The mission of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) is to ensure unconditionally equitable and dignified access to the highest quality health care for all individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community.
To do this, we utilize an array of talented doctors, nurses, case managers, social workers, housekeepers, cafeteria workers, AmeriCorps Members, and so much more. The work is hard, but it would be so much harder if we did not have a cohort of talented and dedicated volunteers and interns to lean on.
Read this article in the New York Times Magazine
Tufts student who interned at BHCH
Volunteering and Interning @ BHCHP
BHCHP primarily offers internships in the summer. During the rest of the year, learners who offer their services to BHCHP are categorized as volunteers. That said, we have no objection to students listing their service with us as an internship on their resume, applications, and the like.
Most of the roles described below will take place Monday through Friday during regular business hours. We ask potential volunteers to commit to at least one recurring three hour shift per week such as 1 pm to 4 pm every Monday.
Learners in this role should be prepared for daily, sustained contact with a high need patient population and should be comfortable spending time with patients in a variety of settings. Learners should also be aware they will be witness to people in profound medical or behavioral crisis, or actively overdosing. Open drug use around our facility is common, as is police activity. Students filling these roles must be prepared for this, and be willing to ask for and accept help around these issues.
Potential Roles and Descriptions
Needs at our facilities can change rapidly. At the time of this writing, our openings include:
Family Team Assistant – Learners will staff the desk in the waiting area at our Family Team Clinic in Jamaica Plain. Duties will include greeting patients, checking them in, and making them feel welcome and other administrative duties. As students demonstrate proficiency, they will take on some light case management tasks as well. The Family Team Clinic is located at 1785 Columbus Ave in Jamaica Plain, near the Jackson Square Orange Line stop.
Harm Reduction Clinic – The Harm Reduction Clinic is the latest evolution of our outreach nursing efforts. Students will escort patients from the front door to the clinic on the 4th floor, as well as walking patients over to our pharmacy if/when they need to pick up meds. Students will also assist staff in the milieu management of the clinic. As students gain proficiencies, they will also be assigned some light case management tasks. Additionally, students volunteering on Wednesdays can expect to assist with the weekly Women’s Only Wednesday (WoW) event held on sit. The Harm Reduction Clinic is located at 774 Albany St., 4th floor, directly next door to our main facility at 780 Albany. The Harm Reduction Clinic is CLOSED on Tuesday afternoons.
Case Management Assistant @ Stacy Kirkpatrick House – The Stacy Kirkpatrick House (SKH) is a small (20 bed) respite care facility in Jamaica Plain. Students in this role will assist the full time staff case manager on a variety of issues, such as new patient intakes, arranging transportation/escorting patient to outside appointments, securing various necessities for patients such as telephones, T passes, benefits such as Social Security, SNAP, etc. The list of issues patient require assistance with is nearly endless. During slow periods, students might take patients for walks, lead them in recreational activities, or just sit and chat with them. SKH is located at 461 Walnut Ave in Jamaica Plain, across the street from Franklin Park. Preference for this role will be given to individuals that can volunteer 6+ hours per week.
Oasis Clinic – The Oasis Clinic is a weekly drop in space on Saturday afternoons for immigrant populations that seeks to provide medical, behavioral health and case management services to immigrant populations in the language the patient is most comfortable communicating in. Volunteers assist with set up and break down, staff various stations like food, music, arts and crafts, etc. While Oasis does require volunteers to have some level of foreign language proficiency, volunteers will NOT do medical interpretation. Instead, volunteers will use their language skills to make the space feel safe and welcoming to the patients. The Oasis Clinic is located at our main facility, 780 Albany St., and runs from Noon to 4p on Saturdays.
Patient Navigation – Patients staying at our Barbara McInnis House (BMH) Respite Care facility often times need off site medical care. While most of the patients are fine to be sent alone, some patients lack the strength, stamina or cognitive ability to get themselves to and from their appointment. Students volunteering as Patient Navigators will escort these patient to and from the appointments, making sure the patient arrives safely and that necessary information gets into the hands of the providers. Most appointments take place across the street at Boston Medical Center. On occasions where the patient needs to go farther afield, you will go in an Uber/Lyft paid for by BHCHP. Navigators are based out of our main facility at 780 Albany St.
Qualifications
- Genuine interest in getting to know individuals experiencing homelessness
- Adept at problem solving
- An awareness of, or willingness to learn, Harm Reduction and Trauma Informed Care Principles
- Good organizational, communication and time management skills
- Professional approach to work,
- Ability to accept instruction, but work with limited direct supervision
- Flexibility in supporting other tasks, as needed
- Fluency in Spanish and/or Hattian Creole is highly desirable but not required
- LBGTQIA+, students of color, students from marginalized communities and students with lived experience are all encouraged to apply
Dress Code
Dress is casual with an emphasis on comfort. In these roles, you will spend a lot of time on their feet and on the move. Jeans, sneakers, sweatshirt/hoodies, t-shirts, school swag, etc., are all permitted. BHCHP branded clothing is ubiquitous. So long as the clothing is clean and in good repair, and one’s look is reasonably “put together” there should not be a problem.
We ask that people avoid open toed shoes, excessively tight or revealing clothes, or clothing with an overtly religious or political messaging. Clothing with sexual inuendo or double entendre should be avoided, as should clothing that references drug or alcohol use, even obliquely. If a person has to ask themselves “Will this be ok” that is a good indication it probably won’t be. Err on the side of caution.
Benefit to Volunteer
Volunteers in this role will have the opportunity to interact closely with an underserved population and to observe how a health care agency of this nature operates. Volunteers will observe and engage with patients with varying medical, behavioral health, and addiction issues. If interested, the volunteer will have the opportunity to become certified in CPR.
Process to Volunteer
Please fill out the following interest list with your details. Tufts will share this information with the organization representative, and we hope to plan an information session on-campus for those that sign-up.
If you have any questions, you can reach out to Susan Atkins, Assoc. Director, Employer Relations at susan.atkins@tufts.edu.
Interest List Sign-Up
