Behavioral Health Associate

Tenet Healthcare • Detroit, MI

9h • Onsite

About The Position

This vital role provides essential assistance and comfort to patients, ensuring they receive the best possible experience during their healthcare journey. Under the supervision of a registered nurse and in collaboration with other members of a multidisciplinary team, the Behavioral Health Associate develops and provides treatment and care to mental health patients. The role involves one-to-one interaction with patients requiring intense care, facilitating group teaching and task-oriented sessions, and observing patients for suicidal or homicidal intent and effects of medication. The associate also assists professional staff with restraint and seclusion treatment procedures and physical exams, obtains vital signs, performs specimen collection and dressing changes. Monitoring and documenting patient observations, including mental status, response to treatment, and intensity of services, is also a key part of the role. Additionally, the associate completes court petitions, accompanies patients to court, testifies to substantiate the need for court-ordered treatment, and communicates court activity status to professional staff. The role requires utilizing knowledge of the Michigan Mental Health Code to educate patients and their families about their guaranteed rights.

Requirements

• Two years of college study in behavioral health or the equivalent combination of education and experience in a mental health setting, and six months of related clinical experience working with mentally ill patients; OR Bachelor's degree in a behavioral health discipline.
• Analytical ability to assess current status of acutely ill patients and safety/security of milieu.
• Ability to anticipate and evaluate consequences, respond quickly and plan intervention for volatile situations.
• High level of interpersonal and clinical skills necessary to facilitate didactic group sessions and to develop and maintain therapeutic relationships/skills with mentally ill patients, families and patient care providers.
• Ability to read, understand and apply written description/documentation of behavioral observations and group processes.
• Ability to perform routine clerical functions such as answering phones, and basic computer input and retrieval of information.
• Ability to work productively and effectively within a complex environment, handle multiple/changing priorities and deal with stress associated with a mental health environment.
• Physical ability to regularly (80-90% of work time) walk and stand.
• Physical ability to lift and move equipment as necessary.
• Physical ability to assist patients in repositioning, bed-chair-stretcher transferring, basic activities of daily living and maintenance locomotion requiring lifting, bending, pulling, pushing 60 or more pounds.

Responsibilities

• Provide essential assistance and comfort to patients.
• Develop and provide treatment and care to mental health patients.
• Provide one-to-one interaction with patients requiring intense care.
• Facilitate group teaching and task-oriented sessions.
• Observe patients relative to suicidal or homicidal intent and for effects of medication.
• Assist professional staff with restraint and seclusion treatment procedures.
• Assist professional staff with physical exams.
• Obtain vital signs.
• Perform specimen collection.
• Perform dressing changes.
• Monitor and document patient observations which may include mental status, response to treatment interventions and intensity of services provided.
• Complete court petitions.
• Accompany patients to court.
• Testify to substantiate the need for court ordered treatment.
• Communicate status of court activity to professional staff.
• Utilize knowledge of Michigan Mental Health Code to educate patients and their families about rights guaranteed by the code.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match
• Generous paid time off (PTO)
• Career development and continuing education opportunities
• Health savings accounts
• Healthcare dependent flexible spending accounts
• Employee Assistance program
• Employee discount program
• Voluntary benefits include pet insurance, legal insurance, accident and critical illness insurance, long term care, elder childcare, auto home insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees