Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) has an opportunity for a Street Medicine Community Health Worker. Street Medicine Kalamazoo (SMKzoo) provides medical care to unhoused individuals on the streets, in encampments, and shelters where they are temporarily housed. The initiative was started in January 2021 by medical students, resident physicians, and attending physicians from WMed. SMKzoo’s model of care helps overcome systemic barriers by taking medical care directly to the people and establishing a relationship of trust and mutual respect with the unhoused community while training the next generation of highly skilled and compassionate physicians. 

SMKzoo is seeking a Peer Recovery Coach to provide services to unhoused and precariously housed individuals living in Kalamazoo County. The Peer Recovery Coach is a person that is currently certified or certifiable as a recovery coach or peer support specialist in the state of Michigan. The Peer Recovery Coach will work collaboratively with the SMKzoo team to increase access to harm reduction and recovery services amongst individuals experiencing homelessness in Kalamazoo. This individual will additionally assist with advocacy efforts through supporting learner, staff, and faculty education, and development of advocacy initiatives focused on harm reduction, substance use disorder, and trauma-informed care practices. 

• Acts as peer support for patients served by SMKzoo. This involves face-to-face and phone engagement with patients in various settings in which SMKzoo provides care (including traditional care settings – clinics, hospitals, as well as non-traditional ones, encampents, shelters). 
• Supportive of all paths to recovery. 
• Assists patients in linking to community supports and recovery services. 
• Assists patients in setting personal recovery goals. 
• Conducts intakes to understand the patient’s history of drug and/or alcohol use, treatment history, social service and other recovery support needs and motivation to change behavior. 
• Provides education on risk of overdose and ensures that patients and significant others have naloxone and are trained to use it. 
• Works closely with Kalamazoo Harm Reduction (KHR) to connect patients to harm reduction resources. 
• Attends street rounds with medical students, resident physcians, and attending physicians. 
• Helps train rotating learners and staff about harm reduction, substance use disorder, and trauma-informed care practices. 
• Record patient care management information in the EMR and other software no later than 48hours after patient contact. 
• Attend regular staff meetings, training, and other meetings as requested. 
• Availability to work occasional overtime on weekends or evenings to complete time sensitive projects. 
• Acquires knowledge for new technology and policy/procedure revisions. 
• All other duties as assigned. 

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum high school or equivalent degree.
• Engaged in their own recovery with at least two years of personal recovery.
• Experience with street outreach.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS:

• Currently certified or near certification as a peer recovery coach or peer support specialist in Michigan.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Demonstrates interpersonal, negotiation, and problem solving skills. 
• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with community members and outside agencies. 
• Knowledge and proficiency in working with the Electronic Health Record system (Training will be provided). 
• Knowledge and proficiency in word processing and file management using Microsoft Office, Outlook and other software as required by the department. 
• Ability to effectively communicate with others verbally and in writing. 
• Ability to interpret, comprehend, and transmit complicated and detailed instructions accurately. 
• Demonstrates the ability to recognize priorities in organization of work flow. 
• Able to perform duties independently, with a minimal need for direct supervision. 

About Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed)

We are committed to excellence and health equity through transformative medical education, high-quality, patient- and family-entered care, innovative research, and community partnerships within a just culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our vision is health equity for all in Southwest Michigan through innovation in the practice and study of medicine.

The medical school is a collaboration of Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo's two teaching health systems, Ascension Borgess and Bronson Healthcare. The medical school is a private nonprofit corporation supported by private gifts, clinical revenues, research activities, tuition, and endowment income. WMed is the recipient of a $100 million foundational gift and the Empowering Futures Gift, a philanthropic commitment of $300 million to support the mission of the medical school. WMed contributes to the economic vitality of Southwest Michigan through the services we provide as well as the creation of 1,600 new jobs and an annual estimated economic impact of $353 million in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties.

WMed is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the Higher Learning Commission. The medical school offers a comprehensive, innovative four-year Doctor of Medicine degree program and a Master of Science degree program in Biomedical Sciences. We train physicians in 10 residencies and five fellowships accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. To support our educational mission, we have Joint Accreditation for interprofessional continuing education, which incorporates accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

WMed Health is the clinical practice of the medical school with more than 300 providers offering comprehensive primary care and specialty services in several locations throughout the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek areas. Faculty in the Department of Pathology serve as the Office of the Medical Examiner for counties throughout Michigan and northern Indiana.

The W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus located in downtown Kalamazoo serves as the primary educational facility with student study and social spaces, team-based learning halls, faculty and administrative offices, a state-of-the-art Simulation Center accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, basic science research labs, as well as toxicology and forensic pathology labs.

WMed builds upon Kalamazoo’s century-long foundation of drug discovery and medical device development with a strategic investment in clinical, laboratory, community, and educational research. The Center for Immunobiology, Center for Clinical Research, Research Histology Lab, Innovation Center, and Human Research Protection Program contribute to the medical school’s advancement of knowledge through innovation and discovery. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer in compliance with applicable State and Federal law.