Medical Assistant - ORCA Center

Schedule:

• Before ORCA Center Opens: Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm; clinical care on DESC’s Opioid Treatment Network team.
• After ORCA Center Opens (anticipated in fall 2025): Three (3) 12-hour shifts with at least two 30-minute lunch break, 7:00 am – 7:30 pm, per week, with some weekends required; and one additional 12-hour shift every 4 weeks.

Supervised by: ORCA RN Supervisor

Insurance Benefits: Medical, Dental, Life, Long-term Disability

Other Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

Union Representation: This position is a part of a union and is represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.

About DESC:

DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization working to help people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and housing. Our vision is a community where no person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing homelessness.

As the region's leading provider of services to adults who have experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 3,000 people each day. Our integrated service model is designed to help people secure and maintain appropriate, safe and affordable housing. DESC is recognized nationally and regionally as an innovator in developing solutions to homelessness.

Come work for us!

The Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) is now recruiting Medical Assistants (MAs) for one of DESC’s newest clinical programs, the Opioid Recovery and Care Access (ORCA) Center. The ORCA Center is estimated to start clinical services in mid-2025 (though the MAs will start once hired) and will be open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, including holidays. It will offer four overlapping types of services:

• Care to individuals in stable condition who have experienced an opioid overdose, brought to the ORCA Center by first responders or transferred from local emergency departments.
• Rapid initiation of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including buprenorphine (sublingual and long-acting injectable) and methadone (under the “72-hour rule”, or Code of Federal regulations Title 21 §1306.07 (b)), for people with OUD, regardless of whether an opioid overdose has recently occurred. 
• Harm reduction counseling and OUD-related physical and behavioral health services, such as hepatitis C testing and treatment and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. 
• Follow-up care, at the ORCA Center or at times field-based, with individuals who have started MOUD to ensure support in MOUD continuation. 

DESC, together with planning partners at the UW Addictions, Drug and Alcohol Institute (ADAI), Seattle Fire Department, King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD) & Public Health, and Evergreen Treatment Services, have been engaged in planning for the ORCA Center. Funding for the ORCA Center has come from the City of Seattle, King County, the state of Washington, and a generous private donor.

JOB DEFINITION:

The Medical Assistant (MA) acts as a member of a multi-disciplinary team responsible for providing medical services to adults who have experienced an opioid overdose and/or those with a diagnosis of Opioid Use Disorder. DESC’s ORCA Center sites provide 24-hour, low-barrier, enhanced supportive services. Here, the MA will assist with in-the-moment, low-threshold medical access to clients who may otherwise not be present at more traditional clinics. Work is done under the supervision of the ORCA Nurse Supervisor, Senior Nurse Manager, Director of Nursing and Medical Director.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform initial history and physical of client; documenting any client identified concerns, vital signs, and mental health status exams/AIMs assessments.
• Reconcile medication and medical records with hospitals, other outpatient mental health clinics, and primary care facilities, including collecting appropriate Release of Information requests (ROIs). Ensure that client spaces and clinical spaces are clean, stocked, and appropriate medical equipment is in working order.
• Perform client assessments on a walk in and as needed basis utilizing clinic protocols and guidance of nursing supervisor.
• Administer pre-dosed oral medication, injections (both anti-psychotic injections and insulin), and wound care within scope of practice and plan of care.
• Coordinate communication between care team, outpatient case management, outpatient nursing care team, and providers regarding client medical needs and condition.
• Assist with medication refills, medication organization, and medication follow up needs as directed by provider and/or registered nurse.
• Complete plan of care documentation as appropriate.
• Participate in verbal de-escalation and physical interventions in emergent situations and be willing and able to assist other staff as needed to maintain a safe and secure environment.
• Build trusting relationships with clients who may be wary and difficult to engage by employing a warm and accepting approach that includes trauma informed care, harm reduction and motivational interviewing.
• Teach clients about safer substance use, overdose prevention and overdose reversal.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Medical Assistant licensed in the State of Washington, ideally 1 year clinic experience in adult medicine, addiction medicine, wound care, internal medicine, and/or infectious disease.
• Experience with phlebotomy.
• Interest or experience in working with people experiencing homelessness, mentally illness and/or substance use disorders.
• Knowledge of psychiatric medications, side effects and methods of administration, or willingness to learn. Interest or experience in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain in traditional mental health programs.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in an acute care setting (e.g., emergency department or overdose prevention center).
• Knowledge and skill in working with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders; with people experiencing homelessness or with a history of homelessness.
• Crisis intervention and stabilization experience.
• Familiarity with Recovery Principles, Crisis Intervention and Stabilization, Integrated Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders, Intensive Case Management, Illness Management, and relevant Evidenced based/Emerging best practices.
• Bilingual in Spanish/English.

Strong applicants can demonstrate the ability to be positive in their empathetic responses to all people; understand the value of meaningful and deep client engagement; and value a non-judgmental response to sensitive issues. Candidates should be able to accept feedback and work in a highly collaborative and sometimes stressful environment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required sit for extended periods of time, communicate with other persons by talking and hearing, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.