Improving Care. Changing Lives.

Harvard Medical School

Harvards Judge Baker Childrens Center: A Combined

Research/Clinical/Teaching Administration Position of
Research Assistant, Continuing Education Series Coordinator, and Child
Psychiatry Clinical Practice Assistant
Based at the prestigious Harvard Medical School-affiliated Judge Baker Childrens
Center, a unique and exciting multi-faceted opportunity for a highly motivated individual
to gain a wide range of experiences in research in a clinical child mental health setting,
while working at a research lab with its principal investigator (PI) and Harvard Medical
School professor, and coordinating and participating in continuing education activities for
medicine and psychology. This position involves volunteering half time as an unpaid
Research Assistant, working half time as a Judge Baker salaried employee (including
fringe benefits), and working a small number of hours as clinical practice assistant.
Setting Founded in 1917, the prestigious and historical Judge Baker Children's Center is
the second oldest child mental health center in the country and a leader in implementation
and dissemination science for evidence-based practices in child mental health. An
affiliate of Boston Childrens Hospital and Harvard Medical School for many decades,
the Judge Baker has trained generations of child psychiatrists, psychologists and social
workers, including many current leaders in these fields.
This FTE position has 3 components:
1) Research Assistant in the Child Language and Developmental Psychiatry lab at
Harvards Judge Baker Children's Center, working closely with the PI Claudio
Toppelberg, MD and other researchers, gaining experience and knowledge of
research skills. This portion of the position is as a VOLUNTEER (unpaid)
2) Judge Baker Childrens Center with 0.5 time salary + benefits, including:
a. Coordinator of the Harvard Medical School-sponsored Child Mental Health
Forum (lecture series) and continuing education program, and,
b. Evening receptionist at the Judge Baker.
3) Assistant to child and adolescent psychiatry practice. Hourly rate paid.

1) Research Assistant (20 hours)

The Toppelberg Lab The main research focus is on child development, on the relations
of early child language, cognitive and self-regulation capacities with long-term mental
health and neurodevelopmental disorders. The lab has been following a large Boston
sample of dual language children since age 6, a longitudinal data set spanning more than
10 years offering multiple opportunities for data analysis and publication. Data collected
during extensive child, parent/family and teacher assessments includes child language
competence in both Spanish and English of Latino children of immigrants, cognitive and
The Judge Baker Children's Center is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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achievement testing, diagnostic psychiatric interviews and behavioral/emotional

measures, and questionnaires and surveys. Other learning opportunities may include: (a)
research in autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, learning and
language disorders/ disabilities, and other neurodevelopmental disorders, and, (b)
international research (Norway, Chile) involving large datasets on the development,
health and mental health of children. RAs participate in research luncheons and attend
lectures. Significant writing and editorial work will be necessary, with the requirement to
complete one or more papers for publication and research posters for presentation.
Training, individual and group supervision will be provided; opportunities for learning
abound.
The lab has a strong track record of supporting RAs in successful applications to doctoral
programs (clinical psychology, medical school, counseling psychology, speech/language
pathology), with former RAs and postdocs currently being scientists, doctoral level
practitioners, and professors at Harvard, Hunter College, Brown, University of Chile, and
others.
Publications: http://www.hms.harvard.edu/cldp/pub/articles.html
Principal Responsibilities and Learning Opportunities:

Participate in data cleaning, management and analysis

Conduct literature reviews, project updates, written reports and scholarly reviews
Assist with clinical and research writings (manuscripts/clinical reports) preparation
including editing, proofing, formatting, photocopying, and submitting.
Coordinate and contribute to writing of grant proposals and submissions
Assist with the preparation of IRB materials for submission
Convert, clean and code audio and/or video samples of research participants
Coordinate phone calls and meetings with various projects collaborators and advisors
Respond to phone calls, emails and correspondence in a timely and efficient manner.
Maintain and update the lab websites and related documentation. Manage a research
budget.
Track and organize research records.
Coordinate writing projects, with one or more papers submitted for publication.
Handle general office duties and provide overall administrative support for the lab
and PI, including contributing to coordinating the labs and Investigators
appointment schedule, handling mail, making and answering phone calls and
correspondence

Ideal for someone:

Planning to apply to a doctoral program in psychology (clinical, counseling,

developmental, school psychology), speech/language pathology, public health,
epidemiology or statistics, medical school, and related fields.
Who enjoys and has a natural facility for writing.
The Judge Baker Children's Center is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Strongly interested in research and empirical publications (The lab is involved in

writing up analyses of several data sets, constantly involved in writing innovative
research reviews).
Interested in psychological/ psychiatric, medical and/or child development research
Interested in child language development, bilingualism, development of cognitive and
emotional regulation functions, and/or speech/language pathology
Interested in public health, child health and related policy
Interested in the opportunity to shadow and observe clinicians (e.g., child psychiatrist,
psychologist, speech pathologists)

2. Judge Baker Childrens Center position (22.5 hours)

It involves two roles, with half time salary and fringe benefits.
(a) Continuing Education and Child Mental Health Forum coordinator (supervised
by director of CE and CMHF):
The Child Mental Health Forum is a continuing education lecture series held at the Judge
Baker Childrens Center on the first Wednesday of each month in the academic year. The
coordinator is responsible for organizing and managing the details of this conference
from inviting speakers to coordinating luncheons prior to each talk.
Responsibilities:

Complete and submit documentation to the organizations (Harvard Medical School,

Childrens Hospital, NASW of Mass.) which accredit the lecture series; forms have to
be submitted and approved several times a year
Track CE/CME (Continuing Education/Continuing Medical Education)
hours/units/credits earned, and evaluations submitted
Prepare and mail CE/CME certificates as needed
Maintain all CE/CME/CMHF records and files in electronic format (also in paper
format if needed)
Respond to phone calls, emails and correspondence in a timely and efficient manner.
Prepare, distribute and collect documents including sign-up sheets, certificates of
attendance, handouts, lecture announcements
Maintain communication with speakers, including collecting speakers
documentation, handling checks for speakers, confirming AV needs with speaker and
facilities, requesting and distributing PowerPoint presentations, etc.
Book, coordinate and/or order luncheons as necessary
Send lecture announcements via email blasts to distribution lists
Update and maintain mailing list database
Assist with development and maintain CMHF program schedule
Handle post-presentation contacts
Assist with video live streaming and recording and sound during and before after
lectures
The Judge Baker Children's Center is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Monitor statistics and registration of live and online attendance

Video production and editing of video recordings for uploading on video and social
media websites

(b) Receptionist Position at front desk of JBCC (supervised by Executive Assistant)

Responsibilities:

Answer phones in a timely and efficient manner.

Greet clients and ensure that sign in procedures are always followed.
Make copies as necessary and requested.
Page various people upon request.
Place service calls for copy and postage equipment
Maintain accurate visitor log-in sheet for security purposes, and comply with all
security measure
Check the meeting schedule daily; know who is meeting and the location of that
meeting.
Maintain adequate supply of forms and supplies used at the switchboard.
Train personnel on the use of the switchboard as requested.
Provide accurate information about the Center and its programs in response to
inquiries.
Sort and deliver mail
Run mail through the postage machine, coordination of large mass mailings

3) Practice Assistant (5 hours)

Responsibilities:

Conduct phone intakes / screenings with potential new patients

Collect information at intake for the Initial Psychiatric Evaluation record after each
intake.
Review and summarize psychological, neuropsychological, and other testing reports
for discussion with Dr. Toppelberg
Foster positive, trusting relationships with patients and their parents and families
Manage billing
Manage scheduling for patients and families
Manage all incoming phone calls and emails to the practice, responding to every
inquiry within 24 hours

We offer

Multiple learning and training opportunities, including those listed above.

The Judge Baker Children's Center is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Access to libraries, facilities and multiple opportunities at Harvard Medical Schoolaffiliated Judge Baker Childrens Center, which offers a monthly lecture series (the
highly reputed Child Mental Health Forum), and houses other major research
projects, clinical services, a therapeutic day school and other therapeutic programs,
the Department of Children and Families child protection hotline, etc.
Being part of a collegial research team in a major academic/ research center
Training and regular research meetings and supervision
Opportunities for graduate students or postdocs to pursue a dissertation or thesis
based on our extensive data sets
Opportunities to publish (requirement). Lab publications:
http://www.hms.harvard.edu/cldp/pub/articles.html

Requirements
Degree or major in: psychology, child development, public health, pre-medical,
communication disorders/speech pathology, biology, cognitive sciences,
statistics/quantitative analyses/social sciences, child language acquisition or related field
Excellent writing, organizational and computer skills.
Minimum commitment 2 years (3 years preferred)
Bachelors degree or higher.
More info about the lab and opportunities at Judge Baker Childrens Center:
Harvard Medical School: Child Language & Developmental Psychiatry Lab website
http://www.hms.harvard.edu/cldp/
JBCC: Childhood Bilingualism and Developmental Psychopathology
http://jbcc.harvard.edu/research-lab/claudio-o-toppelberg-md
JBCC/Boston Children's Hospital Child Mental Health Forum
http://www.jbcc.harvard.edu/events/forum.htm
To apply, please send via email to nwallace@jbcc.harvard.edu:
1) Letter of interest
2) Resume
3) The names and position of three references
4) Unofficial college transcripts (pdf of official transcript is acceptable)
5) Three letters of reference
6) Writing sample(s) may be submitted later, after the interviews
For inquiries, please contact: Norah Wallace at 617 278 4155 or by e-mail:
nwallace@jbcc.harvard.edu
Mailing address:
Claudio O. Toppelberg, MD,
Principal Investigator, CLDP
Judge Baker Children's Center
Harvard Medical School
53 Parker Hill Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02120
The Judge Baker Children's Center is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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