Cambridge Health Alliance: Milieu Counselor – Neurodevelopment

In partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts we will be expanding inpatient psychiatric care in the region, by adding 42 new child, adolescent and specialized autism spectrum/neurodevelopmental beds at our Somerville Campus.

The new CHA Center of Excellence for Child and Adolescent Inpatient Mental Health Care at Somerville will provide a transformative continuum of patient and family-centered care for diverse youth with mental health needs.

Cambridge Health Alliance’s Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopment Inpatient Unit provides specialist assessment and care for children and adolescents who have severe mental health and neurodevelopmental needs.

CHA provides services for children experiencing complex and persistent emotional and behavioral difficulties due to neurodevelopmental disorders.

We care for our patients in a newly renovated secured 24-bed unit at the CHA Somerville Campus.

Our unit offers private rooms, communal eating and living areas, an outdoor activity space, an active sensory room, quiet ‘calming’ spaces for both individual and group play and learning.

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 and weight.

Notifies RN of any changes in vital signs.

Accurately measures and documents patient’s intake and output.

Uses appropriate methods of urine and stool collection and labeling of these specimens.

Assists patients following through with ADL’s (bathing, laundry, organizing room), maintaining nutritional and hydration needs, and assisting & monitoring elimination 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 required.

Neurodevelopment experience strongly preferred.

All newly hired candidates must successfully complete a job specific physical agility test.

[cha020121] KEYWORDS: Mental Health Counselor / Resident Counselor / Mental Health / Behavioral / Pediatric / Therapist / Therapy / Neurodevelopmental / Austism / Neurology