Clinical Research Assistant II- HBCD Study

The Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Boston Children’s Hospital seek to hire a full-time Clinical Research Assistant II. This position includes responsibilities as a study navigator and as a research assistant on the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study (HBCD). The study navigator’s responsibilities include guiding participants to support services to address issues related to substance use disorder or early recovery, mental health, and/or social needs and providing assistance in completing study requirements and accessing community resources.The HBCD Study aims to examine brain and behavioral development in children with and without substance exposure and other highly variable environments from pregnancy to 10 years of age. This nationwide, prospective, longitudinal study uses an innovative battery of neuroimaging measures (MRI, EEG), complemented by an extensive armamentarium of behavioral, physiological, and psychological tools as well as assessment of a range of biospecimens, to understand neurodevelopmental trajectories. This project is part of NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative.
This Clinical Research Assistant will be responsible for:

• Conduct and document in-person needs assessments of high-risk candidates during on-site visits; help identify relevant community resources and assist participant in accessing resources.
• Assist in developing relationships to community supports, to help participants complete study requirements.
• Maintain positive relationships with community partnerships and explore opportunities for new partnerships, including completing applications and interfacing with different organizations.
• Manage pick-up and distribution of donated items.
• Consent and recruit pregnant persons and children for research studies through interviews and written communications.
• Schedule and execute study visits remotely, in the lab, and in the home, including conducting and helping with behavioral testing, MRI scans, biological sample collection and handling, and EEG and biosensor data collection.
• Participate in staff meetings and staff training and development as appropriate.
• Monitor and review data collection and entry and informed consent procedures, ensuring consistency of application.
• Participate in preparation of study materials (e.g., analytical summaries, procedural manuals, scholarly products, IRB and NIH documentation) as necessary/requested.
• Other miscellaneous administrative duties as assigned/required.
• Observe all rules related to participant rights, code of ethics and conduct, confidentiality, and professional standards at all times.

In order to qualify, you must have:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• A minimum 2-year commitment is preferred.
• Willingness to travel throughout greater Boston area.
• Sensitivity to and experience working with women, infants, and young children from various backgrounds.
• Ability to work after daytime hours and be available for weekend study sessions as needed.
• Proficiency in using or comfort learning to use database software (e.g. Microsoft Office, Zoom, Webex, basic data platforms) .
• Ability to work independently and within a large team, be self-motivated, and have strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail.
• Bilingual or professional fluency in both English and Spanish is a plus.
• Degree in social work or at least 6 months of previous work experience involving case management is a plus.