SCI Navigator

Full-time

West Orange, NJ

Salary range: $85,000 - $89,000

Work in collaboration with members of the rehabilitation care team to provide patient-centered support and resources to newly injured individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) (i.e., “clients”) and their family members (i.e., “caregivers”)—ensuring they receive the necessary support, resources, and education to promote their functional independence, health and well-being while living at home/in the community. (to learn more about the program: Kessler Foundation SCI Navigator Program | Kessler Foundation)

Responsibilities include

• Serve as an advocate and the primary point of contact for clients and caregivers, providing patient-centered support and guidance throughout their rehabilitative healthcare experience, to enable them to achieve optimal levels of independence post-discharge.
• Conduct comprehensive needs assessments to understand the barriers experienced by clients and caregivers to inform the development of individualized goals and navigation plans.
• Coordinate appointments, referrals, and follow-up communications to ensure continuity of care. When necessary, accompany clients and caregivers to appointments, providing support and ensuring effective communication.
• Help translate medical information to ensure that clients and caregivers understand the medical information, functional status, treatment plans, medication, and therapy instructions.
• Educate clients and caregivers about adjusting to life with paralysis (e.g., secondary health conditions) and available resources, empowering them to make informed decisions.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary rehabilitation providers, specialists, community partners, and external agencies, including University Hospital and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.
• Counsel clients and caregivers on adjustment to injury and psychosocial aspects associated with disability across the lifespan.
• Monitor/track clients’ and caregivers’ progress, outcomes, and evolving needs.; use REDCap database to document encounters.
• Conduct home visits and assessments to enhance safety, improve accessibility, increase independence, and reduce caregiver burden.
• Advocate for clients and caregivers to ensure access to appropriate care and resources, such as transportation services, meal programs, and peer/caregiver support groups.
• Engage in community outreach to build relationships with partner agencies.
• Contribute to SCI Navigator program planning, evaluation, and development; assist the team with reviewing and refining translated documents.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in nursing, social work, physical/occupational therapy, or related discipline.
• At least two years of experience working with individuals with SCI in rehabilitation, hospital, family support, case management, and/or community services.
• Fluency in both English and Spanish; fully bilingual.
• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
• Solid understanding of discharge planning, healthcare systems, health insurance processes, and community resources.
• Ability to work primarily onsite, with valid driver's license and access to a vehicle for travel across office, clinical, and home-based community settings.
• Proficiency in MS office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal), with the ability to build rapport with patients and their families.
• Ability to work both independently and interdependently.

Apply

Forward your résumé (MS Word or PDF), salary requirements, and cover letter to [email protected]. Please indicate the position(s) for which you are applying in the subject line.