Research Assistant, Psychiatry (STEPPS/RESTORE Studies)

Position: Research Assistant, Psychiatry (STEPPS/RESTORE Studies)

Location: Boston, MA

Schedule: 40 hours per week, Hybrid (2-3 days on-site per week)

ABOUT BMC:

At Boston Medical Center (BMC), our diverse staff works together for one goal — to provide exceptional and equitable care to improve the health of the people of Boston. Our bold vision to transform health care is powered by our respect for our patients and our commitment to ensure everyone who comes through our doors has a positive experience.

You’ll find a supportive work environment at BMC, with rich opportunities throughout your career for training, development, and growth and where you’ll have the tools you need to take charge of your own practice environment.

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position is supported in part by the, “Stepped Care for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Study or STEPPS,” which aims to develop a stepped care treatment model for PTSD that spans primary care and psychiatry settings. The position is also supported in part by The RESTORE Center—a health services research hub and PTSD subspecialty clinic. We expect that the RA will spend half of their time on the STEPPS study and half of their time in RESTORE (effort distribution may vary.)

STEPPS duties include recruitment of individuals with PTSD, pre-screening/scheduling, data collection through interviews, surveys, and electronic medical record data extraction, and coordination of study visits and meetings associated with conduct of a clinical trial study. The RA will have the unique opportunity to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team across primary care and psychiatry. There will also be opportunities to collaborate on posters and papers, if interested.

RESTORE duties include practice-based data collection (measurement-based care), supporting clinical panel management, program evaluation, planning events such as clinical trainings and patient advisory board meetings, and supporting any ongoing pilot studies taking place in the subspecialty clinic.

The ideal candidate has interest in pursuing a graduate degree in psychology or related field and is able to commit at least 2 years to this project.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Recruits individuals to participate in the study; conducts the enrollment of study participants, including explaining research procedures & protocols, and obtaining informed consent of participants. Identify participants with significant clinical concerns and relays this information to the Principal Investigator.

• Schedules appointments of study participants; conducts reminder phone calls and/or sends mailouts. Administers questionnaires and assists study participants in navigating through questionnaires.

• Reviews the data collection forms for each participant for completion and quality; checks work of junior staff performing data entry to ensure timely and accurate entry (reviews protocols, abstracts secondary data from existing records, notes, etc.)

• Performs a variety of data management procedures (e.g., data entry, producing basic reports, data cleaning, database maintenance). Provides assistance in the development of reports, grants, presentations and data analysis.

• Assists with manuscript and grant preparation and research. Conducts literature searches and synthesizes information in requested formats.

Administrative

• Perform administrative duties associated with the study’s Data Monitoring and Safety Board, tracking and reporting adverse events and collecting data specified by the DSMB.

• Responsible for all other administrative duties related to research activities.

• Prepares and maintains Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals and correspondence, including amendments and renewals as necessary.

• Performs office-related duties such as answering phones, picking up and delivering mail, storing and distributing office supplies, handling faxes, scanning, filing, photocopying, collating materials, maintaining the update of policy manuals, etc.

• Supports measurement-based care implementation in RESTORE, and pulls reports to support panel management with the interdisciplinary team

• Supports coordination of clinical training and consultation programs. Supports coordination of patient and clinical advisory boards

The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree is required by time of hire.

• Degree in Psychology is preferred.

EXPERIENCE:

• 1-2 years of research or relevant clinical experience is preferred.

• Experience in Psychological Research or Mental Health clinical studies preferred.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Ability to read and write fluently in English required.

• Ability to speak Spanish is preferred.

• Must have the ability to take initiative and handle multiple priorities and tasks.

• Ability to communicate effectively (listen and build trust) and be non-judgmental with people of different gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, ethnic, language and cultural backgrounds.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (i.e. MS Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook) and web browsers. Experience with statistical software (SPSS) a plus.

• Must successfully complete training in human subjects research certification.

This position is grant-funded through 7/2027. There may be opportunity beyond this grant funding for position integration into ongoing operations.

JOB BENEFITS:

• Competitive pay
• Tuition reimbursement and tuition remission programs
• Highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance options
• Career Advancement/Professional Development: Access a wealth of ongoing training and development opportunities that will not only enhance your skills but also expand your knowledge base especially for individuals pursuing careers in medicine or biomedical research.
• Pioneering Research: Engage in groundbreaking research projects that are driving the forefront of biomedical science.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

As the primary teaching hospital for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and BU schools of public health and dentistry, intellectual rigor shapes our inquiries. Our research is led by a belief that skin color, zip code, and financial circumstances shouldn’t dictate health.

Boston Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. If you need accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail to Talentacquisition@bmc.org or call 617-638-8582 to let us know the nature of your request.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

As the primary teaching hospital for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and BU schools of public health and dentistry, intellectual rigor shapes our inquiries. Our research is led by a belief that skin color, zip code, and financial circumstances shouldn’t dictate health.

Boston Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. If you need accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail to Talentacquisition@bmc.org or call 617-638-8582 to let us know the nature of your request.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans

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