CARE Clinician

cambridge community safety department’s mission is to provide additional services to enhance the community’s health and wel‑being. We value compassion in our prevention and intervention efforts.

the community safety department is guided by the following values:

• we are continuously learning, evolving and reimagining our approach in order to best meet the needs of the community we serve. We adore a growth mindset and value curiousity, humility, and our shared humanity.
• we commit to living restorative practices such as building empathy, compassion, trust and mutual respect in all we do.
• we center relationships, partnerships, authentic collaboration and joy in our work. We are guided by the wisdom, insights, and experiences of those who came before us and those who are doing the work today to build solutions commodity‑wide. We are intentionally laying groundwork for the future we envision.
• we are consciously not reproducing systems of oppression. We aim to create equitable, anti‑racist, and non‑discriminatory ways of serving our community.
• we acknowledge the historical implications of the criminal legal system and the harm it has done to our communities. With this understanding, we value the dignity and humanity of all people.
• the city established the csd in response to a city council policy order to develop an unarmed alternative response program, as well as in response to community concerns about supporting cambridge’s most vulnerable residents and enhancing violence prevention efforts.

the csd’s care (community assistance response and engagement) team will respond to 9-1-1 calls for assistance that do not include scene safety concerns. The care team provides an alternative response model for non‑violent behavioral health crises with specialized field teams who serve as a primary response. These specialized teams employ their training as well as lived experiences to provide immediate and follow‑up support to individuals in crisis.

The csd will work toward operating 7 days a week and will respond to non‑violent behavioral health and/or homeslip crises. Teams will use their combined training, department policies, knowledge, and lived experiences to provide immediate support. This is a new department that will be consistently adapting the model based on data collected over time. The csd will embody a growth mindset with a culture of constantly learning and growing.

the care clinician will provide clinical leadership and support for care responders. The care clinician will go out on calls with care responders as well as triage requests for service that come from non‑911 referral sources. The care clinician will also provide follow‑up services to community members with whom the responders interact. The care clinician will provide on‑call and back up coverage to care responders in the field, as well as provide ongoing clinical leadership.

The ideal candidates will bring flexibility, eagerness to learn, and a willingness to shift approaches as new data is collected.

• provide clinical leadership of care responders.
• support community members in urgent crisis situations requiring immediate attention over the phone.
• provide guidance to responders so they incorporate evidence‑based practices when developing treatment plans and selecting interventions.
• assist responders to ensure plans and interventions are based on each person’s assessed readiness and expressed interest.
• accommodate care responders on calls.
• obtain appropriate paperwork and maintain strict adherence to confidentiality, documentation and record‑keeping requirements.
• provide triage and telephone support for community members in behavioral health and/or homeslip crisis, intoxicated, or under the influence of controlled substances.
• follow training and protocols to safely de‑escalate behavioral health crisis situations over the phone.
• obtain information and effectively triage a call to the appropriate level of care.
• maintain confidentiality and respect the boundaries of clients experiencing emotional distress.
• develop appropriate follow‑up and safety planning with community members.
• utilize…