Clinical Social Worker, Suffolk County Jail Project (per diem)

Boston Medical Center (BMC); Boston (MA); On-site; USD 41,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

Boston Medical Center (BMC) is seeking a Clinical Social Worker to join the Psychiatry Research department in a jail-based behavioral health unit. The CSW will conduct intake assessments, individual counseling, and facilitate group therapy for incarcerated individuals.

The role emphasizes non-judgmental, patient-centered care with cultural humility, and reports to the BMC Department of Psychiatry. Work is performed in office and clinical settings within the jail environment.

Qualifications

• Requires Master’s Degree from an accredited school of Social Work.
• Massachusetts Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) is required.

Responsibilities

• Accurately represent duties and responsibilities; identify 5–8 primary duties; list in order of importance; begin with an action verb; use present tense; ensure gender-neutral language; clarify tasks with qualifiers where appropriate.
• Provide treatment planning collaboration with interdisciplinary care team, including physicians, case managers, and peers.
• Deliver evidence-based evaluation, diagnosis and treatment for substance use disorders and/or psychiatric illness via intake assessments, individual therapy, and group therapy.
• Provide crisis intervention as needed on unit, including risk assessments and crisis planning.
• Assist case managers with clinical reentry needs and transitions of care.
• Complete clinical documentation accurately and timely.
• Participate in teaching and quality improvement initiatives.

Skills

Crisis intervention

Assessment & diagnosis

Individual therapy

Group therapy

Documentation

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Rapport building

De-escalation

Time management

Communication

Education

MSW (Master of Social Work)

Massachusetts LCSW

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Access

Outlook

Electronic Health Record (EHR)

Job description

Position: Clinical Social Worker

Department: Psychiatry Research

Schedule: Per diem

Location: On-site only, at the Suffolk County Jail

Desired availability: initially 20+ hours/week between the hours of 7:00 am and 8:00pm, M-F or 8-4 Saturdays. Fewer hours required after the first 3 months.

Position Summary

The Clinical Social Worker (CSW) will serve as a member of the treatment team within a new, 45-bed men’s behavioral health unit operated by Boston Medical Center (BMC) located in the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department’s (SCSD) Jail. This role will help ensure the smooth provision of behavioral health treatment to incarcerated persons. Treatment will include, intake assessments, individual counseling, and facilitation of group therapy.

This role requires practicing non-judgmental patient centered care and cultural humility in order to care for an impacted patient population who is often marginalized within the healthcare and justice systems. Experience within corrections is not required, as the goal of this program is to deliver community level and quality of treatment inside the jail. As part of this innovative new collaboration between BMC and SCSD, this role will report into the BMC Department of Psychiatry. Work will be completed within office and clinical settings, both housed within a setting of incarceration.

Preference for individuals who can work 20+ hours/week between hours 7am-8pm M-F or 8-4 Saturdays.

Job Responsibilities

Accurately represent duties and responsibilities as well as job specifications. Identify between 5-8 primary duties and responsibilities; list them in order of importance; begin each statement with an action verb; use present tense; use gender neutral language; where appropriate use qualifiers to clarify tasks (where, when, why, or how often); avoid words that are open to interpretation.

• Serve as a member of the interdisciplinary care team supporting the patient’s goal in alignment with program philosophy, through collaboration with a broader team of physicians, case managers, and peers to assess and adjust treatment plans
• Provide evidence-based evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients with substance use disorders and/or psychiatric illness through formats including assessment, individual therapy, and group therapy
• Provide crisis intervention as needed on unit including risk assessments and crisis planning
• Assist case managers with any clinical reentry needs including transitions of behavioral health care
• Complete all necessary clinical documentation in an accurate and timely manner
• Participate in the teaching of students and other trainees as indicated
• Participate in departmental and organizational quality improvement programs and trainings

(The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required).

Education

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Requires Master’s Degree from an accredited school of Social Work.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Required

• Requires a Massachusetts Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW)

Experience

• 2+ years providing behavioral health treatment to impacted patient populations
• Preference for individuals with experience in emergency psychiatric settings, inpatient behavioral health units, or individuals who have worked with justice-involved population
• Preference for therapist with experience in utilizing art, music, and creativity within a milieu setting
• Lived experience is valued

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse/interdisciplinary team
• Comprehensive knowledge of evidenced based behavioral health treatment and desire to grow knowledge base
• Strong understanding and familiarity with common diagnoses and levels of care across behavioral health and medical settings
• Skilled at engaging difficult to engage patients—build rapport, trust and utilizing de-escalation skills
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment, inclusive of organizational skills, time management skills, critical thinking, and problem solving abilities
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate in a courteous, pleasant and professional manner with healthcare providers, patients and families, general public, staff members, external agencies, and other organizational leaders.
• Ability to work independently and to make decisions based on established policies and procedures.
• Proficient oral and written English communication skills.
• Bi-lingual and/or bi-cultural candidates preferred
• Intermediate Microsoft Office suite experience (i.e. MS Word, Excel, Access, Outlook)
• Experience using an electronic health record preferred

Boston Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Compensation Range

$30.05- $43.75

In addition, BMCHS offers generous total compensation that includes, but is not limited to, benefits (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), discretionary annual bonuses and merit increases, Flexible Spending Accounts, 403(b) savings matches, paid time off, career advancement opportunities, and resources to support employee and family well-being.

NOTE: This range is based on Boston-area data, and is subject to modification based on geographic location.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans