Nurse - PACT

Bay Cove Human Services' mission is to partner with people to overcome challenges and realize personal potential. Bay Cove pursues this mission by providing individualized and compassionate services to people facing the challenges associated with developmental disabilities, mental illness, substance use disorders, and homelessness at more than 175 program sites throughout Greater Boston and Southeastern Massachusetts.

Bay Cove Human Services is committed to ensuring the representation and participation of candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We encourage all qualified individuals, particularly those from historically marginalized groups, to apply.

Job Summary: In collaboration with the psychiatric care provider, the PACT Nurse manages PACT's medication system, provides direct service to Persons Served, and provides health related cross-training to other PACT Team staff. The PACT Nurse contributes to Bay Cove's mission by collaborating with Persons Served to promote wellness and health practices that will afford individuals the well-being to pursue their goals.

This is an exempt position

Supervisory Responsibilities: As designated by the Team Leader

Essential Functions of Position:

Nursing Role

• Manage the medication system, administer, and document medication treatment including filling prescription orders, sorting and preparing medication delivery packets, managing IM injection schedules and administering IM medications, and ensuring that the Medication Administration Record (MAR) and all other documentation related to medications is accurate and up-to-date.
• Screen and monitor Persons Served for medical problems/side effects including conducting regular screening for medical conditions and side effects of medications (e.g., screening for metabolic syndrome for Persons Served taking atypical antipsychotics, and/or completing the abnormal involuntary movement scale (AIMS) assessment) and consistently monitoring existing medical conditions (e.g., blood glucose levels in diabetic Persons Served).
• Communicate and coordinate services with the other medical providers by regularly contacting inpatient and outpatient medical and psychiatric care providers who are treating Persons Served either when a Person Served is hospitalized or when they have an outpatient medical appointment
• Prepare, distribute, collect, review, and upload health communication forms to relay and receive information from outpatient health providers and receive, review, and upload discharge summaries from inpatient providers.
• Engage in health promotion, prevention and education activities, such as assessing for risky behaviors (e.g., unsafe sex) and carrying out interventions intended to influence behavior change, assessing and intervening on health/medical risk factors or conditions (e.g., providing education and monitoring of diets specific to diabetic needs or to prevent and address obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol), tracking all age-related and family history health screens (e.g., a colonoscopy at age 50, prostate exam for men at age 50 or earlier if African-American or a family history; a mammogram for women at age 40), engaging in strategies to reduce tobacco use, assessing wellness/health management skills, and collaboratively working with the team on developing a wellness management plan or strategy.
• Educate other PACT team members either formally (e.g., cross-training) or informally (in the daily team meeting) to help them monitor psychiatric symptoms and medication side effects and train staff on safe medication delivery practices.
• Assist Persons Served to develop strategies to maximize the taking of medications as prescribed (e.g., behavioral tailoring, development of individual cues and reminders) when the Persons Served is in agreement.
• Accompany Persons Served to medical care appointments when specialized medical input will likely be imparted that requires a more sophisticated medical interpretation.

Team Role

• Serve as Primary Care Manager for assigned Persons Served by coordinating and monitoring the activities of the Individual Treatment Team (ITT), by assuming responsibility for developing, writing, implementing, evaluating, and revising overall treatment goals and plans in conjunction with the Person Served and the ITT.
• Conduct, or contribute to, the comprehensive assessment of Persons Served.
• Provide treatment and rehabilitation services to all persons served by the team including skills training and support in all areas of functioning including: symptom management, coping skills, substance abuse, vocational and educational, housing, activities of daily living, benefits counseling, money management, public transportation, appointment attendance, social and recreational, etc.
• Collaborate with natural supports and extended support networks as requested by Persons Served.
• Participate in and contribute to daily organizational meetings and treatment planning meetings.
• Contribute to the overall functioning of the PACT team by sharing in the administrative responsibilities of shift management, weekend coverage, and on-call coverage on a rotating basis as assigned.
• Provide crisis assessment, prevention, and needed intervention during the work day and while on-call on nights and weekends as scheduled.
• Complete all required documentation including ACAs, IAPs, service notes, incident reports, and outcomes reporting.

Requirements for the position:

• Massachusetts Licensed Registered Nurse
• Associate, Bachelor, or Master degree in nursing required
• At least one year experience working with individuals diagnosed with severe and persistent mental health issues required
• Strong commitment to the right and ability of each person with a severe and persistent mental illness to live in normal community residences; work in market jobs; and have access to helpful, adequate, competent, and continuous supports and services.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.
• High degree of personal organization, attention to detail, and time management skills.
• Proficiency in word processing and other computer functions using Windows, Word, and Google Email and Apps.
• Ability to climb stairs, carry up to 40 pounds, and assist people with mobility impairments as needed.
• Use of personal cellular telephone for work communication.
• A valid driver's license and use of a personal vehicle.

Personal Characteristics:

• Strong commitment to the belief that all individuals encountered should be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of any individual factors, and willingness to contribute to a community that embodies this belief.
• Ability to communicate the pride that one takes in one's own work and the work accomplished by Bay Cove to others, both within the agency and externally.
• Ability to provide services in a competent, professional, and responsible manner that ensures the integrity of the agency.
• Demonstrated flexible and responsive work-style that meets the evolving needs of the agency.

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• Dorchester, Boston, MA, USA