BHS Outpatient Psychiatry - Liberty

Cincinnati Children's•Liberty, LA

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Specialist (BHS) delivers patient care in an outpatient psychiatry setting by following established processes, procedures, and treatment plans. The role supports patients’ safety, stabilization, and progress through team-based care, therapeutic activities, crisis prevention and response, and trauma-informed relationship development. Assignments may involve multiple patients following a therapeutic schedule, a specific 1:1 patient assignment, or responsibility for a designated area or environment. The BHS coordinates the care environment by maintaining safety and structure, completing environmental and patient checks, preparing materials, supporting treatment schedules, and following observation protocols. The role responds to behavioral escalations using Therapeutic Crisis Intervention concepts and interventions consistent with patient treatment plans, and communicates changes or concerns to the appropriate team members and licensed providers. The BHS implements and documents individualized care plans, behavioral and educational protocols, and patient responses. Depending on the care setting and patient needs, the role may provide approved delegated care, engage families and support systems in treatment, and assist with patient, parent, or staff training. The BHS leads psychoeducation and recreational group activities, adapts content to patient needs and developmental functioning, and contributes to behavioral treatment planning. The position requires collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, trauma-informed communication, participation in planning meetings and shift handoffs, and accurate documentation and data collection. This includes completing required seclusion and restraint documentation, environmental checklists, patient observation records, and progress documentation for treatment goals.

Requirements

High school diploma and at least 2 years of experience, or a bachelor’s degree in a related field.
May require a clinical license, certification, or training.

Responsibilities

Deliver patient care in accordance with established processes, procedures, and treatment plans, while engaging in ongoing clinical learning and sharing knowledge with the team.
Coordinate the assigned care area by maintaining safety, structure, planning, participation, and support; perform environmental and patient safety checks and help keep treatment schedules on track.
Prevent and respond to patient escalations and crises using Therapeutic Crisis Intervention concepts and interventions aligned with patient treatment plans; take the lead during behavioral crises as appropriate.
Follow policies, protocols, observation levels, and documented escalation plans; promptly communicate changes in patient condition and concerns to appropriate staff, management, licensed providers, and approved parties.
Implement and document patient responses to individualized care plans, behavioral protocols, educational protocols, and treatment interventions.
Provide approved delegated patient care based on care location and patient needs, which may include activities of daily living, intake and output, feeding, bathing, toileting, isolation precautions, and emergency care for patients with lines and tubes.
Engage patients’ families and support systems in treatment as established in the medical record and provide updates to approved parents and legal guardians regarding patient condition and progress.
Lead psychoeducation and recreational group activities, adapt content to patients’ needs and developmental functioning, and support safe and positive engagement.
Collect information about antecedents, behaviors, outcomes, and patient responses; implement prescribed individual and group behavior and education plans and participate in problem-solving treatment options.
Provide trauma-informed, relationship-based care; build clinically appropriate rapport and a safe, stable, and nurturing environment for patients and caregivers.
Participate in multidisciplinary team programming, planning meetings, huddles, shift reports and handoffs, and relevant program-materials work or special projects.
Complete required documentation, including seclusion and restraint records, environmental checklists, observation checks, treatment data, graphs, and progress on SMART goals; attend required training on documentation processes.