Medical Ethicist (Shriver Center)

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the general supervision of the Medical Director, or designee, the Medical Ethicist is responsible for conducting direct casework, consultation, interdisciplinary work and training related to ethical dilemmas for people with disabilities.  The Medical Ethicist will provide direct consultation to people with disabilities and their families, state human service departments, human service agencies, and clinicians, including as an Ethicist for the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services.  This is a part time 30 hour per week position.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Conducts direct casework, including periods of on-call status, working with clinicians, staff, individuals receiving human services and their family members.
• Applies strategies for conflict resolution, including casework to address volatile or intractable conflicts.
• Develops educational materials, and curriculum pertaining to ethics and/or conflict resolution and/or healthcare proxies and guardians for various audiences including human service staff, people with disabilities, families/legal surrogates, and clinical teams
• Works with teams to address treatment dilemmas in acute care, rehab settings, nursing facilities, long term care and residences.
• Establishes and leads an ethics committee
• Serves as a member of interdisciplinary review teams, such as risk reviews, clinical reviews and mortality reviews
• Works with clinical staff on cases
• Provides consultation to human service systems on establishing, supporting and conducting ethical reviews
• Continue to educate individuals, families/legal surrogates, and teams about the importance of offering options other than full legal guardianship, including other court supported tools such as limited guardianship and Health Care Proxy.
• Supports race, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the workplace and delivery of services.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s Degree required in a related field or equivalent experience.
• Formal training and 5+ years of experience in medical ethics and conflict resolution
• 3+ years of experience in working directly with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Demonstrated skill in communicating with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those who do not speak verbally, use a tablet, eye gaze technology, gestures/sounds or eye blinks or eye movements.
• Knowledge of legal guardianship and health care proxies, including Massachusetts-specific laws and procedures
• Ability to plan and present trainings in a precise, understandable manner to persons with a wide variety of skills and backgrounds, potentially including those with disabilities.
• Demonstrated experience in direct casework
• Demonstrated experience in interdisciplinary case reviews
• Demonstrates a high degree of professionalism, including excellent communication skills written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to exercise sound judgement and discretion in handling confidential information.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people in a timely and diplomatic manner.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to work independently and in an organized, detail-oriented fashion.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated experience with end of life decisions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities