Milieu Counselor - Adolescent Psychiatry, Full time, D/E

Cambridge Health Alliance; Somerville, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on bonus

Job summary

Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) is seeking a Milieu Counselor for the 2 North Adolescent Psychiatry unit at the Somerville campus. This full‑time role involves day/evening shifts, 40 hours per week, and rotating weekends/holidays as assigned.

Under RN supervision, you will support patients in crisis, assist with ADLs, lead therapeutic groups, and monitor vital signs. We require a high school diploma (BA/BS/MS preferred), current BLS certification, and prior human services or inpatient psychiatry

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; BA/BS/MA preferred or equivalent experience.
• Current American Heart Association BLS certification.
• Prior human services or inpatient psychiatry experience preferred.
• New hires must successfully complete a job-specific physical test.

Responsibilities

• Assist with activities of daily living (ADL) for patients.
• Lead or co-lead therapeutic groups.
• Conduct 1:1 meetings with patients and monitor vital signs.
• Accurately chart BP, TPR, weight and intake/output.
• Notify nurse of any changes in vital signs and patient status.

Skills

ADL assistance

Group facilitation

Vital signs monitoring

Documentation

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

BLS certification

Job description

Location: CHA Somerville Campus

Work Days: 8 hour shifts, with E/O weekend rotation and holidays as assigned

Category: Human and Social Services

Department: 2 North Adolescent Psychiatry

Job Type: Full time

Work Shift: Day/Evening - 7am-3:30pm and 3pm-11:30pm

Hours/Week: 40.00

Union Name: SH Laborers

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.

The Center for Inpatient Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, located in Somerville. provides a transformative continuum of patient and family-centered care for diverse youth with acute behavioral health needs.

The 2 NorthAdolescent Unit is a secured 18 bed inpatient psychiatric unit that provides care for adolescent patients 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-control, 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 the individual needs of patients’ in crisis in an inpatient psychiatric setting.

As a Milieu Counselor, your role will be to assist with ADL's (Activities of Daily Living), lead or co-lead therapeutic groups, perform safety checks and have 1:1 meetings with patients. You’ll accurately chart patients B/P, TPR & weight and notify the nurse of any changes in vital signs. You will measure and document the patient's intake and output, while maintaining their nutritional and hydration needs, as well as any other tasks 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.

Please note that the final offer may vary within the listed Pay Range, based on a candidate's experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity considerations.

In keeping with federal, state and local laws, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) policy forbids employees and associates to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to establishing and maintaining a workplace free of discrimination. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination in the recruitment, hiring, termination, promotion, salary treatment or any other condition of employment or career development. Furthermore, we will not tolerate the use of discriminatory slurs, or other remarks, jokes or conduct, that in the judgment of CHA, encourage or permit an offensive or hostile work environment.

Cambridge Health Alliance brings Care to the People - including your neighbors, friends and family. Our local hospitals and care centers serve our vibrant, diverse communities, and play an integral role in improving health. As passionate advocates for the underserved, we actively partner with our communities to take on challenging public health issues, and conduct important research to help reduce barriers to care. We believe that everyone deserves access to high quality, convenient health care. This is why our employees believe in where they work and why many build long, rewarding careers at CHA.

Healthcare is changing rapidly. CHA has a strategic plan that charts a proactive course for our future. It is built on a vision of equity and excellence for everyone, every time. It also recognizes that our workforce is our most valuable asset and prioritizes competitive salaries, benefits and professional development opportunities for employees. The strategic plan is changing the way we provide care and improving the health and experience of our patients; we are looking for smart, committed, compassionate people who want to be part of making our vision of better health and equity a reality.

At CHA, you can believe in where you work and go home every day knowing you made a difference. Join our team and help us bring Care to the People.