Training Coordinator

The Training Coordinator develops resources and provides training and technical assistance to BHSB’s Bmore POWER harm reduction outreach team and to other organizations and individuals as required by the funding which supports this role. This includes facilitating trainings and meetings, offering consultations with staff on how to best support people who use drugs, and coordinating logistics of the work. Logistics includes both administrative and programmatic tasks related to the development, planning, scheduling, communications, delivery, evaluation, and reporting of these activities. In addition, this position is required to build strong working relationships with partners across Baltimore City, including BHSB outreach team members, health department staff, people who use drugs, and others. This position reports to the Director of Harm Reduction.

Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use, based on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs.

Harm reduction training at Behavioral Health System Baltimore aims to support Baltimore’s harm reduction workforce in providing optimal services to people who use drugs by offering training and technical assistance to Bmore POWER outreach staff and staff at other organizations that serve people who use drugs, many of whom themselves have living or lived experience with drug use. This position works closely with the Bmore POWER team and other partners to understand the needs of harm reduction outreach programs and of people who use drugs in Baltimore City. The position develops, evaluates, refines, and continues to deliver these resources and training content to the Bmore POWER team. The position focuses on meeting training needs related to performing harm reduction outreach work, including training on the principles of harm reduction, harm reduction interventions, strategies to advance harm reduction approaches in outreach work, and technical skills such as wound care practices, drug checking tools, overdose prevention and response, safer injection, and more.

This position reports to the Director of Harm Reduction and is a full time position working in a hybrid work environment in Baltimore, MD. BHSB will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Training Consultation:

• Provide customized training and support to outreach team members and staff at other organizations, as required.
• Support continued research and implementation of best practices.

Facilitation:

• Facilitate live training sessions in-person and virtually for outreach team members and staff at other organizations, as required.
• Facilitate live in-person and online meetings.

Development:

• Develop training curricula and other resources for in-person and online dissemination to outreach team members at BHSB and staff at other organizations, as required, focused on the following topics related to performing harm reduction outreach work and preparation to engage in formal, licit work at organizations that serve people who use drugs.
• Topics about which training curricula and resources should be developed include, but are not limited to:
  • principles of harm reduction
  • harm reduction interventions
  • strategies to advance harm reduction approaches in outreach work
  • technical skills such as wound care practices, drug checking tools, overdose prevention and response, and safer injection
  • working as part of a team
  • working to achieve shared goals
  • workplace communication kills
  • conflict resolution and de-escalation
  • motivation interviewing
  • trauma-informed care
  • utilizing workplace technologies

Coordination:

• Coordinate logistics for provision of training and training consultation, both in-person and virtual, live or recorded.
• Provide logistical support to outreach team and other organizations’ leadership for training- and training consultation-related activities.

Communication:

• Develop harm reduction training informational and promotional materials.
• Maintain an online presence for BHSB’s harm reduction training work.
• Participate in relevant internal and external meetings and work groups as needed.
• Support networking and communication among outreach team members and outreach team leadership at BHSB and at other organizations.

Collaboration:

• Develop strong working relationships with staff at the Baltimore City Health Department and the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Overdose Response to understand harm reduction outreach team needs and participate in City-wide collaborative efforts to advance evidence-based strategies to address the overdose crisis.
• Work effectively with stakeholders, people who use drugs, outreach team members, and other BHSB colleagues.
• Develop professional relationships with harm reduction professionals in Baltimore, in Maryland, in the mid-Atlantic region, and nationwide.

Other:

• Work effectively and collaboratively with others, both internally and externally to BHSB.
• Foster open and honest dialogue within and across teams and between colleagues who have different backgrounds. Engage in honest dialogue and navigate conflict in day-to-day interactions.   
• Uphold and operationalize the values of BHSB, which are Integrity, Equity, Innovation, Collaboration and Quality.

• Consistently work to engage in open and honest dialogue, including with people from different teams and different backgrounds, and ask for support when needed. 

• Serve as part of BHSB’s disaster response team as needed, in any capacity that is needed. 
• To perform assigned work functions, this position and those it supervises may have access to protected health information (PHI). It is expected that the employee will operate from a place of integrity and assume an ethical obligation to protect the security and confidentiality of all PHI in accordance with BHSB’s policies.
• An offer of employment for this position at BHSB is contingent upon the results of a thorough background check, including criminal history, which will require prior authorization from the candidate.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

• Bachelor’s degree in public health-related discipline (e.g., public health, social work, counseling/psychology, human services, public administration, or allied health field) or an education-related discipline, OR: Three additional years of professional experience based on the “Experience” criteria below may substitute for a bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of two years of experience working in harm reduction (or allied field), capacity- building, training facilitation, advocacy, or prevention-oriented public health programs
• Experience facilitating trainings and/or providing technical assistance
• Direct experience with:
  • Drug use, sex work, homelessness; and/or
  • People who use drugs, sex workers, people experiencing homelessness; and/or
  • Working or living within communities impacted by drug use
• Knowledge of harm reduction as a philosophy and service approach for working with and developing programming to serve people who use drugs
• Proven skill in event planning and coordination
• Proven skill in presentation and teaching
• Proven skill in using current technology (computers, internet, and applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and video conferencing)
• Ability to communicate clearly in writing and orally
• Ability to consistently center harm reduction principles and the voices of people who use drugs
• Ability to prioritize effectively, work independently, manage multiple responsibilities, and meet deadlines
• Ability to interact in a hybrid/virtual environment
• Proficient using current technology (computers, internet, and applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and video conferencing)

BHSB is intentional about advancing a healthy work environment that builds trust, fosters a sense of belonging, promotes learning, and supports leadership opportunities for all. BHSB uses practices that honor the diverse perspectives of all people and cultivate authentic interpersonal interactions based on mutual trust. How BHSB conducts its work internally is directly connected to the organization’s impact externally. The principles that BHSB embraces in its everyday work are flexibility, empowerment, transparency, shared decision making, authentic communication, readily available information, promotion and support of individual growth, individual accountability and collective accountability. 

BHSB values all people and their experiences, including those who have had prior contact with the legal system. We are committed to providing individuals with criminal records, including formerly incarcerated individuals and individuals with arrest or conviction records, a fair chance at employment. 

BHSB also takes steps to proactively prevent and address conflict and discrimination by investing in organizational education to foster the development of an accountable and respectful workplace where all employees are supported and encouraged to do their best work.