Overview: In June 2015, after a series of overdose deaths, the Gloucester Police Department launched the Angel Initiative, which promised that anyone voluntarily walking into the police station to request help would be immediately helped, not arrested, regardless of their city of residence and their insurance status. The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI) was founded that same month as a 501c3 nonprofit organization with the goal to help other law enforcement agencies establish pre-arrest programs that create compassionate and stigma-free entry points to treatment and recovery programs. We provide training and support, seed grants, connections to over 300 treatment centers, a network of PAARI has launched over 250 law enforcement programs in 30 states, distributed 9,000 4mg doses of life-saving nasal naloxone, and helped over 11,000 people into treatment.
PAARI is hiring two Care Advocates & Outreach Workers as PAARI launches an exciting two-year collaboration with the Evelyn Lilly Lutz Foundation. Essex County has been hit particularly hard by the rapidly growing heroin and opioid addiction epidemic with drug overdose deaths rates higher than both state and national averages. The partnership aims to: prevent and reduce opioid overdose deaths in communities in Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals’ catchment area; engage more residents from these communities in effective treatment and recovery from substance
use disorders; improve hospital, police, and community collaborations; and provide and disseminate program models for other initiatives with similar goals.
Ideal candidates for the Care Advocate & Outreach Worker positions will work with PAARI’s law enforcement partners to help individuals with substance use disorders access treatment. The Care Advocate & Outreach Workers will be supervised by and work closely with PAARI’s Executive Director and will work closely with hospital, police, and community partners, as well as individuals with substance use disorders and their loved ones, with the following specific duties:
- Work directly with 2-5 police departments to assist individuals seeking treatment
- Develop effective relationships with all members of police departments and law enforcement agencies
- Provide centralized intake, screening, referrals to treatment, and other crisis intervention services to individuals with substance use disorders and their loved ones
- Co-respond to calls, follow up on reports relating to substance use disorders, and accompany police officers home outreach visits following nonfatal overdoses
- Conduct proactive outreach to identify people in the community who are in need of support services
- Provide case management and coaching to program participants for one year after detox and/or treatment
- Provide quality customer service to all clients, families, providers, partners, funders, etc
- Build relationships with hospitals, treatment centers, and other community stakeholders and agencies
- Attend roll call and provide training as needed or requested, including passive training such as bulletins
- Document work thoroughly and promptly, including all client interactions, and prepare regular reports
- Other duties may be assigned that are similar and/or related to program objectives
Competencies & Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, or other related field or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge and skills for this job
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, both written and verbal
- Experience building relationships with multiple constituencies
- Ability to provide crisis intervention services in a calm and professional manner
- Self-motivated and persistent
- Basic computer, internet, and information and communication technology skills
- Willingness to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends, based on partner needs
- Commitment to PAARI’s mission and comfortable serving as an ambassador of PAARI’s mission
- Individuals personally impacted by the disease of addiction are encouraged to apply
Please submit a resume and cover letter in PDF format to info@paariusa.org with “Care Advocate & Outreach Worker” and your full name in the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis but we encourage candidates to submit materials by July 30, 2017. The compensation package for this full-time position includes health insurance, including dental and vision, two weeks paid vacation, 401k, and an annual salary of $40,000-45,000. This position will be based at police departments in Essex County with regular meetings in Gloucester. No phone calls please
