Job Information
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program Recovery Nurse in Boston, Massachusetts
Who We Are:
Since 1985, BHCHP’s mission has been to ensure unconditionally equitable and dignified access to the highest quality health care for all individuals and families experiencing homelessness in greater Boston. Over 12,000 homeless individuals are cared for by Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program each year. We are committed to ensuring that every one of these individuals has access to comprehensive health care, from preventative dental care to cancer treatment. Our clinicians, case managers, and behavioral health professionals work in more than 60 locations to serve some of our community’s most vulnerable—and most resilient—citizens.
From our earliest days as a program, we have always sought to do work that is transformational: recognizing our shared humanity; centering dignity, compassion, mutual respect and supporting the right of every individual to access the highest levels of health care and every staff member to reach their fullest potential. We continue to be committed to building bridges and breaking down barriers, including systemic racism which harms us all. We provide community-based health care services that are compassionate, dignified, and culturally appropriate, incorporating social determinants of health, with the goal of breaking down the physical and systemic barriers that our patients face.
Bilingual, Bicultural, LGBTQIA identifying, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are encouraged to apply.
To learn more about working at BHCHP, watch our video Please Click Here (https://www.bhchp.org/careers) .
Job Summary:
NOW OFFERING A $4,000 SIGN ON BONUS
Hours: Full time, Monday – Friday 8:30am-5:00pm some flexibility in hours
We are looking for a nurse who is public health conscious and aligned with the ideas of harm reduction to support teams on the front line of innovative approaches to the overdose crisis and a pivotal part of improving drug user health. In this role, you will share time with the Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) and Harm Reduction teams at BHCHP and will have a unique opportunity to visit with patients in all stages of recovery and across several clinical settings including in office and on street outreach. The goals of this approach are to address existing substance use disorder treatment challenges for BHCHP patients, to decrease overdose deaths and to connect patients more effectively to addiction treatment.
In the OBAT capacity, you will work within a multidisciplinary team to provide skilled nursing services to patients with opioid use disorders (OUD) receiving treatment with buprenorphine and supporting the Methadone QuickStart program as well as START program for patients with StUD. Duties include ongoing assessment, intakes, evaluations, triage, teaching, inductions, and stabilizations to support patients with a desire to receive treatment for a diagnosis of OUD and receive supportive care for other substance use disorders (SUDs). Assist in the primary care of patients within the OBAT program, and facilitate support and services provided at other settings. This position will provide OBAT nurse care manager support as well as other duties within the scope of nursing at a variety of BHCHP shelter-based clinic settings and 780 Albany Street based on need and availability.
While in the Harm Reduction capacity of the role, the RN will provide in-the-moment, low-threshold medical access to patients who may otherwise not present to traditional clinical settings. This could be at low-threshold clinical spaces or in SPOT (Safe Place for Observation and Treatment), where the nurse will ensure that sedated patients are triaged and safely monitored in a supportive and compassionate environment. Services provided will include clinical assessments, RN case management, medical monitoring, intervention in the case of overdose and immediate linkages to addiction treatment and primary care.
In both capacities, the nurse will collaborate with team members at various BHCHP clinic settings, outside referral sites, and with providers from addiction settings throughout Massachusetts. This position will report directly to the Nurse Manager of the OBAT program with a dotted line to the specific site directors.
Responsibilities:
Perform initial assessment and intake obtaining social, medical, mental health, substance abuse and medication history.
Collaborate, communicate, and meet with OBAT and Harm Reduction team staff as needed and required.
Provide education, assessment and supportive care concerning co-occurring SUDs as appropriate; serves as the first responder in the case of a medical emergency at all sites.
Supportive engagement of patients with substance uses disorder in a manner consistent with Harm Reduction Principles.
Assess and monitor patients in the induction, stabilization, and maintenance phases of treatment; administer injectable medications in accordance with each patients’ individualized treatment plan and BHCHP policies.
Provide ongoing management, education, and support of patients in all phases of treatment including nursing visits scheduled and random, administer and interpret urine and saliva toxicology screens, routine labs and as needed, medication teaching, monitoring, observed dosing, and medication refills.
Follow State and Federal guidelines in providing care to patients with OUD in collaboration with licensed, prescribing providers and pharmacy; complete appropriate documentation with record keeping.
Assist in the ongoing primary care of patients referred to OBAT program and Harm Reduction teams; refer patients to appropriate care teams or venues concerning infectious disease prevention and treatment related to SUD based on assessment.
Consistently use clear, concise, and effective written and oral communication; and comply with departmental policies when sharing/documenting relevant patient care data.
Connects patients to behavioral services as appropriate; works with the pharmacy and prescribing BHCHP providers in obtaining medication orders, prescriptions, refills, and communication as needed.
Qualifications:
Bilingual in Spanish and English is preferred.
Licensed to practice professional nursing as a registered nurse in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts required.
Minimum of 2 years of nursing experience as an RN preferred, but not required; recent RN grads should have training or experience specifically applicable to this job.
Certified in related specialty areas preferred.
Leadership experience with the ability to work autonomously preferred.
Experience with the homeless population preferred; comfort with issues related to addiction, harm reduction, and HIV/AIDS.
Knowledge of community, and health resources, particularly addiction related resources and supports; sensitivity to ethnic, cultural, gender difference; beliefs, and behaviors.
Effective verbal, written, and interpersonal skills with ability to interact with providers and team members from various settings.
Ability to work in a fast-paced and flexible environment, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities to address the needs of our patients.
Compensation and Benefits:
NOW OFFERING A $4,000 SIGN ON BONUS
The compensation starts at $35.22 per hour and increases based on years of experience.
BHCHP full time employees are eligible for our competitive time off policy of 4 weeks’ vacation, health, dental and vision insurance, 403B retirement savings plan and employer retirement contribution, and pre-tax MBTA pass program with 40% discount. In addition, eligible employees will receive yearly increases, additional compensation of seven thousand five hundred dollars added to your base hiring rate for demonstrated bilingual proficiency and the opportunity to work with local hospitals and community health centers.
Does this amazing opportunity interest you? Then we'd love to hear from you.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, BHCHP pledges not to discriminate against and encourages those from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds to apply, particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA identifying, first generation college students and adults without a college degree, Bilingual and Bicultural persons; and individuals from low economic backgrounds.
Covid-19 Vaccination: Proof of Covid-19 vaccination(s) is optional for employment. Candidates who are offered employment will be given details about how to demonstrate receipt of vaccination if they choose to.
Please Note: Employment at Boston Health Care for the Homeless is at-will. Boston Health Care for the Homeless does not sponsor work authorization visas.
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