Crisis Specialist

University of Rochester•Rochester, NY

17h•$20 - $27•Onsite

About The Position

The Crisis Specialist is a professional member of the University of Rochester Department of Psychiatry’s Monroe County Mobile Crisis Team, serving people experiencing complex mental health crises in a variety of community settings across Monroe County. The role provides expertise on community resources and agencies and supports continuity of care through direct and indirect communication with people involved in a patient’s care. The position also supports patients in hospital inpatient psychiatric and CPEP settings as part of a therapeutic milieu. The Acute Adult Psychiatry Division’s Mobile Crisis Team serves people across Monroe County experiencing anxiety, distress, sadness, or emotional or behavioral difficulties that disrupt daily life. The team aims to provide mental health crisis services quickly and in familiar settings. The Crisis Specialist works with crisis therapists, patients, families, community agencies, service providers, and law enforcement to support crisis intervention, treatment-plan implementation, and connection to appropriate community services. The role requires an associate’s degree and two years of human services experience, preferably in a psychiatric or emergency setting, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. A valid New York State driver’s license and satisfactory driving record are required. The position requires schedule flexibility, including occasional evenings and weekends, and participation in a rotational on-call group as backup to Life Line. Compensation is listed as $19.72–$26.62; the posting does not specify the pay period.

Requirements

Associate’s degree required.
Two years of experience in human services, preferably in a psychiatric or emergency setting; an equivalent combination of education and experience is acceptable.
Availability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends.
Effective communication and teaching skills.
Ability to empathize with families and/or support systems.
Valid New York State driver’s license and satisfactory driving record.

Nice To Haves

Ability to speak Spanish or Vietnamese, or fluency in American Sign Language, is preferred.
Experience in a psychiatric or emergency setting is preferred.

Responsibilities

Respond to patients in mental health crisis at off-site locations, including homes, group homes, and other settings.
Interview patients and families in coordination with the Crisis Therapist.
Provide patients and family members with emotional and tangible support, advocacy, and linkage to resources.
Facilitate the referral process and confer with community agencies, therapists, and law enforcement as requested by the Crisis Therapist.
Support patients in obtaining Medicaid and other social services.
Provide support and education to families and agencies involved with patients in psychiatric crisis.
Promote and ensure continued staff education about multicultural factors affecting patient care and treatment.
Assist with planning for patients’ food, shelter, or transportation needs.
Visit patients in community settings to assess progress toward care-plan goals and monitor treatment-plan compliance.
Teach, guide, and assist patients and family members to understand patient needs and care-plan expectations.
Make treatment-plan recommendations to mental health professionals.
Implement treatment-plan strategies by contacting service providers and family members, supporting appropriate use of community life-support services, facilitating transitions to designated placements, and suggesting suitable community services.
Maintain contact with psychiatric service providers to assess placement appropriateness, patient progress, and supplemental needs.
Implement intervention strategies with minimal supervision from a mental health professional.
Document patient contacts and progress in medical records and help patients with paperwork and correspondence needed to connect with resources.
Communicate with the team’s home base about estimated arrival times, team location, and need for additional support.
Participate in a rotational on-call group as backup to Life Line during evening and weekend hours, and respond to community psychiatric crises after hours as necessary.
Attend weekly meetings and participate in Quality Improvement activities.
Maintain current knowledge of community-resource policies and procedures, help families identify needs, connect them with appropriate resources, and advocate for them.
Participate in education and training for providing services to patients in psychiatric crisis.
Participate in data collection for Mobile Crisis services.
Model ICARE Values and support diversity and inclusion approaches that reduce stigma, engage patients, and promote patient-driven decision-making with the clinical leadership team to provide referrals and resource connections.