Apply online at http://mercy.ttcportals.com keyword: AmeriCorps
“When the next generation asks ‘What did you do when the biggest drug epidemic hit this country?’ we want to be able say – and I think we will be able to say now – that we did something that no one had ever seen before.”
- Dr. Navdeep S. Kang, Mercy Health Behavioral Health Institute Director of Operations and Obama Foundation Fellow
In 2017, Ohio led the nation in opiate abuse. Mercy Health has committed to lead the charge to change that statistic. Through a new partnership with AmeriCorps, a national service organization, Mercy Health is building Mercy Serves, a diverse, energetic, volunteer corps working in Emergency Departments across the state of Ohio. As a part of the broader opioid epidemic response, navigators provide education, treatment placement, and emotional support to Emergency Department patients with substance abuse disorders. Navigators work alongside nurses, providers, and addiction counselors to ensure that any patient who is ready for treatment receives the necessary resources.
Service Activities
The Mercy Serves Addiction Navigator will:
-Provide patient education and treatment access for Emergency Department patients utilizing the SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) model
-Follow up with patients to continue providing support and treatment access after discharge
-Maintain internal and external contacts including community based organizations to help support diverse patient needs
-Represent the service-oriented aspects of the Mercy Health ministry, Community Impact team, and Mercy Serves AmeriCorps program
-Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings that support patient needs
-Participate in individual and group learning opportunities that contribute to personal development as well as the growth of the Mercy Serves program
-Collect data and maintain appropriate databases necessary for reporting and compliance activities and provide pertinent reporting as needed
-Other duties as assigned (possibly including, for example, SBIRT clinical activities, specialized projects based on site needs, community outreach activities)
Community Need Addressed
Mercy Health seeks to make a meaningful, positive impact on the opiate crisis in Ohio. For many struggling with substance abuse, it can seem impossible to understand and access treatment options. Through our new partnership with AmeriCorps, Mercy Serves, we are able to navigate the continuum of care for patients ready to seek treatment.
This unique program allows members to serve directly in an Emergency Department, working alongside nurses and providers to provide the highest quality care for patients with substance abuse disorders. Mercy Serves members identify and address barriers to treatment, work with the patient to find treatment options, and provide emotional support to patients.
Position Outcomes
Mercy Serves corps members will assist the wider Mercy Health efforts by ensuring over 10,000 emergency department patients across the state receive SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) screening for mood and substance abuse disorders. They will help any patient amenable to treatment receive the care that best suits them, whether it be inpatient detox or community support groups. This program will help build healthcare leaders of the future by providing corps members with extensive professional development opportunities within Ohio's largest healthcare system.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
-Extensive professional development tracks, including but not limited to, a year long leadership development program, professional shadowing with a variety of healthcare professionals, civic engagement and social justice training, conferences, and retreats
-Unique access to one of the largest non-profit healthcare systems in the country, from working with front line staff on patient care to collaborating with hospital leadership on special projects
-LifeMatters and Be Well Within assistance programs for emotional, financial, and physical well being
-BLS Certification
-Healthcare and childcare benefits
-Student loan forbearance
-Modest living stipend
Education Benefits
Credential or Certification
BLS (Basic Life Support)
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Drive decision making
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment