Behavioral Health Specialist I PD

Brown Medicine•Madison, WI

1d•$18 - $30•Onsite

About The Position

Under the direction of the Clinical Nurse Manager (Inpatient) or Program Director (Partial), and the Unit Charge RN, the Behavioral Health Specialist I (BHS I) provides care and promotes safety for children and adolescents as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team. The role contributes to planning the day-to-day schedule and structure of a therapeutic milieu and implements, observes, and documents the program under the direction of a Registered Nurse. The BHS I supports patient care planning, therapeutic activities, behavioral management, daily routines, and transitions into the hospital environment. The position requires maintaining a safe and therapeutic setting, responding to crises using de-escalation and the least restrictive safe alternative, and communicating and documenting patient observations. Employees may be asked to perform comparable duties in other clinical settings throughout the hospital system as program needs arise. Employees are expected to model Brown University Health’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence, and demonstrate its core Success Factors: Instill Trust and Value Differences, Patient and Community Focus, and Collaborate. The work takes place in a psychiatric setting and may involve stressful conditions associated with caring for psychiatrically impaired, aggressive, or self-injurious individuals.

Requirements

Six months to one year of direct childcare work with emotionally impaired youth.
Demonstrated aptitude and willingness to learn role-related skills.
Knowledge and skills necessary to provide care across the life span, considering aging processes, human developmental stages, and cultural patterns throughout care.
Ability to remain calm during crises, make quick rational decisions, and prioritize immediate patient care needs to maintain a therapeutic environment and ensure safety.
Ability to use taught de-escalation techniques to minimize the need for physical intervention.
Ability to participate in physical management of patients using approved methods, including safe body positioning, blocking and deflecting aggression, and physically holding struggling patients for extended periods when necessary for safety.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds; reach with hands and arms; grasp and hold; bend, squat, and kneel without limitation; and physically escort potentially combative patients short distances.
Ability to run short distances and frequently stand, walk, and sit.
Maintain current certification in crisis management, CPR, OSHA, ERS, and Safety certifications.
Baccalaureate degree in a Human Service field is preferred; other education and experience may be considered as substitutes at the Hiring Manager’s discretion.
Performs independently within Program policies and practices and refers complex problems requiring clarification of policies or procedures to a supervisor.

Nice To Haves

Baccalaureate degree in a Human Service field.

Responsibilities

Help maintain a safe and therapeutic environment and actively engage with assigned children throughout the shift.
Participate in developing and carrying out milieu care plans for assigned patients according to department and unit policies and procedures.
Maintain and document patient observation levels as ordered by the physician or Charge RN.
Support visiting parents and provide information as requested by the treatment team.
Supervise children during daily routines and assist with activities of daily living and basic hygiene needs.
Identify, report, and address potential or actual unit problems; report critical incidents promptly to the Charge RN and document them in the medical record.
Complete applicable documentation, including incident reports, intake documentation, shift notes, Kardex entries, and medical-record documentation.
Participate in restraint debriefings and carry out delegated assignments, reporting back before the change of shift.
Provide timely therapeutic interventions when children are distressed or when the milieu becomes disruptive or destructive to patients or others; maintain appropriate boundaries.
Attend assigned peer reviews, staff meetings, and unit or hospital staff development activities; maintain required certifications.
Participate in patient care planning under the direction of the primary or Charge RN, help establish a therapeutic alliance with patients and families, and assist with admission separation and transitions into the hospital.
Share objective patient observations with the assigned RN, review milieu care plans and problem lists daily, and suggest revisions based on observations.
Communicate patient-specific milieu care plans to unit staff and liaise with interdisciplinary treatment providers; participate in treatment team activities, rounds, discussions, and hand-off reports as assigned.
Adapt care approaches to the needs of individual children and adolescents and share relevant experience and knowledge with other staff.
Assist and teach patients in activities of daily living and personal hygiene based on their abilities.
Co-lead community, milieu, social skills, activity, recreation, and therapy groups with appropriate team members; support recreation therapy programs.
Set consistent, supportive therapeutic limits and follow patient-specific behavioral programs in collaboration with the assigned RN and treatment team.
Organize unit activities and coordinate, supervise, and participate in children’s physical and social development activities; arrange transportation of materials when needed.
Participate in teaching visits and family or parent training as assigned, and model appropriate therapeutic interactions with patients and families.
Manage crisis situations safely and effectively using the least restrictive safe patient-care alternative.
Seek formal and informal supervision and incorporate feedback to improve job performance.
Perform other related duties as required, assigned, or directed by the Charge RN, including comparable duties in other clinical settings when program needs arise.