Violence Recovery Advocate / Per Diem / Division of Trauma, Burn, & Surgical Critical Care at Brigham & Women's Hospital(BWH) in Boston, Massachusetts

Job Description:

Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is dedicated to serving the needs of the community and is deeply committed to its role in promoting health equity by eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health care in Boston's neighborhoods and surrounding communities. BWH is committed to providing the highest quality of care for all patients and ensuring that patients, in particular the most vulnerable patient populations, receive the highest quality care.


Violence is one major social determinant of individual and community health. Recent data reveals that Boston residents ages 15-24 accounted for almost 50% of the nonfatal assault-related gunshot and stabbing victims and 53% of homicides. Additionally, mortality from violence only accounts for approximately 12% of all traumatic violence. This results in a large, highly vulnerable patient population with unique needs.


The per diem Violence Recovery Advocate (VRA) works as part of a multidisciplinary team to address the issue of violent intentional injuries in our community by enabling BWH patients and their families who have been impacted by violence-related trauma to access the clinical and community-based services necessary to fully recover, both mentally and physically, from exposure to violence. In addition to receiving high quality medical care in the immediate aftermath of violent injury, patients will also receive the on-going advocacy and intervention needed to reduce further exposure to violent injury after being discharged from the hospital. The VRA is responsible for the provision of intensive crisis intervention and on-going advocacy and case management to victims and survivors of violent intentional injury and their families/support network hospitalized at the BWH. The VRA will work closely with community partners, the Neighborhood Trauma Teams, health centers, and an array of hospital providers to enable patients and their families to navigate the complex system of resources and ensure optimal utilization and follow-up.



PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Indicate key areas of responsibility, major job duties, special projects and key objectives for this position. These items should be evaluated throughout the year and included in the written annual evaluation.


• Provide immediate trauma-informed assessment and crisis intervention for victims in collaboration with the BWH Burn and Trauma Unit, Emergency Department, and Social Work/Care Coordination when first admitted and throughout hospitalization.


• Provide trauma-informed advocacy, case management and supportive counseling to a range of clients, including patients post-discharge, patients referred from other services/clinics, and community clients.


• Provide referrals to community service providers for ongoing services, resources and opportunities to facilitate recovery, including mental health, employment, and education.


• Contribute to program evaluation and development through timely and thorough documentation of all client and provider interactions utilizing program database and other data collection tools; collaborate and follow up with providers in a timely and appropriate manner.


• Participate in rounds and case reviews.


• Collaborate with a diverse array of community service providers including education, employment agencies, mental health, and violence intervention to coordinate services for people impacted by violence and trauma.


• Provide education to health care providers on the culture and impact of community violence and trauma for the population served by BWH through this program.


• Provide trauma support as needed with the JPNTT and the Boston Trauma Response Network.


• Complete all data entry, documentation, correspondence and paperwork required by program in a timely and appropriate manner.


• Assume additional direct service or administrative responsibilities as directed by supervisor.


• Participate in the on-call rotation schedule (after business hours and weekends).



Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS: (MUST be realistic, neither overstated nor understated, and related to the essential functions of the job.)


• Bilingual English/Spanish speaking preferred.


• Bachelor's degree in public health, social work or related field, or equivalent experience preferred.


• Three to five years experience working with community violence and trauma issues.


• Knowledge of Boston community resources.


• Work experience in a health care setting preferred.


• Experiences in working with multidisciplinary teams preferred.



SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED: (MUST be realistic, neither overstated nor understated, and related to the essential functions of the job.)


• Demonstrated knowledge of community violence issues.


• Commitment to social, racial and gender justice issues.


• Familiarity with Boston neighborhoods.


• Must have solid advocacy/case management skills, excellent judgment and interpersonal skills. Must work effectively as a member of a team and collaboratively with other professionals within the hospital and community.


• Independent critical thinking and judgment required.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to assimilate information and communicate with various groups. Ability to work with diverse groups of people (e.g. race, ethnicity, age, class, sexual preference). Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.


• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.


• Comfort in bridging the hospital and community settings and demonstrated success in facilitating dynamic collaborations with diverse, multi-cultural populations collaboratively to respond to the issue of community violence.


• Must be comfortable using computerized word processing and database programs.



EEO Statement

Brigham and Women's Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability.