BWH Clinician/Social Worker - Adult Partial Dual Diagnosis

Description: Provide clinical services to patients in our partial hospital program for individuals with substance use and mental health conditions. The role of the clinician is to perform an initial psycho-social assessment, treatment planning, individual, group, family interventions, case management, disposition planning, care consultation, and utilization review. The program is group based, with four distinct groups provided daily. The candidate must be committed to a population with co-occurring disorders, be versed in the issues of early recovery, group treatment and knowledgeable of the treatment system in Massachusetts.

Bournewood Health Systems is dedicated to providing quality, evidence-based and person-centered treatment for people with mental health and substance use conditions in a safe and respectful environment in partnership with the individuals and families we serve, focusing on support, hope and recovery.

Bournewood is committed to a philosophy and an environment of care in which we treat people with dignity, respect and mutuality; protect their rights; provide the best care possible; support them in returning to their natural communities; and include patients and families as partners in their treatment. Our philosophy stands for providing a safe and therapeutic environment for patients, families and staff in which restraint and seclusion are prevented through the use of a range of resources and tools. All Bournewood employees are educated in and support this philosophy. All candidates must be able and willing to promote the values of trauma-informed and patient-centered care.

Location: Brookline, MA

Salary: negotiable

Start Date: ASAP

Openings: 1 full time Clinician Adult Dual Diagnosis Partial Program;  1 full time Clinician to Float to all Partial Programs

Qualifications: Candidates must have strong organizational and interpersonal skills, and the ability to multitask. Partial Hospital or Inpatient experience with adults is strongly preferred. Masters is required; independently licensed clinician is preferred.

Essential Functions:

1. Assumes role of social worker for those patients assigned.
2. Communicates findings and progress of individual sessions, family therapy, and disposition planning to treatment team.
3. Provides consultation to outpatient providers for patient and involved agencies as needed.
4. Advocates for and educates family about resources and agency involvement to provide recommended levels of services upon discharge.
5. Coordinates information and interventions between all disciplines within the team including Nursing, Rehabilitation Services as needed and psychiatry.
6. Meets with patients, on the day of case assignment, and contacts family and/or supports as needed and as patient permits. Individual and family interventions will be consistent with the assessment.
7. Maintains daily progress notes in chart.
8. Facilitates assigned group therapy and/or psycho-educational groups.
9. Initiates and updates treatment plans on assigned patients.
10. When indicated, involves family and/or supports in aftercare planning and educational interventions.
11. When patient is involved in ongoing outpatient therapy, initiates contact with outpatient therapist with patient’s permission. Provides consultation to the outpatient therapist during the patient’s PHP/IOP stay at a mutually agreed upon frequency.
12. When a patient is involved with an agency or private treatment program, initiates contact with appropriate providers.
13. Makes recommendations for the level of care and structure patient needs upon discharge and actively educates patients and family (when indicated) with respect to those needs and identifies resources for meeting the patient’s needs. Advocates for agency involvement when necessary.
14. When needed, organizes a meeting of all those providing outpatient services to the patient before discharge.
15. When child abuse or neglect is suspected, notifies the proper authorities following Massachusetts Law and professional standards of practice. When neglect or abuse of a disabled person and or the elderly is suspected and disclosed directly to the social worker s/he notifies the proper authorities following Massachusetts Law and professional standards of practice.
16. Maintains communications with and coordinates information and interventions with team disciplines, including psychiatry, nursing and rehabilitation services.
17. Establishes aftercare appointments with providers and communicates these to the patient and family. At times, these may be more effectively organized by others and this will be documented.
18. Conducts utilization review on cases assigned by the Manager of Ambulatory Services.
19. Is responsible for initial assessments for each assigned patient.
20. Meets with patients as indicated to complete the written assessment within 24 hours of patient admission.
21. Utilizes information and assessment in developing an aftercare plan based on needs.
22. Meets with other disciplines regarding patients treatment plan.
23. Consults on an as needed basis with other team members around issues of her/his expertise including case management.
24. Any other duties as assigned by Supervisor

    Essential Competencies:

25.  

    Knowledge of major mental illness, i.e. schizophrenia and the impact of family.

26. Knowledge of developmental stages and clinical implications regarding abandonment.
27. Knowledge and understanding of biological and sociocultural changes influencing the aged (geriatric population), adults and adolescents
28. Knowledge of chemical dependency treatment issues
29. Knowledge of family systems dynamics
30. Knows Hospital, department and Ambulatory policies and procedures, JC, DMH, DPH and BSAS regulations regarding patient rights and clinical interventions
31. Is competent in delivering patient care that is trauma informed and patient centered. As indicated by:
    • Provides care that is kind, collaborative and compassionate.
    • Able to defuse power struggles and doesn’t need “to win”.
    • Appropriate assessment of clients for a history of trauma
    • Recognize/assess a range of trauma-related behaviors
    • Implement trauma-sensitive interventions with people served

Minimum Qualifications:

Social worker requirements include the completion of a Masters Degree in Social Work from an accredited school of Social Work or Masters in Counseling and Licensed eligible (LMHC). Inpatient field placement experience is preferred.

Physical Criteria:

1. Must be able to walk between buildings
2. Must be able to climb stairs
3. Must be able to provide crisis intervention techniques when necessary
4. Must be able to use telephone