PAY TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT:

In accordance with The Massachusetts Pay Transparency Act, BNHC provides a reasonable pay range for each posted position. Actual compensation will be based on multiple factors such as relevant experience, education, and training to determine offered rates. This range represents the organization's good faith estimate of the possible compensation at the time of posting.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Homeless Services Nurse Practitioner (HSNP) provides compassionate, patient-centered, trauma-informed primary and urgent medical care to patients visiting the shelter-based clinic at Father Bill’s and Mainspring’s Smith Family Housing Resource Center. Many patients experience complex medical, behavioral, substance use, and social needs, including housing and food insecurity. The Nurse Practitioner provides care in accordance with professional standards and established Brockton Neighborhood Health Center policies and procedures.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Conducts comprehensive primary care services, including well examinations, health care maintenance and episodic urgent sick visits, to patients who are present at the clinic located at Father Bill’s and Mainspring. This includes in-person and telehealth appointments as needed by patients.

· Provides assessment, education, and management for comprehensive well health promotion, illness prevention, anticipatory guidance, and screening tests

· Addresses the behavioral health, substance use and social needs of patients in collaboration with BNHC specialty teams, including the BNHC mobile addiction services unit, and community partners in the greater Brockton area. Incorporates trauma-informed care and harm reduction principles into everyday practice.

· Designs a plan of care based on assessment of physical, psychological, emotional, and social needs and in collaboration with the patient and, if appropriate, community partners.

· Incorporates case management activities into practice and collaborates with multidisciplinary health care team to provide continuity of care for patients.

· Initiates follow-up and specialty referrals for those patients needing further work-up or monitoring of a current situation. Initiates and arranges in-house referrals for medical and non-medical conditions that affect the patient’s health.

· Assesses and evaluates the learning needs of the patient and any barriers to education. Educates patients so that they develop an understanding of the importance of regular well visits for good health maintenance.

· Familiarity and comfort with the concept of harm reduction by providing guidance to patients on topics including safer injection practices, overdose prevention, and preventing HIV/HCV transmission.

· Maintains practice that is culturally, linguistically sensitive, using interpreters, and other assistance as appropriate. Works towards creating a practice that is anti-racist and prioritizes health equity.

· Collaboratively works with other caregivers regarding patient education and rehabilitation including promotion of mental and physical health.

· Maintains collaborative relationships with other providers, administration, and other clinical staff. Furnishes professional guidance and assistance to colleagues and other staff. Utilizes skills and expertise of other disciplines to ensure comprehensive care for all patients.

· Collaborates in the development and revision of departmental policies, procedures, and protocols.

· Maintains a working relationship and open communication with the Program Manager and Director of Substance Use Services regarding clinic operations and components, and areas of improvement and enhancement of services

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Leading assigned team meetings and huddles

· Assessing collective patient and team needs and developing workflows and protocols that help meet those needs

· Teaching and training of health center providers and staff on clinical care of people experiencing homelessness and abolishing stigma related to homelessness, mental health, and substance use in the healthcare setting

· Participating in research opportunities

· Contributing to grant writing and management

· Development of enhanced clinical care of patients experiencing homelessness starting with infectious disease, STI, and HIV services and expanding to other clinical areas of opportunity

QUALITY STANDARDS:

· · Attend at least 2/3 of provider and staff meetings.

· · Active participation in 1 Performance Improvement team or 1 community outreach project per year. Active participation means minimum meeting attendance of 6 meetings each year and making concrete, constructive contribution to the team or community group. Alternatively, provider may do an independent quality improvement project, approved by the CMO and CEO in advance.

· · Encounters correctly completed and submitted electronically by next business day. All medical record documentation is complete by next business day. All health center documentation is electronic.

· · At least 90% compliance with electronic problem list, medication list, prescribing and pain assessment standards based on chart review or electronic reports.

· · Compliance with UDS and ACO quality metrics.

· · Cooperates with efforts of the Patient Care Committee to monitor and improve the quality of patient care provided.

· · Compliance with regulatory guidance.

· In collaboration with the Homeless Services LPN/MA/Phlebotomist, maintain clinic logs and documentation including:

o Refrigerator temperature logs for lab area and medication room

o Equipment cleaning logs

o Code cart and code bag checks in collaboration with the NP

o Oxygen log

o AED log

COMMUNICATIONS:

· Demonstrates sensitivity and responds appropriately to verbal and non-verbal communications of patients, families, co-workers, and the Father Bill’s and Mainspring team.

· Maintains patient’s right to privacy, assuring dignity in the provision of care and is discreet in all communications, written and oral, about the patient’s care.

PROBLEM RESOLUTION:

· Consistently utilizes good judgment in the resolution of problems, clinical and non-clinical.

· Possesses the ability to act independently and is willing to make decisions utilizing good judgment.

· Has the ability to visualize and anticipate new problems and to be part of the problem-solving process.

INTERPERSERONAL SKILLS:

· Utilizes tact, courtesy, patience, and discretion in dealing with others.

· Possesses the ability to maintain a stable presence under stress due to pressure of the work environment.

· Ability to work with staff from diverse social and economic backgrounds with respect, understanding, and teamwork -- including and especially staff from non-clinical disciplines

· Maintains an understanding of the transient and chaotic nature of the lives of patients experiencing homelessness, mental health disorders, and substance use disorder and adjusts approach to offering medical care according to this understanding.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

We are dedicated to eliminating health disparities and becoming an anti-racist organization by prioritizing racial justice and equity in healthcare. We are striving to promote an inclusive work environment that is aware of and responsive to bias and privilege. We aim to build trust among staff from different backgrounds, provide opportunities for professional development and advancement, and actively recruit and retain a diverse work force at all levels.

· Works in a busy community health center site within a homeless shelter.

· Occasional long hours may be required.

· Potential exposure to patient blood and body fluids.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Physical demands requiring lifting of small pieces of equipment, boxes, and/or patients not to exceed 50 pounds. Mostly standing and walking are required. Visual acuity is sufficient for frequent reading. Hearing acuity sufficient for holding conversation with or without audio devices.

TRAVEL, WORK HOURS:

Occasional statewide or national travel is possible for CME/conferences. Includes evening and weekend hours. In order to prevent a direct threat to the safety and health of our patients and staff, effective August 1, 2021, new hires are required to have had at least the first dose of a COVID vaccine prior to their start, with the exception of those who have documented medical or religious exemptions. New hires who are not yet vaccinated can arrange to have the vaccine on site. At Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, we are dedicated to providing high quality health care that is delivered by Committed, Competent, Compassionate staff who respect the dignity, privacy, and equality of each patient and colleague. Our team believes that Teamwork, Diversity, Respect, Customer service and Collaboration are essential for everyone to be successful in their role.