CAREER CENTER

Job Summary
The Medical-Legal Partnership Behavioral Health Attorney will work within the Office of Government Relations and the Office of General the Counsel in a dual role, to advocate on behalf of children and their families, who are facing administrative and/or legal barriers to accessing timely and appropriate behavioral health care or residential disposition. The individual who fills this role will have the opportunity to interact with policymakers, legal services organizations, and thought leaders, across multiple sectors as they advocate on behalf of the hospital, our clinicians and the children of the Commonwealth. Keys to success include superior written and verbal communication skills, proactive attention to developing and maintaining strategic relationships, and a knowledge of the Massachusetts children's behavioral health policy landscape.

This Medical-Legal Partnership Behavioral Health Attorney will be responsible for...

• Providing patient-level advocacy, consultation, and support, to clinical and leadership teams by issue-spotting, problem-solving and coordinating with external systems, including state agencies, local education authorities, payors, providers, and legal services organizations, to achieve appropriate placement for patients with behavioral health needs who are facing difficulty accessing care. Advocacy will be conducted in close collaboration with direct service providers.
• Providing patient-level advocacy and support on behalf of patients who are in the care and custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and are facing difficulty accessing timely and appropriate residential, foster or continuing care placement. Advocacy will be conducted in close collaboration with the Child Protection Team, DCF Nurse Liaison and the treatment team.
• Enhancing the hospital's capacity to track and analyze behavioral health inpatient boarding data and escalation protocols, with support from the Director of Behavioral Health Policy and Advocacy.
• Developing systems and processes to communicate with and engage internal experts and departments about issues impacting patient-level behavioral health access.
• Working in close consultation with the Department of Psychiatry, Care Management, Department of Social Work, Child Protection Program, and Boston Children's Accountable Care Organization.
• Providing support to the Office of General Counsel regarding patient care matters, including participating in team coverage rotation for off-hour patient care emergency matters after an initial six-month training period.
• Providing support to the Medical Legal Partnership, within the Office of General Counsel, including conducting intakes, issue spotting and referral for legal services.
• Conducting briefings and trainings for internal stakeholders.
• Representing the hospital at meetings and foster collaboration with partner organizations and internal departments.

In order to qualify you must have:

• A Juris Doctorate's Degree and current licensure by the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers is preferred. Must have demonstrated affinity and set of experiences in the area of child advocacy, health care, behavioral health or government.
• Bachelor's Degree
• Analytical skills to resolve problems that require the use of basic scientific, mathematical, or technical principles
• Organizational skills and attention to detail, including the ability to prioritize and complete various projects simultaneously
• Ability to work with diverse internal and external constituencies

​​​​Boston Children's Hospital offers competitive compensation and unmatched benefits, including an affordable health, vision and dental insurance, generous levels of time off, 403(b) Retirement Savings plan, Pension, Tuition Reimbursement, cell phone plan discounts and discounted rates on T-passes (50% off). Discover your best.