UNIV - Program Assistant - Psychiatry: Addiction Sciences

Medical University of South Carolina • Charleston, SC

55d

About The Position

The Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences is seeking a Program Assistant to assist the Addiction Sciences Division. The candidate will work with Drs. Squeglia and Gray as a Program Assistant on the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, a large-scale project to study child and adolescent health, behavior, and brain functioning. The candidate will be responsible for executing all tasks associated with the ABCD protocol which include neuroimaging, neurocognitive assessments, and clinical interview or self-report measures designed to assess eligibility criteria, psychopathology, medical health, social relationships, personality, and substance use. The participant will work with both youth and their parents. Must be able to work evenings, weekends, and some holidays.

Requirements

• A high school diploma and two years relevant program experience.
• A bachelor's degree may be substituted for the required program experience.
• Must be able to work evenings, weekends, and some holidays.

Nice To Haves

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Neuroscience, or a related field is preferred.
• Prior research experience in a lab, knowledge of REDCap data entry, management, reporting tools, interviewing research participants, conducting structured clinical interviews, neuropsychological tests and collecting biospecimens – including drawing blood and MRI assessments not required but valued.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Experience working with adolescents and emerging young adults (ages 9-20).
• Excellent verbal communication and problem-solving skills.
• Attention to detail and the ability to work independently and assure accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Interviews ABCD research participants: a. Must be familiar with the entire ABCD Study protocol; b. Conducts clinical assessments, self-report surveys, neuropsychological testing, mobile activity monitoring, and careful assessments of environment, psychopathological symptoms, substance use, and social functioning to youth and parent participants in-person, via remote video conference, and via phone; c. Understands emergency procedures.
• Acts as a research representative of the ABCD Study: a. Describes study procedures, goals, assessment tasks, confidentiality limitations and potential risks thoroughly to participants; b. Answers participant questions; c. Obtains informed consent and assent from both parent and youth participants; d. De-briefs participants at the end of the visit; e. Maintains required documentation and record keeping.
• Assists with neuroimaging protocol: a. Runs participants through mock MRI scanner; b. Acts as second-chair at the Center for Biomedical Imaging (CBI) during neuroimaging protocol alongside a trained operator; c. Problem solves issues that arise during clinical session and MRI scanning and participates in trouble shooting and developing alternative approaches; d. Assists with data transfer; e. Executes E-Prime tasks.
• Performs various lab support tasks to ensure compliance and lab organization: a. Collects biospecimens: including blood, urine, saliva, hair, and teeth to assess hormone levels, neurotoxin exposure, and genetics; processes and prepares for shipment. b. Performs data entry and maintains data files on research. c. Refers patients to resources available in community and social services; d. Participates in team meetings and provides updates on assigned tasks.
• Schedules and communicates with research participants: a. Including on-site visits, video conferencing assessments, and phone interviews; b. Utilizes multiple calendars for scheduling; c. Answers questions that come through ABCD phone and email systems; d. Reminds participants of their upcoming appointments.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees