Case Mgr - Psych Svcs

Covenant Health•Knoxville, TN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Parkwest Medical Center, Covenant Health’s flagship facility in West Knoxville, is a leading hospital offering advanced cardiac expertise, comprehensive breast health, emergency, and critical care services. It is consistently ranked among Tennessee's top hospitals and recognized nationally for cardiology, stroke, surgical excellence, and patient safety. The Inpatient Case Manager serves as a liaison with courts, referral sources, and other agencies during patient hospitalization and post-discharge. This role involves conducting screenings for referral services, participating in referral development and community education, and ensuring patients attend necessary medical, emotional health, and recovery appointments. The Case Manager facilitates treatment plan interventions and aftercare planning, requiring independent decision-making skills for patient care, environmental assessment, and reporting. They coordinate information flow between referral sources, families, and the treating team.

Requirements

BSW or BA/BS in a closely related discipline (Non-related degree may be considered with five (5) years relevant experience).
Minimum of one (1) year’s experience in direct patient care in the mental health field.
Knowledge of chemical dependency, child and adolescent development, chronic mental illness, and DSM IV diagnosis.
Crisis stabilization skills.
Valid Tennessee driver’s license Class D and state mandated minimum insurance coverage.
Driving record must meet Covenant Health minimum standards at the date of hire and throughout employment tenure.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of psychiatric inpatient treatment is beneficial.

Responsibilities

Coordinate discharge planning with the treating psychiatrist and treatment team, ensuring proper linkage with support systems and timely discharge.
Conduct crisis assessment of home and living environments, including determining level of risk upon patient’s return and obtaining social support assistance.
Coordinate with the team to assure duty to warn occurs when indicated.
Provide linkage for the treatment team by acquiring and distributing information to the patient’s support system.
Work with licensed staff to provide crisis intervention with the family system as indicated, identifying families in crisis and connecting them to clinical staff for therapy.
Perform initial pre-admission screenings under supervision of licensed clinical staff.
Communicate in writing, by phone, and in person to courts, DCS and/or DHS, schools, and other professionals and agencies, including initial contact upon admission, progress reports, discharge notification, and post-discharge follow up.
Ensure that pertinent information gathered by outside resources is included in treatment team discussions.
Complete treatment plans and case management progress reports on assigned patients as dictated by program requirements.
Maintain records on each assigned patient and document as necessary in the patient’s medical record.
Maintain updated patient releases.
Assist in management, supervision, and interaction with patients when directed or as appropriate.
Work collaboratively with the Therapist to discuss aftercare needs with family/guardian and to assure commitment for aftercare compliance.
Schedule aftercare appointments for patients and/or families and communicate these plans to the Therapist.
Participate in parent/family conferences as directed by the Therapist to discuss aftercare plans.
Set appropriate limits and follow unit guidelines in interactions with patients, encouraging patients in following their treatment plans.
Participate in educational in-services and presentations, and may facilitate or participate in hospital programs or groups for the patients.
Confer with hospital utilization reviewers regarding patient activity and discharge planning, and perform reviews as requested by supervisors.
Confer with business office representatives regarding benefit information and facilitate resolution of problem lists on assigned patients.
Coordinate with the multidisciplinary team to determine discharge planning needs with a plan on record within 24 hours.
Maintain appropriate and timely communications during patient’s course of treatment and following discharge with appropriate agencies and individuals.
Contact aftercare and outpatient service providers to obtain needed treatment information and to facilitate discharge plans in a proactive, timely manner.
Schedule and facilitate patient groups or individual sessions for purpose of discharge planning.
Conduct or participate in patient psycho-education groups to provide information on aftercare.
Schedule and, when necessary, escort patients to outside agencies as part of preparation for discharge.
Maintain communication with patients, families, and other agencies or individuals involved in aftercare following patient’s discharge if directed by the Program Therapist.
Follow up after discharge of patient as directed for outcome information and participate in follow up and outcome studies as requested.
Attend hospital meetings as directed.
Provide documentation of all discharge planning activities and all patient-related activities performed by the Case Manager on the date such activities occur.
Local travel required.
Follow policies, procedures, and safety standards.
Complete required education assignments annually.
Work toward achieving goals and objectives and participate in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
Perform other duties as assigned.