Coord- Milieu Specialist

UHS

About The Position

River Vista Behavioral Health sits along the bluffs overlooking the San Joaquin River, this brand new, 128-bed facility, will provide high-quality and advanced behavioral health services to residents and visitors in the Central Valley. The new hospital will employ more than 250 people, including clinicians, nurses, mental health technicians, support staff and administration. We are currently seeking a forward thinking and compassionate Milieu Specialist to be part of our Nursing Team. Milieu Specialist provides therapeutic milieu management training and monitoring of the hospital units. Milieu management includes program content and philosophy, patient management training, environmental management, and staff competency.

Requirements

Education: High school diploma required; bachelor’s degree preferred.
Experience: Five (5) years of professional experience in a behavioral/mental health setting required.
Additional Requirements: CPR certification and successful completion of Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) training. CPI Training may be obtained during new hire orientation.
Knowledge of personal hygiene training techniques.
Knowledge of all code procedures.
Knowledge of psychiatric care techniques.
Knowledge of assaultive behavior management techniques.
Knowledge of admitting procedures.
Knowledge of P.I.E. (problem, intervention, evaluation) charting.
Skill in organizing and prioritizing workloads to meet deadlines.
Skill in telephone etiquette and paging procedures.
Effective oral and written communication skills.
Ability to communicate effectively with patients and co-workers.
Ability to adhere to safety policies and procedures.
Ability to maintain confidentiality of information.
Ability to work as a team player.
Ability to demonstrate tact, resourcefulness, patience and dedication.
Ability to accept direction and adhere to policies and procedures.
Ability to recognize the importance of adapting to the various patient age groups (adolescent, adult and geriatric).
Ability to participate in all aspects of patient care.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to react calmly and effectively in emergency situations.
Ability to operate a stethoscope competently.
Must be able to hear sufficiently, with or without correction, to competently perform all essential job functions.
Ability to stand, sit or walk up to six hours, sit for up to two hours.
Ability to move frequently as necessary in the delivery of patient care.
Visual acuity is needed for accurate reading of patient charts and for demonstrating activities or assisting patients in activities.
Ability to spend 20% of the work day outdoors in temperatures varying form 30°-110°F and 80% of the work day indoors in temperatures varying from 60°-85°
Ability to occasionally push or pull wheeled carts from 200 lbs. (i.e., crash cart, EKG machine, patient on stretchers or in wheelchairs).
Ability to frequently lift and carry up to 10 lbs. (i.e. juices, charts, patient's belongings) and occasionally lift and carry up to 25 lbs. with assistance.
Ability to frequently reach above, at or below shoulder height (to obtain supplies, reach in cabinets, use refrigerator), kneel, bend, stoop, turn, twist.
Ability to frequently handle, through gross and fine manipulations, simple grasping, twisting and fingering of small objects (telephone buttons, thermometers with both hands).
Ability to see well enough to read written material and discern a variety of odors.
Ability to occasionally handle hazardous/infectious waste.
Ability to work in an environment where the noise level is frequently high; where chemicals are frequently used for cleaning; where mechanical and electrical hazards may be occasionally present; and where dust, mist and steam are frequently generated in housekeeping tasks.
The ability to competently and fully perform Handle with Care techniques is an essential position function.
Must work every other weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, as required.
A strong knowledge of The Joint Commission, HCFA, OSHA regulations, and patient rights standards and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations governing mental health care facilities.

Responsibilities

Assists with monitoring new employees during the orientation period in conjunction with the Nurse Managers.
Work closely with nursing in providing safety and milieu management.
Responsible with patient harm reduction, verbal-Descalation and Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) practice and training; to assure staff and patients’ safety.
Works collaboratively with staff, charges nurses, house supervisors and other leaders to address patient safety issued related to the milieu.
Responsibilities include ensuring program schedules are followed, provide role modeling on managing patients with diagnosis of psychosis/aggression with aggressive/psychotic patients, training employees and implementing changes to Milieu.
Will be responsible to float to all units in the Hospital.
Performs assessments and recommendations related to therapeutic milieu management.
Assist in providing appropriate activities for patients.
Assist in group and individual training to facility staff on milieu management, and related topics through formal training sessions and mentoring direct care staff in the patient care areas.
Assists in coordination with nursing leadership regarding implementation of milieu management best practices.
Provides orientation and ongoing education/training for clinical staff and leadership as needed.
Rounds units and reports any problem areas to nursing leadership.
Assists House Supervisor as needed.
Maintains regular communication with nursing leadership regarding any therapeutic milieu issues.
Assists in providing oversight and coordination for assigned special projects.
Demonstrates knowledge, comprehension, and compliance with all state and federal laws, rules and regulations, and agency policies and procedures, as well as the ability to enforce them.
Takes initiative and responsibility for decisions as an individual and as a company. Exhibits commitment to personal and companywide goals.
Participates in the ongoing development of competencies, capabilities, technology and the resources needed to achieve high standards of efficiency and effectiveness. Approaches everything with passion and desire to achieve the highest standards.
Attends and participates in staff meetings, required in-services, agency process improvement activities and other meetings as requested.
Utilizes material, equipment, and time in a safe, beneficial, and cost-effective manner.
Organizes workload to complete responsibilities in an appropriate and timely manner.
Perform other duties as assigned.