The Office of Chief Medical Examiner investigates cases of persons who die within New York City from criminal violence, by accident, by suicide, suddenly when in apparent health, when unattended by a physician, in a correctional facility or in any suspicious or unusual manner or where an application is made pursuant to law for a permit to cremate a body of a person.

We exist to provide answers in support of families, victims and community during times of profound need.

The core values of the OCME are to put the mission of the agency first, to be truly dedicated and to have integrity in every aspect of our professional life. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner is building a program to support New Yorkers who have lost a loved one to overdose. The Family Support Team at OCME provide direct outreach to any individuals identified during the death investigation process, including immediate and extended family, friends, roommates, and others who may have witnessed the overdose. This initiative is intended to reach highly vulnerable New Yorkers, as research suggests that individuals who witness overdoses are at higher risk of overdose than the general population. Overdose bereaved individuals are also at higher risk of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and prolonged grief than other bereaved populations. Often times, individuals who have lost a loved one to overdose feel intense feelings of shame and isolation due to the stigma associated with drug use.

The OCME Family Support Team checks in with overdose bereaved New Yorkers multiple times in the weeks and months after their loss, connecting survivors with long- and short-term mental health care, emergency financial support services, harm reduction and substance use treatment, housing support programs, and immigration services. Additionally, the Family Support Team helps families navigate common administrative issues related to the sudden and unexpected passing of a loved one, including benefits transfers and applications, financing of funeral arrangements, retrieval of the decedent’s property, etc. OCME takes a person-centered approach to care: meeting the needs identified by the client as most urgent and important, whether they are material or socioemotional. Whenever possible, any referrals to other agencies or social service providers are done using a warm-handoff approach. The Family Support Coordinators will play an important role in the implementation of this pilot program aimed at supporting the needs of next-of-kin in the aftermath of a fatal overdose and other sudden traumatic loss. This is great position for someone interested in building skills in program evaluation and data analysis or in social services program operations in a forensic context.

Duties will include but are not limited to:

Support the development of a pilot program within OCME aimed at providing the families and friends of overdose victims with support during the weeks and months after the loss of a loved one.
- Review OCME death investigation case details to identify potential clients and any important case details for social worker outreach
- Work collaboratively with other members of the Family Support Team to identify relevant referral options for clients, and follow up with service providers about client requests, applications, etc.
- Support the scheduling, execution, and tracking of attendance for OCME hosted support groups
- Track death certificate finalization for suspected overdose cases when requested by clients
- Support the collection and cleaning of data related to client follow up
- Other duties as assigned

Qualification Requirements
1. High school graduation or equivalent and three years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to duties described above; or
2. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" above.

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills - Attention to detail - Familiarity with Microsoft Excel - An interest in forensics, social work, and/or program operations and evaluation - An interest in working with a dynamic and interdisciplinary group

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.