Harm Reduction ERA & SSP Supervisor
Harm Reduction Services (HRS) | Oak Park, Sacramento, CA | Full-Time
About HRS
Harm Reduction Services (HRS) is a Sacramento-based nonprofit delivering non-judgmental, public-health-centered services to people affected by drug use. Programs include Medical Case Management, HIV/Hepatitis C testing, Syringe Services, and overdose prevention education. All services are free and confidential.
Mission: To improve the health and well-being of people affected by drug use in Sacramento and surrounding areas — increasing access to health care, empowering people to protect themselves, and reducing harm across the community.
What is Harm Reduction? Harm Reduction is grounded in justice and human rights. It supports positive, practical, and realistic change without judgment or discrimination, on the understanding that a person's right to use substances does not forfeit their human rights. As the Harm Reduction Coalition states: harm reduction is a set of practical strategies aimed at reducing the negative consequences of drug use, built on respect for the rights of people who use drugs.
Position Summary
HRS is seeking a mission-driven, experienced supervisor to lead its Emergency Response & Access (ERA) and Syringe Services Program (SSP) teams and to help grow the organization's medication-assisted treatment (MAT) linkage work over the next several years. The role combines staff supervision, direct participant services, data management, and community relations, based at the fixed-site location in Oak Park.
The Supervisor will oversee Harm Reduction Resource Specialists — most of them hourly, non-exempt employees — and will be responsible both for their day-to-day support and for ensuring the program remains compliant, well-documented, and operationally sound.
Preferred education: Master's degree in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, or Public Health. Candidates with lived experience are strongly encouraged to apply; such experience is treated as equivalent to formal training where relevant.
Schedule: Full-time: Monday-Friday; Hours: 10am-6pm (the hours are non-negotiable). Occasional evenings and weekends required.
Supervisory Responsibilities
The Supervisor Responsibilities outlined below constitute the core function of this role. The organization requires a supervisor who provides sustained, attentive support to staff while maintaining firm, consistent, and well-documented management of a team performing emotionally demanding, client-facing work.
Staff support and scheduling
- Set and manage the SSP/ERA schedule, ensuring adequate floor coverage at all times
- Ensure all non-exempt staff take legally required meal and rest breaks (see Timekeeping & Compliance below) and that breaks are genuinely usable, not merely scheduled on paper
- Cover shifts directly when an ERA Case Manager is out of office
- Hold weekly check-ins with staff, and separately with Directors, to surface issues early
- Support staff facing secondary trauma or burnout and connect them to appropriate resources, while maintaining a clear boundary between wellbeing support and performance management
Timekeeping and wage/hour compliance (California-specific)
- Review and approve timecards for all hourly staff promptly and accurately; timecards must reflect actual hours worked
- Ensure staff clock out for, and are not interrupted during, a 30-minute unpaid meal break for any shift over 5 hours, with a second meal break required for shifts over 10 hours (unless properly waived under California law)
- Ensure staff receive a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked (or major fraction thereof)
- Neither require nor permit off-the-clock work; document and escalate any missed-break or off-the-clock issue immediately, as California imposes premium pay obligations for missed breaks
- Track and approve overtime in advance where possible; California overtime is calculated daily (over 8 hours/day) as well as weekly (over 40 hours/week), and the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek also triggers premium pay
- Maintain accurate, contemporaneous records; verbal understandings are not a substitute for documentation
Performance management and discipline
- Provide clear, written expectations for each role, to be reviewed at onboarding and during check-ins
- Address performance or conduct concerns promptly, directly, and privately; feedback should be specific, tied to observed behavior, and documented in writing
- Apply a consistent, progressive approach (verbal coaching → written documentation → formal written warning → further action) rather than escalating directly to termination, except in cases of serious misconduct
- Document all staff concerns, coaching conversations, and disciplinary steps, and alert Directors as needed
- Apply expectations and consequences consistently across all staff; inconsistency or favoritism undermines trust and creates legal exposure
- Identify training needs, recommend staff for relevant certifications (e.g., HIV Test Counselor certification), and support staff professional development
Hiring and onboarding
- Hire, retain, and support ERA Case Manager(s) in partnership with HR/Directors
- Ensure new hires complete required trainings (HR 101, overdose prevention/naloxone, HIV test counselor certification if not already held) before working independently with participants
Data oversight
- Supervise ERA and SSP staff to ensure data is tracked and entered accurately and on schedule
- Collect and manage data for contract and grant reporting
- Interpret data to identify patterns and trends and translate them into actionable program improvements
- Present data and analytics to staff, the Board, and community partners as needed
- Assist with grant reporting as requested
Direct Service Responsibilities
- Provide syringe exchange and disposal services, risk reduction counseling, and health education to program participants
- Provide education and referrals for alcohol/drug treatment, including detox, MAT (methadone and suboxone), and residential treatment
- Connect participants with community resources, including health care and insurance enrollment, mental health services, food access, and shelter
- Provide Overdose Recognition and Response (naloxone) trainings to community members and program participants
- Perform HIV/HCV/STI testing and counseling
- Participate in community testing and outreach events
- Provide staffing support at the JVMC Free Student-Run Outreach Medical Clinic as needed
- Treat every individual encountered with compassion, dignity, and respect
- Perform regular data entry; stock supplies and educational materials; answer calls and greet visitors
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director
Training Responsibilities
- Complete required trainings, including the CA State Office of AIDS HIV Test Counselor certification (if not already held)
- Provide overdose prevention and HR 101 training to staff and community partners
- Provide HR 101 training to JVMC residents and medical students
Community Relations
- Develop high-quality printed materials for agency programs
- Build and maintain relationships across the Sacramento harm reduction and public health community
Requirements
- 2–4 years of supervisory experience, including working knowledge of California employment law as applied to hourly/non-exempt staff (meal/rest breaks, overtime, timekeeping)
- Experience with syringe access services and linkage to AOD treatment
- Strong communication and problem-solving skills; ability to provide client-centered, non-judgmental services and to work collaboratively with outside providers and coalitions
- Physical ability to use public/private transportation, walk up to 1 mile several times a day, and perform assigned tasks for up to 8 hours/day with appropriate breaks; occasional lifting up to 40 lbs, stair climbing, and light office cleaning
- Computer literacy and strong written English; familiarity with data collection, entry, and analysis systems
- Ability to work directly with people who use drugs and people managing chronic physical or mental health conditions
Preferred / Desirable
- Lived or professional experience with communities significant to this work, including people of color, immigrants, low-income families, people who use drugs, people involved in the criminal justice system, people currently or formerly experiencing homelessness, people with chronic illness, and people who engage in sex work
- Understanding of cultural humility, the historical context of the War on Drugs, and the impact of stigma
- Experience with case management, medical transport, eligibility work, referral development, and client advocacy
- Valid CA driver's license and ability to operate a large vehicle (e.g., an RV)
- Conversational or professional Spanish
- Current HIV Test Counselor certification (CA State Office of AIDS)
Compensation & Benefits
Pay range: $65K-75K annually
Following 90 days of full-time employment, benefits include:
- 18 paid holidays (above the 10–12 typical elsewhere)
- 10 vacation days
- 12 paid sick days
- Fully employer-paid health and dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- 401(k) with matching
- Retirement plan
Equal Opportunity & Fair Chance Hiring
Harm Reduction Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. HRS does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including genetic information), marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, reproductive health decision-making, or status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act; criminal history will not be inquired into until after a conditional offer of employment has been made.
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process should notify HRS.
This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities, or activities required of the position. Duties may change, and new ones may be assigned, at any time with or without notice.
Pay: $65,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
