Veteran Peer Coordinator - Massachusetts General Hospital(MGH) - Boston, MA

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT

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The mission of the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program is to heal the “invisible wounds of war,” including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), by connecting post-9/11 veterans and military families to world class care. Home Base provides clinical care and support services, as well as community education and innovative research. We provide clinical care to active duty service men and women, veterans, and their families. The Home Base program continues to expand its Outpatient Clinic and recently launched a 14-day Intensive Clinical Program supporting veterans on a national scale. ICP services will build upon the Outpatient Clinic expertise and continue to combine evidence based treatments with complementary integrative therapies in an environment that is supported by peer warriors and family members.

The Home Base Veteran Peer Coordinator is part of a vital team of professionals and serves as the critical “boots on the ground” liaison between the Home Base Program and Post-9/11 veterans that need help for PTSD/TBI related challenges. The ICP Veteran Peer Coordinator’s role is a newly created role at Home Base, though quite similar to the well established Home Base Veteran Outreach Coordinator position, the primary focus will be support for the veterans and families served through the newest offering at Home Base, the ICP. As a member of the Outreach and Peer Support team, the individual will be responsible to contact and educate New England-based veterans and their families about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and encourage them to take advantage of services available through the Home Base Program. Outreach guides veterans through the process of seeking evaluations for PTSD/TBI at the Home Base Program and help them assess what appropriate resources are locally available for treatment and support. In addition, the Outreach worker will work closely with the clinical staff in the Home Base Program around case management of patients and the monitoring of patient needs. In addition to these typical duties and responsibilities of the Outreach worker they will also become peer mentors, providing particular support for ICP patients and their families during their two-week participation in the program. Peer Coordinator activities might include oversight or attendance during evening and weekend hours.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

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Serve as a member of the treatment team acting as a liaison between Home Base clinicians and individual veterans and their families to help provide knowledge of community resources and to facilitate non-clinical needs of patient and family members.

Meet with ICP participants twice weekly for thirty minutes as a way of facilitating group conversation to talk about typical issues Veterans face. This will enable the VOC to identify specific needs for each patient and better guide them through the various resources available to meet that need.

As part of the Outreach Team, serve as the ”veteran face” of the Home Base Program’s ICP and work with Communications and Development team to gather support and raise awareness for the mission of the program.

Through a collaborative effort with the Social Work team, maintain current resource database and identify both regional and national resources to address the referral needs for patients and families including legal services, housing resources, etc.

Participate in various aspects and groups of the ICP when necessary to assist with participation and retention. May include SMART/Resilient Warrior classes, Yoga or Expressive Therapies.

Plan, Coordinate, and Execute possible venues for ICP specific Adventure Series activities or other activities as requested by the Director of Outreach and Peer Support.

Manage list of potential ICP patients outside of New England that may be interested in participating. Work with Social Workers to facilitate intake procedure and on-boarding of potential patients.

Advise and provide regular and detailed feedback to the Director of Outreach and Peer Support who will communicate to senior leaders in the Home Base program, clinicians, and administrators as to the successes and challenges related to connecting Post-9/11 veterans with potential PTSD/TBI care through an Intensive Outpatient environment.

Facilitate potential trainings for community partners and resources for non-clinical needs of patients; such trainings may include: resume writing classes, job interview training, and benefits training.

Qualifications

SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

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Strong interpersonal skills and communication skills, both verbal and written;

Collaborative team player;

Strong work ethic;

Organized, attentive to detail and results-oriented;

EDUCATION

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BA/BS degree preferred;

Minimum 1-2 years experience;

Post 9/11 veteran a plus;

EXPERIENCE

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Must have honorably served with the United States military;

Knowledge of deployment cycles, veteran community; and issues related to the invisible wounds of war is essential.

The individual must have been deployed oversees in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and/or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF – Afghanistan).

WORKING CONDITIONS

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Busy, medical clinic office; some local and regional travel required.

EEO Statement

Massachusetts General Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. Applications from protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged.

Primary Location

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MA-Boston-101 Merrimac – MGH

Work Locations

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101 Merrimac – MGH

101 Merrimac Street

Boston

02114

Job

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Social Services/Mental Health – Other

Organization

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Massachusetts General Hospital(MGH)

Schedule

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Full-time

Standard Hours

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40

Shift

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Day Job

Employee Status

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Regular

Recruiting Department

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MGH Psychiatry

Job Posting

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Nov 25, 2015