/STI risk assessment with individuals. 
• Provides basic acuity based navigation and “case management” and referral services to patients encountered.
• Any high risk patient is referred directly to PrEP/nPEP and the Public Health NP
• Tracks and monitors appointments and referrals as appropriate.
• Collects data as needed for program evaluation.
• Conducts data entry and tracks it through an internal data system and any specific mandated systems, including the BMC EMR
• Able to conduct behavioral intervention sessions for high acuity patients

Collects all programmatic data

• Submit surveillance forms to MDPH or any other mandated forms and systems
• Able to input data into computer systems, including the BMC EMR
• Able to think critically and logically when handling patient information, particularly around newly diagnosed HIV and all other positive patients
• Respond in a timely manner to deadlines and program management
• Responsible for following up and tracking any cases until there is a resolution
• Tracks and monitors referral from various client referrals sources.
• Be able to report basic level data to program management

General

• Attends all necessary trainings to become proficient in prevention and education methods and for continuing maintenance of proficiency.  Maintains established department standards for prevention and education service delivery
• Distributes prevention materials (pamphlets, condoms, bleach kits, etc.) to target populations.  Demonstrates safer sex techniques to patients by using anatomy models, when appropriate.  Demonstrates safer injection techniques to patients using syringe models, when appropriate
• Attends meetings as requested by the program manager to represent BMC as needed.  Attends staff meetings and communicates progress and problems to Program Manager.  Attends clinical supervision staff support group. Participate in regular public health program implementation team meetings. Participate in CDC/MDPH/BPHC meetings with other grantees if requested.
• Remains knowledgeable of, and follows, appropriate policies, procedures, and work standards, including but not limited to, those regarding hours of work, absenteeism, and tardiness.
• Maintains competency in appropriate areas of responsibility to ensure quality of care.  Maintains patient confidentiality; is comfortable handling sensitive personal information.  Follows established hospital infection control and safety procedures
• Utilizes hospital values as basis for decision making and to facilitate BMC missions.  Models the ability to set professional boundaries.
• Performs other duties as assigned or as necessary.

Must adhere to all of BMC’s RESPECT behavioral standards.

(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:

Bachelor’s Degree (preferably in Public Health, Social Work, Education or Healthcare-related field) required. An equivalent combination of education and directly related experience (i.e. specific HIV/Hep C work experience), which provides proficiency in the areas of responsibility, may be substituted for the education and experience requirements.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:

None required.

EXPERIENCE:

• Must have at least 2 years of Hospital, Clinic or community-based agency work experience including practicums/internships/volunteer experience. Note: an equivalent combination of education and experience, which provides proficiency in the areas of responsibility, may be substituted for the above education and experience requirements. Supervisory experience outside of the medical field may substitute.
• Experience working in MDPH or CDC-funded programs or other similar substance abuse, mental health, medical environment or HIV/AIDS programs preferred. Experience working with diverse populations preferred. Staff supervision experience preferred.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Demonstrated sensitivity to populations served by the programs (HIV/HCV/STIs)
• Ability to work with other community-based human services organizations.
• Knowledge of MS Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, and management skills, including the ability to set priorities, efficiently delegate, and motivate staff to complete assigned work.
• Bi-lingual/bi-cultural candidates preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans

According to the FTC, there has been a rise in employment offer scams. Our current job openings are listed on our website and applications are received only through our website. We do not ask or require downloads of any applications, or “apps” job offers are not extended over text messages or social media platforms. We do not ask individuals to purchase equipment for or prior to employment.