Community Health Worker - Emergency Dept (Substance Use Navigation Focus)

Job Description

Align yourself with an organization with a reputation for excellence! Cedars-Sinai was awarded the National Research Corporation's Consumer Choice Award 19 times for providing the highest-quality medical care in Los Angeles. We offer an outstanding benefits package that includes healthcare, a 403(B), and a generous time-off policy. Join us! Discover why U.S. News & World Report has named us one of America's Best Hospitals.

Tell me about this role:

The Community Health Worker (CHW) supports Emergency Department (ED) patients with complex social, behavioral health, and substance use-related needs by providing comprehensive navigation, education, advocacy, and care coordination. This role has a specialized focus on engaging individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), applying harm reduction principles, supporting access to evidence-based treatment, and connecting patients to appropriate levels of care while continuing to address health-related social needs. Working collaboratively with physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers, peer support specialists, behavioral health providers, and community partners, the CHW serves as a trusted liaison between patients, the healthcare team, and community resources. Through relationship-building, motivational engagement, care coordination, and ongoing follow-up, the CHW helps reduce barriers to treatment, improve continuity of care, and support patients in achieving their health goals both during hospitalization and following discharge.

The CHW also provides subject matter expertise in substance use resource navigation, supports workflow development related to SUD services, mentors other CHWs in this area of practice, and helps strengthen partnerships with community treatment providers:

• Engage patients using trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and person-centered approaches to establish trust and promote ongoing engagement in care.
• Conduct assessments of health-related social needs and identify barriers impacting health, recovery, and treatment engagement.
• Develop individualized care plans that address social needs, behavioral health concerns, and substance use-related goals in collaboration with patients and the interdisciplinary care team.
• Provide education on substance use disorders, overdose prevention, harm reduction strategies, recovery resources, and available treatment options using non-stigmatizing, evidence-informed approaches.
• Educate and support patients in understanding medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and other medication-assisted treatment (MAT) options, including helping patients navigate referrals and linkage to prescribing providers.
• Assist patients in exploring the full continuum of substance use treatment options, including outpatient services, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), residential treatment, withdrawal management, recovery housing, peer recovery support, and other community-based recovery resources.
• Facilitate timely referrals and warm handoffs to behavioral health providers, substance use treatment programs, community-based organizations, primary care providers, and specialty services.
• Assist patients in overcoming barriers to treatment by identifying, locating, connecting to, and navigating community resources, including accompanying patients to appointments, assisting with applications, and coordinating transportation when appropriate.
• Conduct proactive follow-up with patients and families to promote successful linkage to treatment, encourage continued engagement, and address barriers to care. Engage in crisis intervention when appropriate.
• Collaborate closely with physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers, behavioral health clinicians, peer support specialists, and other members of the interdisciplinary care team to coordinate patient-centered care.
• Participate in Emergency Department multidisciplinary rounds, case consultations, huddles, and discharge planning activities to identify patients who would benefit from substance use navigation and social care support.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with community treatment providers, harm reduction organizations, behavioral health agencies, recovery support organizations, managed care plans, and other community partners.
• Identify gaps in community resources related to substance use treatment and recovery services and collaborate with leadership to improve access and strengthen referral pathways.
• Participate in community outreach events, health fairs, overdose prevention initiatives, and community engagement activities that promote health equity, harm reduction, recovery support, and resource navigation.
• Support program operations through accurate documentation, data collection, quality improvement activities, program evaluation, and reporting.
• Promote patient satisfaction and reduce stress by providing compassionate support, education, advocacy, and navigation for patients and their families throughout the care continuum.

Qualifications

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required. Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, public health, community health or a related major preferred.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in community health, care navigation, health education, behavioral health, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with individuals experiencing complex social needs, including homelessness, behavioral health conditions, substance use disorders, serious mental illness, or other underserved populations preferred.
• Community Health Worker (CHW) certification and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) certification preferred but not required.
• Experience working in Emergency Department, behavioral health, addiction medicine, or community-based substance use programs preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of substance use disorders, harm reduction principles, motivational interviewing, stages of change, and trauma-informed care.
• Familiarity with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including community treatment resources and referral processes.
• Knowledge of the continuum of substance use treatment services, including withdrawal management, outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient programs, residential treatment, recovery support services, and community recovery resources.
• Ability to effectively engage individuals who may be ambivalent about treatment while respecting patient autonomy and readiness for change.
• Strong understanding of health-related social needs and community resource navigation.
• Ability to analyze problems, develop practical solutions, and advocate effectively for patients across healthcare and community settings.
• Skill in recognizing behavioral health crises or high-risk situations and escalating concerns appropriately.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills with diverse and highly vulnerable populations.
• Ability to work effectively within interdisciplinary clinical teams in fast-paced environments.
• Bilingual skills (Spanish, Russian, Farsi, Korean, American Sign Language, or other languages commonly spoken in the community) strongly preferred.
• Availability to work weekends and evenings.

Skills Sought

• Demonstrated knowledge of substance use disorders, harm reduction principles, motivational interviewing, stages of change, and trauma-informed care.
• Familiarity with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including community treatment resources and referral processes.
• Knowledge of the continuum of substance use treatment services, including withdrawal management, outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient programs, residential treatment, recovery support services, and community recovery resources.
• Ability to effectively engage individuals who may be ambivalent about treatment while respecting patient autonomy and readiness for change.
• Strong understanding of health-related social needs and community resource navigation.
• Ability to analyze problems, develop practical solutions, and advocate effectively for patients across healthcare and community settings.
• Skill in recognizing behavioral health crises or high-risk situations and escalating concerns appropriately.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills with diverse and highly vulnerable populations.
• Ability to work effectively within interdisciplinary clinical teams in fast-paced environments.
• Bilingual skills (Spanish, Russian, Farsi, Korean, American Sign Language, or other languages commonly spoken in the community) strongly preferred.
• Availability to work weekends and evenings.

Why work here?

Beyond outstanding employee benefits (including health, vision, dental and life and insurance) we take pride in hiring the best employees. Our accomplished and compassionate staff reflects the culturally and ethnically diverse community we serve. They are proof of our dedication to creating a dynamic, inclusive environment that fuels innovation.