Job Description

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 12,000 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 60 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 .

Job Summary :

Boston Health Care for the Homeless (BHCHP) is seeking a Bilingual Recovery Coach to work with its Reentry Initiatives for Support and Empowerment (RISE) team. The RISE team provides recovery support and overdose prevention services to individuals without stable housing that are incarcerated in Suffolk County. This includes access to Medication for Opiate Use Disorder (MOUD), case management, therapy, psychiatry, and recovery coaching

At BHCHP, we believe in a world without stigma. We advocate for the expansion of access to all types of addiction treatment, and we also recognize a parallel need to reduce the harms associated with drug use for people who do not seek treatment, who cannot currently access treatment, or who have recently relapsed. We do not require our recoverees to stop using before we start helping them, and we know that recovery is a life-long process. We let our patients, clients, and peers define what recovery means to them. Lived experience of substance use disorders, homelessness, and/or the criminal justice system would be a strong asset for this role and those with these experiences are encouraged to apply. Additionally, we are looking for someone who embraces the mission of BHCHP, and who is committed to offering hope to homeless, incarcerated and unstably housed individuals as they work towards achieving sustained recovery.

Hours: Part-time, 20 hours per week; Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30am-5pm or 9am-5pm AND Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays 10am-2pm (4-hour work day is flexible)

Responsibilities :

• With recoveree and team members, conducts initial needs assessment, reviews the recoveree’s substance use disorder (SUD) history, develops a wellness plan, and identifies the recoveree’s goals and expectations; works collaboratively with the recoveree and the care coordinators to develop a recovery-supportive care plan that includes services for treatment of SUDs, including evidence-based practices; engages with recoverees diagnosed with OUD, collaboratively identifying and addressing barriers to successful recovery while serving as role model, ally, and advocate.
• Provides overdose prevention education, post-overdose support, and resources as needed; provides timely and responsive support to recoverees in immediate risk of relapse or other unsafe behaviors during working hours and creates relapse prevention plans to support recoveree during non-business hours.
• Supports the recoveree in their process among the multiple systems which impact the recovery--including their recovery community, the addiction treatment system, the medical treatment system, and the recoveree’s own cultural/social context, community, family, to facilitate positive connections across systems of care.
• Negotiates and creates opportunities for access to treatment and social services for recoverees; advocates on behalf of recoverees to help decrease barriers to care; offers education to recoverees about addiction and utilizes motivational enhancement techniques to explore ambiguity and encourage progress in stages of change.
• Escorts recoverees on day of release to facilitate their connection to care; facilitates and/or co-facilitates weekly recovery support group(s).
• Assists care coordinators and project director with data collection for program evaluation as needed.
• Work collaboratively with BHCHP harm reduction services, Community Care in Reach mobile clinic, and OBAT teams to support people seeking recovery support and to refer people to SUD treatment modalities as needed; Work collaboratively with external recovery-oriented services to facilitate referrals on behalf of clients to provide assistance with detox, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), additional treatment/support referrals.
• Clearly and effectively facilitates communication between the recoveree, providers, care coordinator, project director, and any external providers maintaining appropriate confidentiality procedures and boundaries; ability to work independently as well as part of an interdisciplinary team; systematically reviews the caseload with the supervisor and care coordinators each week focusing on new recoverees and recoverees who are having difficulties.

Qualifications :

• Experience working with people who have a history of housing instability, trauma, and substance use disorders; lived experience of substance use disorders, homelessness, and/or the criminal justice system would be a strong asset for this role and those with these experiences are encouraged to apply. 
• Knowledge of healthy and appropriate boundaries when working with vulnerable populations; knowledge of harm reduction strategies including opioid overdose prevention and response, safer injection techniques, or willingness to be trained to become expert in these topics.
• Fluency in Spanish will be a strong asset for this role and bilingual applicants are especially encouraged to apply; additional compensation for demonstrated verbal proficiency in Spanish and English .
• Recovery Coach Academy (RCA) graduate preferred or willingness to complete RCA within 4 months of hire required; Certified Addictions Recovery Coach (CARC) certification required within first 12 months of employment; high school diploma required.
• Comfort with multiple pathways to recovery from SUD and willingness to embrace a recoveree-centered approach that recognizes an individual’s preferences and autonomy; ability to lead group conversations and facilitate group support.
• If in recovery, minimum of 4 years in sustained recovery at time of application.

Compensation and Benefits :

• The compensation starts at $22.07 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 annual compensation of seven thousand five hundred dollars 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.

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