Position Summary
East Shore Health District is seeking a full-time Substance Use Disorder Navigator to support community-based overdose prevention, harm reduction, outreach, education, and connection to care across Branford, East Haven, North Branford, Guilford, and Madison. This position works directly with individuals, families, community partners, and service providers to reduce overdose risk, strengthen referral pathways, and reduce barriers to treatment, recovery supports, harm reduction resources, and other community-based services.
This is a field-based, non-clinical public health role. The Navigator will spend significant time in the community building relationships, providing education, coordinating warm handoffs, conducting follow-up, documenting services, and supporting required grant reporting and public health activities.
Primary Responsibilities
· Conduct community-based, site-based, mobile, and street outreach in priority areas and partner settings throughout the service area.
· Build respectful, nonjudgmental relationships with people who use drugs, individuals at elevated overdose risk, families, and other residents who may benefit from support.
· Provide non-clinical navigation and case management support, including intake, warm handoffs, referral coordination, follow-up, appointment reminders, and barrier reduction.
· Deliver naloxone, harm reduction, overdose prevention, stigma reduction, safer-use education, and related public health education in community and partner settings.
· Develop and maintain working relationships with hospitals, urgent care facilities, EMS, law enforcement, treatment providers, recovery supports, schools, libraries, housing programs, community organizations, and other partners.
· Distribute approved harm reduction supplies, educational materials, and resource information in accordance with agency and grant requirements.
· Use available public health and overdose-related data to help inform outreach priorities, identify target populations, and support service planning.
· Complete timely, accurate, and confidential documentation, data entry, and monthly reporting.
· Participate in grant meetings, trainings, coalition work, evaluation activities, community events, and other related duties assigned in support of agency and program operations.
Qualifications
· High school diploma or equivalent required. Degree, certification, coursework, or formal training in public health, social work, human services, community health, behavioral health, substance use prevention, recovery support, or a related field preferred.
· Three to five years of relevant experience in public health, human services, behavioral health, harm reduction, recovery support, peer support, case management, outreach, social services, or work with high-need populations preferred.
· Strong communication, relationship-building, de-escalation, organization, follow-through, and documentation skills.
· Ability to work independently in office, field, mobile, and partner settings while maintaining professionalism, confidentiality, sound judgment, and responsiveness.
· Knowledge of harm reduction, overdose prevention, naloxone, stigma reduction, substance use disorder resources, social determinants of health, or community health practices preferred.
· Proficiency with standard computer systems, email, Microsoft Office, data entry, virtual meeting tools, and similar programs.
· Valid Connecticut driver's license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel regularly throughout the service area required.
· Bilingual English/Spanish skills strongly preferred.
· Recovery Coach certification, peer support training, harm reduction training, naloxone training, or related credentials preferred.
· Applicants with relevant lived experience, recovery experience, or familial experience with substance use are encouraged to apply.
Working Conditions
· Work is performed in office, field, mobile, community, and partner-site settings, with regular travel throughout the district and surrounding service area.
· The role requires the ability to move between locations, work outdoors in varying conditions, interact with individuals and partners in community settings, and occasionally lift or move supplies and materials of approximately up to 20 pounds.
· Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.
To Apply
Please submit a resume and letter of interest to East Shore Health District, 688 East Main Street, Branford, CT 06405, or by email to [email protected]. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
East Shore Health District is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation is available to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, consistent with applicable law.
Pay: $62,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 403(b)
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
