Milieu Counselor

Location: CHA Somerville Campus 

Work Days: 8 hour shifts, w/ E/O wknd rotation and holidays as assigned  

Category: Human and Social Services  

Department: 2 North  

Job Type: Full time  

Work Shift: Day / Evening 

Hours/Week: 40.00 

Union: Yes 

Union Name: SH Laborers 381

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.

CHA recently opened a new inpatient center for youth with acute behavioral health needs. Located in Somerville, the beautiful new facility offers care for children 3-12, adolescents 13-17, and children with neuro-developmental disorders. The new Center for Inpatient Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Somerville will provide a transformative continuum of patient and family-centered care for diverse youth with mental health needs.

The Adolescent Unit is a new secured 21 bed psychiatric unit that provides care for children 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.

CHA provides specialist assessment and care for children who have severe mental health needs. We provide comprehensive services for adolescents experiencing complex and persistent emotional and behavioral difficulties due to behavioral health disorders. 

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 to the individual needs of patients in crisis in an inpatient psychiatric setting.

The role of a Milieu Counselor will assist with ADL'S lead or co-lead groups, perform safety checks, 1:1 meetings with patients, and will accurately chart patients B/P, TPR & weight. Notifies RN of any changes in vital signs. Accurately measures and documents patient's intake and output. Assists patients following through with ADL's (bathing, laundry, toileting, organizing room), maintaining nutritional and hydration needs, and assisting and monitoring the patient’s needs and other tasks as 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. 

 
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.