Nurse Practitioner - Primary Care

Full Job Description

The Hennepin County Behavioral Health area is seeking a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner to provide walk in medical care at the Behavioral Health Center, located at 1800 Chicago Avenue. In this role you will provide immediate, low barrier, primary care services, with a strong focus on Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) for adults accessing same day behavioral health support. This position is ideal for a provider committed to trauma-informed and harm-reduction care.

Candidates who are interested in the National Health Service Corps should know that the Mental Health Center is designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Health care providers that help underserved communities are eligible for scholarship and loan repayment programs. Learn more about the NHSC Loan Repayment Program.

Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus. For more information visit employee referral program.

Find us here at upcoming career fairs!

Location and hours:
This onsite position is located at the Behavioral Health Center at 1800 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404. A typical 8-hour workday is between the hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. No weekend, overnight, or holiday shifts are required. New Employee Orientation (NEO) for all new benefit-earning employees is in-person in downtown Minneapolis. Details about NEO will be provided upon hire.

About this position type:
This is a full-time, benefit earning position.
This position is internally classified as a Nurse Practitioner.
Click here to view the job classification specification.

In this position you will:

• Provide low-barrier, walk-in primary care for adults seeking same-day behavioral health support.
• Conduct comprehensive medical assessments that evaluate acute conditions, chronic health needs, and substance use treatment needs.
• Initiate, prescribe, and manage Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), including buprenorphine.
• Treat acute medical conditions and manage chronic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma/COPD, chronic pain, and other long-term health ailments.
• Deliver routine and placement-required physicals, including intensive residential treatment services (IRTS) physicals and other residential placement evaluations.
• Perform TB screenings and complete required medical documentation for placements.
• Conduct routine physicals for individuals with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) and Serious Mental Illness (SMI), or those in mental health crisis impacting health or functional capacity.
• Provide immediate medical care for individuals who may be transient, unhoused, uninsured, or disconnected from traditional healthcare systems.
• Use trauma-informed and harm-reduction approaches to support clients with co-occurring medical, mental health, and substance use needs.
• Monitor clients’ ongoing health status, treatment progress, and follow-up needs.
• Coordinate care with psychiatry, therapy, nursing, substance use providers, case management, and Peer Recovery Specialists.
• Provide referrals and warm handoffs to internal and external medical and behavioral health partners.
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings and contribute to equity-focused quality improvement efforts.
• Maintain timely, accurate documentation in the electronic health record.
• Support inclusive, culturally responsive care, including clients needing women’s health or gender-affirming care.

Need to have:

• One of the following:
  • Possession of a valid license as a Registered Nurse issued by the State of Minnesota and National Certification as a Nurse Practitioner (CNP).
  • Possession of a valid license as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse issued by the State of Minnesota.
• Certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) or Certification as an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP).

• Certification to prescribe MAT/MOUD, or eligible for certification within six months of employment.

Nice to have:

• Experience:
  • Providing primary care in behavioral health, community health, or low-barrier settings.
  • Providing MAT/MOUD and harm-reduction approaches.
  • Managing care for chronic health conditions, including diabetes care.
  • Serving individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
  • Providing care for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
  • Working with diverse populations.
  • Working with Epic or another similar electronic health record system.
• Ability to:
  • Build rapport quickly in walk in environments.
  • Provide compassionate, non-judgmental provision of care.
  • Establish strong collaborative working relationships with clients, families, and other service providers.
  • Demonstrate sensitivity to the needs and issues of diverse and disenfranchised persons and families.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care and other clinical best practices.

Candidates with fluency in another language in addition to English, especially Hmong, Somali, and Spanish, are encouraged to apply. Bilingual candidates who pass a language assessment may qualify for additional bilingual pay and duties.


About the Mental Health Center, the Behavioral Health Center, and the CCBHC Model:
The Mental Health Center (MHC) is a state-licensed outpatient clinic providing comprehensive behavioral health services to adults with serious mental illness, co-occurring substance use disorders, and complex social needs. The MHC also serves children, youth, and families, including those involved with Child Protection and Juvenile Justice. As part of Hennepin County’s transition to the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model, the MHC is expanding its service menu, strengthening care coordination, and enhancing access to integrated, equitable, person-centered care.

The 1800 Chicago Behavioral Health Center (BHC) is a key part of this system, providing low-barrier, walk-in behavioral health and substance use services for adults experiencing acute needs, social instability, co-occurring disorders, and limited access to traditional healthcare.

Operating within the same CCBHC framework, the 1800 Chicago site integrates primary care, mental health, substance use treatment, peer services, and care coordination in one location to reduce barriers and improve outcomes.

MHC and BHC form a connected, expanding, CCBHC-aligned system dedicated to delivering accessible, coordinated, trauma-informed services to Hennepin County residents with the greatest needs.

This position may have access to systems or other documentation that contains HIPAA data.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Kristin Checco
kristin.checco@hennepin.us