Patient and Family Navigator

The Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP) is a statewide initiative that increases access and improves mental, behavioral and emotional health and development by providing education, consultation, and care navigation to medical providers of infants, children, adolescents, young adults, and pregnant & postpartum people. VMAP is designed to increase capacity for medical providers to treat and respond to common pediatric mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other neurobehavioral conditions including autism. VMAP consists of five regional hubs, a statewide early childhood hub, and a statewide Moms+ hub. Each hub provides localized mental health consultations and care navigation for primary care providers treating patients ages 0-21 as well as pregnant and postpartum parents.

VMAP is seeking a Care Navigator with expertise in early childhood and developmental disability resources and needs for patients in the 0-5 age range. The early childhood care navigator will work closely with VMAP’s early childhood consulting physicians and Licensed Mental Health Professional to provide resource support to PCPs and their patients.

The early childhood care navigator will work closely with the early childhood LMHP to provide call line support. They will work with the LMHP and physician consultants to identify appropriate resources for families. VMAP’s care navigators provide direct family support for youth identified with mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) health diagnoses who need additional services outside of primary care, including referral to and engagement with external MEB health services. This early childhood care navigator will be part of a team that services the entire state and will be considered a specialist in early childhood and developmental disability resources, collaborating with and providing support to VMAP’s existing regional navigators when needed as well.

Responsibilities

The care navigator will work collaboratively with the VMAP Western regional hub team to perform the following responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain relationships with intake coordinators in Virginia’s Ready Regions as well as other programs and organizations serving children under the age of 5.
• Participate regularly in community-based meetings to stay current on new and evolving resources for children ages 0-5.
• Research and maintain accurate and up to date lists of local mental health and developmental resources and their availability, including mental health providers, family support services, community resources, peer support programs, and Children Services Act (CSA) related programs in the VMAP database. Each resource should be verified at least annually; availability of resources may vary by region.
• Provide early childhood care navigation for entire VMAP program and support regional care navigators on early childhood cases when required.
• Answer VMAP PCP calls/emails during normal business hours and direct to appropriate resources.
  • Respond to PCP requests with appropriate regional resources within two business days, including practice information such as participation with insurance and wait time for appointments.
  • When possible, work directly with families to help facilitate and coordinate referrals to needed services.
• Provide follow-up calls to referred families within designated timeframes in order to ensure continuity of care.
  • This may include warm handoffs to appropriate service coordination, parent education, and psychosocial support.
• Provide feedback as requested to PCPs on status of family engagement and services.
• Record and log information from daily calls into VMAP database.
• Conduct post-navigation surveys to gather data from PCPs and families regarding satisfaction of process.
• Adhere to HIPAA privacy policies and hospital/health center regulations.
• Will report to the VMAP early childhood Licensed Mental Health Professional and the VMAP Call Line Manager.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required. Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Experience: 3 years relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human services field preferred.
• Extensive knowledge of Virginia’s early childhood resources and referrals.
• Peer support provider experience and/or certification preferred.
• Proficient writing skills and ability to thoroughly document work on an ongoing basis.
• Proficient in Word, Excel, data entry, and editing.
• Native or bilingual proficiency in English preferred; Spanish fluency highly preferred.
• Willingness to complete Medical Spanish Language Fluency Certification within a year of hire and take Medical Fluency Exam(can be supported by UVA tuition benefit)
• Lived experience navigating healthcare systems, developmental services, and/or mental health services strongly preferred.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks and respond promptly to requests. They will possess proficient writing abilities to document work thoroughly, along with excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage effectively with a diverse range of providers, agencies, and families. Exceptional customer service, particularly in phone interactions, willingness to learn and flexibility are also essential to this role.

Physical Demands 

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Anticipated Starting Salary is $53,506 annually, commensurate with education and experience.

Position Type & Work Location 

• This is an Exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits. 

• This is a restricted position, which is dependent on funding and is contingent upon funding availability. 

• The position requires a combination of remote and in-person work. Candidates should be able to easily travel on-site to UVA Children’s Hospital at least once a quarter. Occasional overnight travel is required to attend VMAP statewide events. Candidates must have access to a private working remote space, secure internet connection and cell service during work hours. 

To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA.

Application Review will begin after May 28th. Preference will be given to applications received by this date.

Additional Requirements  

• Background checks, pre-employment health screenings, and drug screening will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment. 

• This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

How to Apply

Please apply online, by searching for requisition number R0083371. Complete an application with the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter - must include your interest in the position and how your relevant experience pertains to this position.

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Internal applicants may search and apply for jobs on the UVA Internal Careers website.

Reference checks will be completed by UVA’s third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required. 

Contact

For questions about the application process, please contact Michele Jarmay at [email protected].

For questions about the position, please contact Mary Beth Murray at [email protected].

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.