Behavioral Health Specialist

Banner Health • Tucson, AZ

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Specialist provides direct care to psychiatric patients under the direction of a registered nurse. On the East DeEx unit, the specialist assists with care for high-acuity involuntary behavioral health patients and supports the unit’s behavioral health specialists and registered nurses. The role may require floating to the West and 5NE Behavioral Health units based on daily census.

The specialist contributes to patients’ safety, treatment, and daily care by monitoring physical and mental status, supporting activities of daily living, documenting observations and interventions, and helping maintain a safe, orderly, therapeutic environment. The role also supports admissions, discharges, and transfers; interacts therapeutically with patients and families; and works with clinical staff and multidisciplinary teams.

The positions are full-time day or night shifts, consisting of three 12-hour shifts per week. Day shifts run 7:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. and night shifts run 7:00 p.m.–7:30 a.m. Weekend and holiday rotations are included. Employees may use a self-scheduling tool, and applicable weekend shifts receive an additional $1 per hour differential.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a behavioral health-related field, or a high school diploma or equivalent plus one year of direct patient care experience in an inpatient behavioral health setting.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Meet the age requirement specified by the state agency.
• For applicable roles serving children in the specified Banner behavioral health settings, possess and maintain an Arizona Fingerprint Clearance Card and sign an Arizona Criminal History Affidavit upon hire.
• For employees working in the Banner McKee Senior Behavioral Health Inpatient Unit, possess and maintain a Colorado Fingerprint Clearance Card.
• For employees in an Arizona Banner Staffing behavioral health role, possess and maintain a State of Arizona Department of Public Safety Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card.
• Relevant experience may include inpatient psychiatric care; assisting with grooming and activities of daily living; conducting educational, recreational, or skills groups; maintaining a therapeutic milieu and observation precautions; applying non-violent de-escalation; recognizing common mental illness symptoms and relating them to diagnoses; and providing ordered treatment interventions.
• Demonstrated competence in therapeutic rapport, collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, de-escalation techniques, and limit setting.

Nice To Haves

• Strong prior behavioral health experience and/or prior de-escalation experience.
• Additional related education and/or experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide basic nursing care, including technical monitoring, taking vital signs, and providing physical care.
• Orient patients to the treatment setting and assist with activities of daily living as needed.
• Review and participate in implementing patient treatment plans.
• Make rounds; monitor patients’ activities, physical status, and mental status; and report observations to nursing staff.
• Check patient belongings for contraband and conduct patient-safety observations.
• Document observations, interventions, and group activities in the patient medical record while maintaining confidentiality.
• Help maintain a safe, orderly, and therapeutic environment and protect patient safety and rights.
• Recognize aggressive behavior, danger to self or others, crises, and medical emergencies; intervene by redirecting patients and participating in restraint or seclusion as needed.
• Interact therapeutically with patients and families while promoting dignity, independence, individuality, strengths, privacy, and choice.
• Respect cultural diversity and patient boundaries.
• Plan and facilitate social and didactic group activities and participate in other rehabilitation and treatment programs as appropriate.
• Maintain knowledge and skills related to behavioral disorder symptoms and treatment, common medications, and medication side effects and adverse reactions.
• Assist with patient admissions, discharges, and transfers and complete required medical-record documentation.
• Assist with BHS assignments for the floor and direct patient observers, support BHSs and RNs, communicate with the Charge RN, conduct hand-hygiene audits, delegate admissions, ensure discharge processes are completed, and ensure Direct Observer/Q15 documentation is completed during each shift.
• Float to the West and 5NE Behavioral Health units when required based on census.

Benefits

• Variety of benefit plans to support health and financial security for employees and their families.
• Self-scheduling tool.
• Additional $1 per hour weekend shift differential when applicable.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time