PRN Behavioral Health Specialist Adolescents

Banner Health•Mesa, AZ

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Specialist provides direct care to psychiatric patients under the direction of a registered nurse. The position serves adolescents and may also assist with adult patients as needed. Work includes patient safety checks, assistance with activities of daily living, milieu management, falls prevention, and one-to-one observation. The role is based at Banner Behavioral Health Hospital, a voluntary facility for adults and adolescents that provides confidential, compassionate treatment and customized treatment plans. The specialist provides basic nursing care and physical monitoring; orients patients to the treatment setting; participates in implementing treatment plans; monitors and documents patient activity and status; and helps maintain a safe, orderly, therapeutic environment. The role includes therapeutic interactions with patients and families, facilitating group activities, supporting admissions, discharges, and transfers, and responding to behavioral or medical emergencies. Work is performed under moderate supervision in collaboration with nursing staff and multidisciplinary teams. The schedule is a 7:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. day shift. This PRN registry role has no guaranteed hours. Self-scheduling is available for shift and weekend coverage. Weekend shifts have an additional $1 per hour differential; an 18% night-shift differential applies when relevant.

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.
Relevant experience should include behavioral health patient care, activities of daily living, patient groups, therapeutic milieu, observation precautions, non-violent de-escalation, recognition of common mental illness symptoms, and ordered interventions appropriate to diagnosis.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Meet the age requirement specified by the state agency.
For Arizona Banner Staffing Services Behavioral Health roles, possess and maintain a State of Arizona Department of Public Safety Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card from the time of hire.
Sign an Arizona Criminal History Affidavit upon hire.

Nice To Haves

Additional related education and/or experience.

Responsibilities

Provide basic nursing care, including technical monitoring, taking vital signs, and 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 through observation and reporting.
Recognize aggression, risk of harm, crisis situations, and medical emergencies; intervene through redirection and, as needed, participation in restraint or seclusion.
Interact therapeutically with patients and families while promoting dignity, independence, individuality, strengths, privacy, choice, cultural respect, and appropriate boundaries.
Plan and facilitate social and didactic group activities and participate in other rehabilitation and treatment programs as applicable.
Maintain knowledge of behavioral disorder symptoms and treatments, commonly prescribed medications, and medication side effects and adverse reactions relevant to the role.
Assist with patient admissions, discharges, and transfers and complete required medical record documentation.
Assist with adolescent patients and, as needed, adult patients.