Public Health Advocate II: Child Care and Operations Professional (Entre Familia)

Boston Public Health Commission•Boston, MA

23d•Onsite

About The Position

The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) Recovery Services Bureau (RSB) offers comprehensive programming and resources aimed at reducing the harms associated with substance use, including providing treatment services, recovery supports, and youth prevention. RSB operates across the continuum of care, spanning outreach and engagement, harm reduction services, naloxone distribution, residential treatment, referral services, and more. RSB has over 150 personnel working across more than 10 programs. Entre Familia: Entre Familia is a 6-to-12-month residential substance use treatment program that provides bilingual/bicultural, gender-specific, substance use disorder treatment to pregnant and postpartum women and their children. The program serves pregnant and postpartum women and their children in the State of Massachusetts and has the capacity to serve up to 19 women and 26 children.

Requirements

Associates or BA/BS required or equivalent experience may be accepted.
2-3 years experience in health care, public health or social service.
Experience in the delivery of services to individuals with substance use and/or co-occurring disorders, mental illness, HIV risk, and/or criminal justice involvement.
Strong working understanding of, and ability to comply with, confidentiality and privacy regulations.
Familiarity with area resources for use disorders and mental health including those for acute and crisis level of need. Knowledge of trauma and trauma-informed care principles and best-practices.
Experience with individual and group treatment modalities, psychosocial assessments and comprehensive treatment planning.
Demonstrated cultural competence with diverse ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
Knowledge of Boston community social service organizations, the courts and government agencies.
Ability to work effectively with diverse populations.
Good presentation, organizational and interpersonal skills required; must be self-directed. Good communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
Must have a driver's license and suitable driving record.
Computer Proficiency Required, preference for familiarity with SMART or other EMR systems.
Knowledge of or willingness to learn about the role of public health in addressing racism, the social determinants of health, and inequities in health outcomes as well as strategies to advance racial justice and health equity.
Commitment to health equity and racial/social justice.

Nice To Haves

Experience in working with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds preferred.
Familiarity with operations of clinical projects, protocols, ethical standards, and staff training.
Bilingual/bicultural skills strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Functioning as counselor, responsible for the oversight of children-centered program activities, within the residential milieu.
Offering residents and their children services to support the parent’s ability to participate in onsite services and programming, attend telehealth appointments, support during mealtimes, strengthen transitions to bedtime.
Escorting and transporting clients to outside self-help groups and other activities as needed.
Ensuring that evening programming is maintained and participates in family activities as planned.
Welcoming of visitors and supervising the visits as needed and enforcing family visitation policies and procedures.
Functioning as support staff, responsible for the oversight of program activities, within the residential milieu.
Identifies and intervenes in actual and potential problem situations using a trauma informed perspective, in order to minimize disruption of the residential recovery environment. Connects program clients to clinical team as needed. Provides supportive listening and makes the Clinical Team aware as needed.
Observes and records client behavior and reports pertinent client information to other staff.
Enforces all house rules, regulations, and policies.
Maintains security of all physical areas of the facility.
Manages and exercises sound judgment in conflict situations.
Manages emergency situations and contacts the on-call clinical staff for specific issues.
Assists in drug screening tests and other forms of interventions to ensure a safe, trauma informed environment of recovery.
Ensures that day-to-day programming is maintained and participates in family activities as planned.
Welcomes visitors courteously, supervises visits as needed, and enforces family visitation policies and procedures.
Assists the evaluation team in data collection activities; Enters data in Pulsepoint app and/or in Carelogic.
Conducts regular safety checks, including daily room checks.
Monitors resident progress and document observations accurately on census and shift reports.
Maintains awareness of safety and security protocols, including managing crises and de-escalating situations.
Ensures consistency and accountability in enforcing program rules and policies.
Contributes to creating a culturally responsive and Trauma Informed environment.
Provides individual and group support focused on recovery, relapse prevention, parenting, and family strengthening.
Maintains accurate documentation of resident interactions, incidents, and progress.
Participates in staff training, supervision, and professional development.
Transports and accompanies residents to self-help groups, medical, court, or DCF-related appointments as needed.
Completes documentation as needed regarding behaviors positive and/or challenging.
Supports parent-child interactions through coaching and structured activities.
Models positive communication and problem-solving for residents and their children.
Offers support to program clients in order to find a balance between parenting and living in a treatment setting.
Works to help BPHC advance as an antiracist organization by meeting or exceeding the standards set by the BPHC Anti-Racism Policy.
Performs other duties as assigned.