Safety Navigator - SOMA Rise

Job Overview

This is a union position.
 

SoMa RISE is an innovative program that will provide low barrier services to people who use drugs in and around the SoMa/Tenderloin area with a particular focus on individuals who are marginally housed/experiencing homelessness. We are recruiting compassionate staff who are familiar with harm reduction and who are able to provide non-judgmental supportive service to individuals who are using drugs. The program is one of the first of its kind in the USA, and is part of the Mental Health SF initiative.

HR360 will be operating our SOMA RISE site in a manner that treats all participants with compassion dignity and respect; are staffed with EMTs, a wellness team including health workers, and site support staff.

The program will operate a 24-hour, welcoming, compassionate, trauma-informed, culturally attuned, and user-responsive space that focuses on the principles of harm reduction. Alongside providing a safe, comfortable space for clients, our emphasis is on supporting people at increased risk of substance use-related high-risk behaviors and trauma, homelessness, and death due to overdose. Priority will be given to clients’ safety, and all staff will be trained in OD Prevention, Recognition, Response and Narcan Administration. By recognizing the dignity and humanity of all participants, HR360 aspires:

To reduce barriers for people who use drugs to access a non-judgmental and participant-centered SOMA RISE Program opportunity to support clients addressing the inter-related harms of homelessness, substance use, and trauma;

To provide radical hospitality and support to marginalized populations in a welcoming, optimally safe, compassionate, trauma-informed, culturally attuned, and user-responsive space that focuses on the principles of harm reduction;

To help address and reduce the harmful impacts of substance-related harms in the immediate and surrounding neighborhood, by providing an appropriate space for individuals who are experiencing substance use related crisis/disfunction, including reducing deaths due to overdose and promoting restorative approaches to conflict;

To create a stigma-free zone for SOMA RISE services that will elicit and incorporate the needs and preferences of persons who use drugs in San Francisco into the program’s mission, policies, practices, and development;

To continuously monitor the successes and challenges of the Program so as to learn how to improve the service delivery of this community-based model;

And to collaborate with the community partners, including community-based harm reduction, treatment, and wellness resources to create more sustainable links to resources for individuals during and after their SoMa RISE stay.

Safety Navigator in Harm Reduction Services at HR360 SOMA RISE Program is responsible for directing program flow, ensuring adherence to COVID safety protocols, greeting people at the program entrance, monitoring both who enters and exits as well as program milieu, and ensuring and maintaining a safe environment for all program participants, staff, and visitors. Safety Monitor will utilize non-violent de-escalation strategies to address crisis situations and behavioral issues and ensure that the program space is safe and secure. The Safety Monitor will supervise the entrance, check participants in along with Health Worker program staff when coming and going, check visitors in and direct them to a supervisor on duty.  As a part of a collaborative team, along with EMTs and supervisors, and Health Workers, Safety Monitor will ensure participant safety and comfort while they use program service, supporting them in adhering to the participant guidelines of the program.  The team works to engage participants in health resources, however great or small. Safety Monitor will model and demonstrate healthy COVID-19 transmission prevention behaviors, wearing appropriate PPE and practicing physical distancing, while they observe and monitor participants, and support them in meeting their needs in accordance with the program. May be required to work nights and weekends.

Key Responsibilities

Direct Service Responsibilities: Treat program participants with respect and dignity, interacting with them in a caring, non-judgmental manner, utilizing harm reduction and trauma-informed care principles; Maintains supervision of program entrance to welcome in participants or visitors; Ensures and maintains a COVID safe and orderly environment for participants, staff, and visitors; Directs and deflects foot traffic; Verbally de-escalates tense, high pressure, and emotionally charged situations; Contacts emergency services as needed; Fosters a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment adhering to SOMA RISE Guidelines. Maintains positive, respectful, non- confrontational behaviors at all times, even when observing, receiving, or de-escalating disrespectful or disorderly behaviors; Make regular rounds to monitor program entrances, exits, offices, common areas, and perimeter and ensuring clients safety. Ensure a welcoming environment by clearing areas of crowds, debris, and out-of-place items; Engage participants in compassionate ways to build motivation toward health initiatives in their own lives; Respond to crises (e.g. conflict) and overdose with crisis de-escalation interventions and Narcan; Attend to program milieu to help maintain safe space for participants (and their pets); Work as active team member along with nurses, other health workers, janitors, safety monitors, drivers, and supervisors to maintain safety, calm tone, and cleanliness of program; Support staff who Chaperone “fresh air breaks”. “Smoking breaks”, on-site food service, and other onsite services. May be required to work nights and weekends.

Administrative/Compliance Responsibilities: Complete observation logs, document rounds and observations of the milieu, and every 30 minutes for those sleeping; Attending internal program staff meetings and administrative supervision including regular shift meetings and various ad hoc meetings; Along with Team, taking ownership to ensure the overall quality of customer and health services at program.

Training Responsibilities: Participate in ongoing trainings on radical hospitality, harm reduction, OD Prevention/Narcan Administration, anti-stigma, crisis response and de-escalation. Basic drug knowledge, customer service, trauma-informed service provision, team-based care, and other related topics.

And other duties as assigned.

Education and Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Education and Experience:

• We value Lived experience of homelessness, illicit drug and alcohol use.
  
• Experience working with people who use drugs and people experiencing homelessness Proficiency with harm reduction, restorative justice and trauma-informed care.
  
• Bilingual in SF threshold languages (preferred).
  
• First Aid Certified within 30 days of employment.
  
• CPR Certified within 30 days of employment.
• Knowledge Awareness and sensitivity to diverse and marginalized populations.
• Ability to speak candidly and knowledgeably about drug use.
• Ability to implement de-escalation techniques, follow safely protocols, and use sound judgment in making independent decisions.
  
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and sometimes chaotic environment with people who can be high, who may have untreated mental and/or physical health challenges.
  
• Background Clearance Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
  

Skills and Abilities Required:

• Professionalism, compassion, flexibility and reliability are imperative.
  
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills Integrity to handle sensitive information in a confidential manner.
• Action oriented.
  
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organization skills and ability to multitask and juggle multiple priorities.
• Outstanding ability to follow-through with tasks.
• Ability to work cooperatively and effectively as part of interdisciplinary team and independently assume responsibility.
• Strong initiative and enthusiasm and willingness to pitch-in whenever needed.