Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program
Registered Nurse, OBAT
Office Based Addiction Treatment - Boston, MA - Part Time to Full Time
Who We Are:
Since 1985, BHCHP’s mission has been to ensure unconditionally equitable and dignified access to the highest quality health care for all individuals and families experiencing homelessness in greater Boston. Over 10,000 homeless individuals are cared for by Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program each year. We are committed to ensuring that every one of these individuals has access to comprehensive health care, from preventative dental care to cancer treatment. Our clinicians, case managers, and behavioral health professionals work in more than 30 locations to serve some of our community’s most vulnerable—and most resilient—citizens.
From our earliest days as a program, we have always sought to do work that is transformational: recognizing our shared humanity; centering dignity, compassion, mutual respect and supporting the right of every individual to access the highest levels of health care and every staff member to reach their fullest potential. We continue to be committed to building bridges and breaking down barriers, including systemic racism which harms us all. We provide community-based health care services that are compassionate, dignified, and culturally appropriate, incorporating social determinants of health, with the goal of breaking down the physical and systemic barriers that our patients face.
Bilingual, Bicultural, LGBTQIA identifying, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are encouraged to apply.
To learn more about working at BHCHP, watch our video Please Click Here.
Job Summary:
***NOW OFFERING A $4,000 SIGN ON BONUS*** (prorated for part time)
Your time at work should be fulfilling. Rewarding. Inspiring. Our published research shows that in months when patients are engaged in our OBAT program, their mortality is 66% lower. But we also know that overdoses in our community of homeless adults in Boston are rising especially sharply in people of color, and that people using cocaine and fentanyl are at especially high risk. You can make a difference! In this vital role as an Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) Staff Nurse, you will work within a multidisciplinary team to provide skilled nursing services to patients with substance use disorder. You will carry a longitudinal panel of patients within our buprenorphine program for opioid use disorder, as well as within our newer program of stimulant use disorder treatment using contingency management and medication support.
As an OBAT Staff Nurse, your duties include providing care management, care coordination, counseling, and community engagement and education; monitoring and protocol-driven adjustment of ongoing buprenorphine and stimulant treatment medications; administering injectable medications including long-acting buprenorphine and long-acting naltrexone; and administering methadone for withdrawal management and linkage to longer-term methadone care. You will provide OBAT nurse care manager support as well as other duties within the scope of nursing at a variety of BHCHP shelter-based clinic settings and 780 Albany Street based on need and availability. You will also report directly to the Nurse Manager of the OBAT program with a dotted line to the specific site directors. Nurses on our team report that they especially appreciate their ongoing and sometimes years-long relationships with their primary patients, as well as their well-supported autonomy in their day-to-day work.
Hours: Part-time 20 hours or up to Full time; Monday–Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm
Responsibilities:
***NOW OFFERING A $4,000 SIGN-ON BONUS***
Since 1985, BHCHP’s mission has been to ensure unconditionally equitable and dignified access to the highest quality health care for all individuals and families experiencing homelessness in greater Boston. Over 10,000 homeless individuals are cared for by Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program each year. We are committed to ensuring that every one of these individuals has access to comprehensive health care, from preventative dental care to cancer treatment. Our clinicians, case managers, and behavioral health professionals work in more than 30 locations to serve some of our community’s most vulnerable—and most resilient—citizens.
From our earliest days as a program, we have always sought to do work that is transformational: recognizing our shared humanity; centering dignity, compassion, mutual respect and supporting the right of every individual to access the highest levels of health care and every staff member to reach their fullest potential. We continue to be committed to building bridges and breaking down barriers, including systemic racism which harms us all. We provide community-based health care services that are compassionate, dignified, and culturally appropriate, incorporating social determinants of health, with the goal of breaking down the physical and systemic barriers that our patients face.
Bilingual, Bicultural, LGBTQIA identifying, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are encouraged to apply.
To learn more about working at BHCHP, watch our video Please Click Here.
Job Summary:
***NOW OFFERING A $4,000 SIGN ON BONUS*** (prorated for part time)
Your time at work should be fulfilling. Rewarding. Inspiring. Our published research shows that in months when patients are engaged in our OBAT program, their mortality is 66% lower. But we also know that overdoses in our community of homeless adults in Boston are rising especially sharply in people of color, and that people using cocaine and fentanyl are at especially high risk. You can make a difference! In this vital role as an Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) Staff Nurse, you will work within a multidisciplinary team to provide skilled nursing services to patients with substance use disorder. You will carry a longitudinal panel of patients within our buprenorphine program for opioid use disorder, as well as within our newer program of stimulant use disorder treatment using contingency management and medication support.
As an OBAT Staff Nurse, your duties include providing care management, care coordination, counseling, and community engagement and education; monitoring and protocol-driven adjustment of ongoing buprenorphine and stimulant treatment medications; administering injectable medications including long-acting buprenorphine and long-acting naltrexone; and administering methadone for withdrawal management and linkage to longer-term methadone care. You will provide OBAT nurse care manager support as well as other duties within the scope of nursing at a variety of BHCHP shelter-based clinic settings and 780 Albany Street based on need and availability. You will also report directly to the Nurse Manager of the OBAT program with a dotted line to the specific site directors. Nurses on our team report that they especially appreciate their ongoing and sometimes years-long relationships with their primary patients, as well as their well-supported autonomy in their day-to-day work.
Hours: Part-time 20 hours or up to Full time; Monday–Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm
Responsibilities:
- Perform initial assessment and intake obtaining social, medical, mental health, substance abuse and medication history.
- Collaborate, communicate, and meet with addiction treatment team as needed and required.
- Provide ongoing management, education, and support of patients in all phases of treatment including nursing visits; medication management; storage, monitoring, and administering controlled medications; administration and interpretation of urine toxicology screens, integration with primary care and behavioral health, linkage and coordination with external programs, medication teaching, supportive counseling, and medication refills.
- Provide expertise as well as participate in ongoing learning about changes in the drug supply, patterns of drug use, and community issues that may influence our patients’ well-being.
- Assess and monitor patients in withdrawal management, medication induction, stabilization, and maintenance phases of treatment.
- Follow State and Federal guidelines in providing care to patients using medication for opioid use disorder and/or withdrawal management, in collaboration with licensed, prescribing physicians and pharmacy.
- Works with the pharmacy, other OBAT team members, and prescribing BHCHP providers to facilitate medication orders, refills, changes, and communication, as needed.
- Ensures access to naloxone and other harm reduction supplies, including quality goal of universal naloxone prescribing to program participants.
- Complete appropriate documentation with record keeping.
- Consistently use clear, concise, and effective written and oral communication; and comply with departmental policies when sharing/documenting relevant patient care data.
- Bilingual in Spanish and English is preferred.
- Licensed to practice professional nursing as a registered nurse in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts required.
- Minimum of 2 years of nursing experience as an RN preferred, but not required; recent RN grads should have training or experience specifically applicable to this job.
- Knowledge and experience of people who use drugs within communities of color in Boston.
- Experience in and understanding of the needs and experiences of urban communities of color.
- Demonstrated commitment to racial justice and health equity; understanding of and comfort with harm reduction methods for people who are using drugs.
- Experience with people experiencing homelessness preferred.
- Certified in related specialty areas preferred.
- Knowledge of community and health resources, particularly addiction-related support.
- Effective verbal, written, and interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with providers and team members from various settings.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced and flexible environment, with critical thinking and problem-solving abilities to address the needs of our patients.
***NOW OFFERING A $4,000 SIGN-ON BONUS***
- The compensation starts at $35.22 per hour and increases based on years of experience.
- BHCHP full time employees are eligible for our competitive time off policy of 4 weeks’ vacation, health, dental and vision insurance, 403B retirement savings plan and employer retirement contribution, and pre-tax MBTA pass program with 40% discount. In addition, eligible employees will receive yearly increases, additional compensation of seven thousand five hundred dollars added to your base hiring rate for demonstrated bilingual proficiency and the opportunity to work with local hospitals and community health centers.
Does this amazing opportunity interest you? Then we'd love to hear from you.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, BHCHP pledges not to discriminate against and encourages those from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds to apply, particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA identifying, first generation college students and adults without a college degree, Bilingual and Bicultural persons; and individuals from low economic backgrounds.
Covid-19 Vaccination: Proof of Covid-19 vaccination(s) is optional for employment. Candidates who are offered employment will be given details about how to demonstrate receipt of vaccination if they choose to.
Please Note: Employment at Boston Health Care for the Homeless is at-will. Boston Health Care for the Homeless does not sponsor work authorization visas.
