Patient Navigator, Emotional Wellness

Washington, DC | On-Site | $25.96 - $26.92 per hour | Washington Post Top Workplace (8x Winner)    

Community of Hope is seeking an Patient Navigator, Emotional Wellness to provide individualized support and guidance for patients as they navigate the various aspects of the healthcare system, ensuring they are well-informed and able to receive mental health medications and supplies in a timely basis through a multi-disciplinary approach.  This position is located at our Family Health & Birth Center in NE, Washington, DC.

Our Approach and Values 

We celebrate people’s strengths and acknowledge the impact of trauma on people’s lives.   

We embrace diversity, welcome all voices, and treat everyone with respect and compassion. 

We lead and advocate for changes to make systems more equitable. 

We strive for excellence and value integrity in all that we do. 

What You'll Do

• Guides patients through various aspects of the healthcare system, ensuring they are well-informed and receive quality care with an emphasis on reducing barriers to receiving emotional wellness medications.
• In conjunction with primary care and emotional wellness providers, coordinates refills and prior authorizations for medications for COH participants. 
• Works with pharmacies’ staff to stay up to date on forms,  authorizations required for common insurance programs, and onsite medication delivery options for COH patients   Shares this knowledge with COH clinical staff as needed. 
• Collaborates with the emotional wellness team to stay in compliance with the latest COH guidelines and workflows related to requirements for initiation and continuation of EW medications and injectables. 
• Coordinates with nursing teams to ensure all pre-appointment requirements (provider visits, medication on-site, and updated participant lists) are met prior to injection and lab appointments. 
• Monitors program participant appointment attendance, adheres to protocols for rescheduling no-shows and cancellations in collaboration with EW admin staff.  Coordinates with providers to ensure seamless treatment follow up.  
• Investigates patient assistance programs and facilitates applications, including supporting documentation, for submission to identified programs; engages in regular follow-up to ensure smooth processing of documents.  Tracks insurance coverage for common medications and injectables and supports patients in completing prior-authorizations and patient assistance applications as needed.
• Assists as a liaison between the patient and their families, provider, clinical staff and other health care professionals following COH protocols and scope of practice. 
• Documents all patient interactions and billable services in eCW or other systems per policies and protocols. Patient Navigator activities must be documented at a minimum the same day they are performed.  
• Performs other duties as requested by supervisor. 

Must-Haves

• High school diploma, G.E.D, or equivalent experience required. 
• At least two years’ work experience 
• Prior experience working with community resources and social services in D.C. 
• Ability to travel between COH sites or relocate to a different COH site on a full- or part-time basis required. 
• Ability to approach patient support with a social determinants of health lens understanding the impact medical, social, and environmental disparities have on patient health self-management; ability to support patient needs with empathetic cultural awareness.  
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism. 
• Computer skills and proficiency in the use of electronic medical record and organizational communication software (Microsoft Suite) required. 
• Proven ability to work effectively in team environment. 
• Proof of required vaccinations is required.  This includes, but may not be limited to, Flu. COH will consider requests for reasonable accommodations for anyone who cannot be vaccinated for a religious or medical reason, subject to applicable law. 

Nice-to-Haves

• Bachelor’s degree. 
• Prior experience in public health or human services and/or community clinic or similar role.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish, English/French or English/Amharic). 
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to show empathy, and ability to interact professionally and gain trust within a culturally diverse environment. 

Why You'll Love Working Here! At COH, we prioritize the following well-being and work-life balance-centered benefits:

• 8 x Washington Post 150 Top Workplaces winner.
• 8-hour workdays with paid lunch.
• 3 weeks vacation (additional week after two years), 2 weeks sick leave, + 11.5 paid holidays and one personal floating holiday on an annual basis.
• Annual performance-based raises, up to 5% of your annual pay.
• Tuition reimbursement & loan repayment (NHSC & DCHPLRP), Licensing reimbursement & CEU funding.
• Medical, dental, vision, life & disability insurance + 403(b) retirement.
• Leadership development, internal promotions and career growth opportunities.
• A culture grounded in equity, compassion, and well-being.

About Us

Community of Hope is a mission-driven, innovative, rapidly growing nonprofit, and Federally Qualified Health Center. For over 45 years, we have provided health and housing services, perinatal care coordination, and community support services to make Washington, DC more equitable. Community of Hope also strongly emphasizes maternal and child health, with midwifery practice and the only free-standing birth center in DC. We are honored to be one of DC’s largest providers of housing and homelessness prevention services for families and individuals throughout DC. Through our Family Success Center, our WIC nutrition centers, and our various partnerships, we have reached hundreds and believe that everyone in DC deserves to be healthy, housed, and hopeful. With the help of our amazing staff, we have successfully provided:

• 50,000+ medical visits
• 6,300+ dental visits
• 17,000+ emotional wellness visits
• 1,384 families and 220 individuals with housing/homelessness prevention services

Ready to bring hope and health to our DC community? Apply today! To request a reasonable accommodation to complete an employment application or for general questions about employment with Community of Hope, contact a Recruiting Coordinator. Email: hr@cohdc.org Phone: 202-407-7747. Community of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.