Milieu Counselor - Adolescent Psychiatry, 32 Hrs/wk, D/E at Cambridge Health Alliance – Somerville, Massachusetts

Location: CHA Somerville Campus
Work Days: 8 hour shifts, w/ E/O wknd rotation and holidays as assigned
Category: Human and Social Services
Department: 5 West Adolescent Psychiatry
Job Type: Part-time, 32 Hrs/wk
Work Shift: Day / Evening
Hours/Week: 32.00
Union Name: SH Laborers 381

CHA is offering a $5,000 sign on bonus for all Milieu Counselor positions that are 32-40 hours per week.

Cambridge Health Alliance(CHA) is a vibrant, innovative health system dedicated to providing essential services to all members of the community. With almost 140,000 patients in Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston’s Metro North region, CHA is a local provider of choice for primary care, specialty care, emergency services, hospital care, maternity care and behavioral health.

CHA opened a new inpatient center for youth with acute behavioral health needs. Located in Somerville, the beautiful new facility offers care for children 3-12, adolescents 13-17, and children with neuro-developmental disorders. The new Center for Inpatient Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Somerville will provide a transformative continuum of patient and family-centered care for diverse youth with mental health needs.

The Adolescent Unit is a secured psychiatric unit that provides care for children between the ages of 12 and 18. The unit is located in Somerville Hospital. This is an acute care unit, working on assessment, stabilization and after care treatment planning. We have a multidisciplinary team focused on teaching self-regulation, de-escalation and restraint reduction. This approach is used to provide patient and family centered care.

Job Purpose

The Milieu Counselor is a member of the multidisciplinary team who, under the supervision of a registered nurse, is responsible for a safe and structured service as well as attending to the individual needs of patients in crisis in an inpatient psychiatric setting.

The role of a Milieu Counselor will assist with ADL'S lead or co-lead groups, perform safety checks, 1:1 meetings with patients, and will accurately chart patients B/P, TPR & weight. Notifies RN of any changes in vital signs. Accurately measures and documents patient's intake and output. Assists patients following through with ADL's (bathing, laundry, toileting, organizing room), maintaining nutritional and hydration needs, and assisting and monitoring the patient’s needs and other tasks as assigned by the charge RN.

Qualifications/Experience:

• High school diploma required; B.A, B.S., or M.A. preferred or equivalent years of human service experience.

• Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification

• Prior human services, behavioral or psychiatric experience strongly preferred. Inpatient psychiatric experience is preferred.

• All newly hired candidates must successfully complete a job specific physical test.