Harm Reduction Outreach Specialist

Job Summary:

The Division of Infectious Diseases at UW-Madison, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Communicable Diseases Harm Reduction Section (CDHRS), seeks a candidate to join a team that will provide mobile harm reduction outreach services in rural Wisconsin communities. This position is responsible for providing an array of mobile-based harm reduction services including intakes and ongoing assessments to people living with and at risk for hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), and HIV and other communicable infections (e.g., STI, COVID-19,). The incumbent will provide outreach, intervention, and prevention services to participants that include: HCV and HIV testing, syringe services, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) screenings and assessments, and overdose prevention outreach and education. These mobile services are provided utilizing a team approach and are targeted to rural participants where access to service is limited and health disparities are great. Services are targeted to communities that have high need: active substance users, people who inject drugs (PWIDs), people living with HIV or HCV, sex workers, and other high-risk populations.

Duties include:

Support syringe services and harm reduction services in accordance with state, local and agency guidelines:
* Distribute safer injection supplies
* Provide HCV, HIV, STI prevention education to participants
* Provide overdose education and buprenorphine education to participants
* Conduct overdose prevention training to participants

Conduct a range of support and outreach activities to vulnerable populations:
* Conduct individual low threshold interventions (LT) with high-risk clients that use harm and risk reduction interventions and principles to decrease risk in drug use, decrease risk in sexual practice and encourage HCV, HIV and STI testing.
* Conduct intakes and assessments and develop service plans in collaboration with the participant. These trainings will help participants recognize and respond to opioid overdoses.
* Provide rapid HCV, HIV and Syphilis tests, including pre-and post-test counseling; make referrals and linkages to appropriate as needed.
* Conduct individual overdose prevention trainings with program participants.
* Conduct outreach to engage clients into services
* Conduct outreach activities to community members foster strong community relations and support for program activities in the communities serviced by the programs.

Other Responsibilities:
* Develop behavioral health referral resources in the service area
* Maintain project paperwork
* Conduct supply inventories
* Attend trainings and project meetings

Responsibilities:

Delivers and assists with planning outreach program activities, strengthens partnerships, ensures adherence to policy, and assists with program administration to promote stable and productive relationships between the university and local community. Strives to expand and ensure access to programs, facilities, and educational services to diverse audiences. May assist with tracking and managing the outreach program budget.

• 10% Identifies, promotes, and maintains external partnerships to support the outreach program
• 10% Schedules and secures resources and communicates logistics in support of an outreach program
• 60% Delivers outreach program content and materials to community members
• 5% Researches, develops, and facilitates outreach program content and materials
• 5% Develops and evaluates curriculum and programs and provides recommendations for improvement
• 5% May assist with the monitoring of outreach program budget spending
• 5% Leads the implementation of programs, policies, and procedures through oversight of day-to-day activities for program staff and student and community volunteers

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Education:

Preferred
Bachelor's Degree
Specialization in Social Work, Public Health, or related field, is preferred.

Qualifications:

At least one year of work w