Program Director- Suffolk County Jail Project

Position Summary

The Program Director will provide crucial oversight for a new, 45-bed men's behavioral health unit operated by Boston Medical Center (BMC) located in the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department's (SCSD) Jail. This program aims to provide culturally responsive and person-centered care as part of an innovative model. In collaboration with Clinical and Administrative leadership, this role is critical to the smooth provision of services to incarcerated persons.

This role will oversee the day to day programming on the unit ensuring the project's mission is carried out and quality services are delivered. A core component of this role is managing the milieu including behaviors and conflict between clients, using de-escalation and restorative justice principles in addition to close collaboration with security staff. Alongside clinical leadership this role will supervise a multidisciplinary team advocating for staff's needs and empowering them in their diverse roles.

As part of this innovative new collaboration between BMC and SCSD, this role will report into the BMC Department of Psychiatry, and directly to the Director of Population Behavioral Health. Work will be completed within office and unit settings, both housed within a setting of incarceration. This is a full time daytime position with telephonic coverage needs outside of traditional work hours.

The person who fills this position must adhere to all of BMC's RESPECT behavioral standards.

Position Details

Position:
Program Director
- Suffolk County Jail Project

Department:
Psychiatry

Schedule:

Full Time

Location:

Onsite at the Suffolk County Jail

Essential Responsibilities / Duties

• Assumes a key leadership position within the program, operationalizing the core values of BMC by promoting patient centered care, diversity, equity and inclusion among staff and clients.

• Management of all programming during operating hours of the unit including assigning specific duties and responsibilities to staff, communicating program goals to staff, and addressing crises in collaboration with jail and operational staff.

• With support from administrative and clinical leadership, responsible for personnel management of staff on unit, including hiring, training, supervising, setting performance metrics, evaluating performance, and initiating progressive discipline through utilization of coaching, counseling, and progressive discipline for staff as indicated.

• Coordinates interdisciplinary collaboration through efforts such as facilitation of staff meetings.

• Develops strong collaborative relationships with SCSD staff, serving as key liaison with facility day to day.

• Develop relationships with relevant city/state agencies and community based organizations for the purpose of collaboration, funding, and building referral pathways and additional resources for client population.

• In collaboration with other leadership, engage in fiscal management of the program including attention to program budget and develop funding/grant opportunities for unit expansion and special initiatives.

• In collaboration with other leadership, support initiatives to improve employee resiliency and morale, including facilitation of incident debrief sessions, resilience workshops that create a psychological safe space for workplace trauma to be processed, and coordination with the Resiliency Team at BMC for best practices.

• Engage in strategic planning of the project's future with other relevant leadership.

Job Requirements

Education

• Bachelors degree; or Master's Degree in relevant field (MPH, MBA, MSW) preferred but not required.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Required

• N/A

Experience

• Prior experience working with communities and individuals impacted by the criminal legal system required.

• Prior experience working with trauma interventions, particularly addressing mental wellness in a holistic way, required.

• Minimum three years in supervisory/management role required.

• Minimum ten years in working in social services field required (mental health, community violence, case management, health care, etc.).

• Prior experience managing behaviors in milieu, preferred.

Knowledge, Skills…