Community Access Team Specialist at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program – Boston, Massachusetts

Who We Are:
Since 1985, BHCHP’s mission has been to ensure unconditionally equitable and dignified access to the highest quality health care for all individuals and families experiencing homelessness in greater Boston. Over 10,000 homeless individuals are cared for by Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program each year. We are committed to ensuring that every one of these individuals has access to comprehensive health care, from preventative dental care to cancer treatment. Our clinicians, case managers, and behavioral health professionals work in more than 30 locations to serve some of our community’s most vulnerable—and most resilient—citizens.

From our earliest days as a program, we have always sought to do work that is transformational: recognizing our shared humanity; centering dignity, compassion, mutual respect and supporting the right of every individual to access the highest levels of health care and every staff member to reach their fullest potential. We continue to be committed to building bridges and breaking down barriers, including systemic racism which harms us all. We provide community-based health care services that are compassionate, dignified, and culturally appropriate, incorporating social determinants of health, with the goal of breaking down the physical and systemic barriers that our patients face.

Job Summary:
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm
Union: Yes
Union Name: 1199 SEIU
Patient Facing: Yes

Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death among people experiencing homelessness in Boston — a crisis that demands urgent, compassionate action. We believe in a health care system free from stigma, where addiction treatment is accessible on demand and without barriers. At the same time, we recognize that not everyone is ready for or able to access treatment. That’s why we are equally committed to reducing the risks associated with drug use and meeting people exactly where they are. We do not require someone to stop using substances before we begin offering care and support.

We are seeking to hire a Community Access Team (CAT) Specialist. Working at the intersection of overdose prevention, HIV risk reduction, and homelessness, the CAT Specialist plays a critical role in delivering street-based outreach services in South End. This work includes care coordination and case management, behavioral risk-reduction counseling, harm reduction education, and medication adherence support — all grounded in dignity, respect, and evidence-based practice.

Please apply if you are looking help save lives, reduce harm, and build pathways to stability and health for our most vulnerable neighbors.

Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with other CAT Specialists, nurses, medical providers on the CAT team to proactively engage and build relationship with people who use drugs in a low-threshold, street-based setting.
• Serve as a liaison, connecting patients with longitudinal case management programs at BHCHP, with the ability to assist in these transitions over a long period of time while maintaining clear lines of communication with mutual teams to ensure patient goals are met.
• Provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed services, to include:
  • Sexual health promotion and substance use risk reduction – Support client health promotion, behavioral risk reduction, and prevention of communicable disease acquisition or transmission by offering guidance and practical support.
  • Medical care coordination – Facilitate access to medical care and to support continued retention in medical care and treatment services through coordination and in-person accompaniment.
  • Social services coordination – Help clients identify health-related social service needs, help them access related resources, and support the successful utilization of these resources. This may include referrals or direct support in housing stabilization though not serving as the primary contact, and referrals or direct support in attainment of benefits.
  • Medication adherence support – In collaboration with CAT nurses, enhance client readiness for, and adherence to, preventive and therapeutic medications for HIV/AIDS and other conditions, by providing support, developing strategies, offering counseling, and/or locating clients and supporting directly observed therapy through medication couriering.
• Facilitate referrals to BHCHP and external services for both behavioral health and medical care; visit patients at their place of residence (street, shelter, etc.) as needed to accompany them to appointments, reconnect them to care, and/or provide case management.
• Document referrals and interactions with patients in the electronic health record.

• Attend CAT team staff meetings and clinical case conferencing, working collaboratively with the HIV Outreach, CCiR Van, Counseling and Testing, HepC, and House of Corrections Teams; participate in supervision of CAT Specialists in individual and/or group format at least once per month.
• Complete training in overdose prevention and response and respond to overdoses if nursing or medical staff are unavailable.

• Bachelor’s degree (social service or related field preferred), or comparable work experience
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred
• Experience working with people with substance use disorder is required.
• A commitment to and knowledge of harm reduction strategies and trauma informed approaches, with an emphasis on patients not needing to be abstinent to receive care and an openness to recovery being defined by the patient.
• Experience working with people experiencing homelessness, incarceration and/or sexual violence as well as conducting street level outreach with at-risk populations is a plus.
• Ability to be flexible and take direction well; works well with a multidisciplinary approach.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, with excellent communication skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
• Life support training certification (e.g., CPR, BLS, ACLS) from a course that includes a hands-on, in-person component. If not certified prior to the start date, applicant must submit certification within 60 days of the start date.
• Commitment to equitable and culturally appropriate care for a wide range of diverse populations, including communities of color, LGBTQIA communities, non-English speaking populations, people with substance use disorders and behavioral health challenges and people experiencing homelessness.

• The compensation increases based on years of experience and ranges from $22.25 - $35.60 hourly.
• BHCHP full time employees are eligible for our competitive time off program, health, dental and vision insurance, 403B retirement savings plan, pre-tax MBTA pass program with 40% discount, additional compensation for demonstrated bilingual proficiency and more. Benefits are prorated for part-time employees.

Does this amazing opportunity interest you? Then we'd love to hear from you.

As an equal opportunity employer, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Covid-19 Vaccination: Proof of Covid-19 vaccination(s) is optional for employment. Candidates who are offered employment will be given details about how to demonstrate receipt of vaccination if they choose to.

Please Note: Employment at Boston Health Care for the Homeless is at-will. Boston Health Care for the Homeless does not sponsor work authorization visas.