Harm Reduction Clinical Toxicologist (Healthcare)

Equal Opportunity Employer

The mission of the Health Federation of Philadelphia is to promote health equity for marginalized communities by advancing access to high-quality, integrated, and comprehensive health and human services.  Health equity is at the heart of all our work. We believe in and are firmly committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion, disability, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status.  This commitment applies to all aspects of the Health Federation of Philadelphia's employment practices, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promotion.

SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION AND HARM REDUCITION DIVISION OVERVIEW 

Many cities have been impacted by the overdose crisis, but Philadelphia has been hit especially hard. The City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health has responded by creating the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction (SUPHR), a team focused on improving the health and well-being of people who use drugs in Philadelphia.  SUPHR has 10 teams: Bereavement (Philly HEALs), Communications, Community Engagement, Environmental Services, Epidemiology, Harm Reduction, Medical, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Philly LIFTS), Operations, and Overdose Fatality Review (OD Stat). The team's mission is to prevent overdoses and other health issues by offering services and shaping policies to promote the dignity, autonomy, and health of people who use drugs. To name just a few things, SUPHR offers overdose prevention trainings, support to families with babies born with NAS, and same day pay program focused on creating job opportunities while cleaning communities. Since so many Philadelphians have been touched by the overdose crisis, SUPHR also provides counseling to children and adults who have lost someone in their life to an overdose.

Behind the scenes, SUPHR works with other City agencies, hospitals, and community groups to ensure that everyone is working together to combat stigma and encourage harm reduction efforts. SUPHR recognizes that many communities have been dealing with substance use for a long time, and SUPHR is invested in giving communities the tools they need to keep people who use drugs, their loved ones, and the larger community healthy and safe. 

JOB SUMMARY

This is a part-time Harm Reduction Clinical Toxicologist position to support SUPHR's drug checking program. This position will provide guidance and support to SUPHR's Medical Program in the interpretation of drug checking data, and the dissemination of information related to substances detected in drug checking surveillance. This position will work directly with the SUPHR's Medical Director and Field Epidemiologist, and collaboratively with SUPHR's drug checking partner – the Center for Forensic Science, Research and Education (CFSRE). The Harm Reduction Clinical Toxicologist will review public health communications, such as Health Alerts and community notifications, regarding the detection of novel substances in drug checking surveillance. In this role, the Harm Reduction Clinical Toxicologist may also advise the Medical Program on approaches to enhance drug checking surveillance.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

               Responsibilities/Duties

• Review drug checking surveillance data on a minimum of a biweekly basis.
• Identify substances of concern identified in drug checking surveillance data.
• Provide expertise in the clinical implication of using substances detected in drug checking surveillance.
• Meet virtually with the SUPHR Medical Program and CFSRE on a biweekly basis.
• Provide recommendations for enhancing drug checking surveillance.
• Review, revise and provide feedback on alerts and communications regarding substances detected in drug checking surveillance.

Education

• Three years of post-doctoral experience in the field of toxicology or pharmacology, which includes two years of consultative experience in toxicology
• Doctoral degree in toxicology or a closely related field.

Skills/Experience

• This position requires board certification in general toxicology by the American Board of Toxicology or an equivalent international certifying body within eighteen months of hire.
• Experience in the clinical management of individuals who ingest toxic substances.
• Knowledge and experience in pharmacology
• Knowledge of harm reduction principals and application of harm reduction principals in clinical settings.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills.
• Skilled in Microsoft Word, Power Point, and Excel.
• Able to use video conferencing platforms.
• Able to exhibit professional and effective interpersonal skills in communicating and coordinating with internal professional staff and external affiliates

Work Environment:

• This is a hybrid that requires availability for in person meetings up for up to 4 hours a month
• The individuals must be able to respond to emails in a timely manner and be available for virtual meetings as needed.

Position Type and Work Schedule:

• Part-time
• Biweekly 1 hours meetings with SUPHR and CFSRE
• Maximum of 20 hours per month

Travel:  Not required

Physical Demands:  This job may require moderate physical effort including lifting materials and equipment of less than 50 pounds.

Salary and Benefits:  Yearly salary is $17,894.52.  This position is not eligible for benefits.

DISCLAIMER

The Health Federation reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the Company desires. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an employee assigned to this position. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, responsibilities and/or skills to be performed by the employee occupying this position. This job description is not an employment contract, implied, or otherwise. The employment relationship remains “at will.” The aforementioned job requirements are subject to change to reasonably accommodate qualified disabled individuals.