ED Crisis Clinician - LCSW, LMFT, LPC

St. Vincent's Medical Center•Bridgeport, CT

About The Position

The ED Crisis Clinician conducts emergency psychiatric assessments, evaluates patients’ psychiatric and psychosocial needs, gathers collateral information, and determines appropriate dispositions. The clinician provides crisis intervention, advocacy, referrals, and discharge planning, coordinating with patients’ families, community behavioral health and medical providers, and Emergency Department staff to support integrated care. The role includes documenting assessments and case-management activities and initiating treatment plans for patients with longer stays in collaboration with a provider. The clinician also participates in quality and safety initiatives, administrative and professional-development activities, debriefings, team meetings, staff clinical supervision, and staff education. The position contributes to an improved patient experience and ensures cost-effective use of resources. The listed coverage shifts are 9:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work, Professional Counseling, or Marriage and Family Therapy.
At least two years of experience in a psychiatric setting.
Current Connecticut license as an LCSW, LMFT, or LPC.
Computer proficiency.
Ability to assess problems, determine solutions, and make timely decisions.
Ability to use supervision and team approaches in patient assessment and clinical interventions.
Excellent communication skills and ability to establish relationships within and outside the entity.
Competence in meeting age-specific patient needs.
Focus on personal, patient/client, and unit/staff safety.
Responsibility for self-improvement, including identifying learning needs, seeking resources or instruction, and maintaining current validations, certifications, licensure, and training.
Awareness of health-related social needs and cultural competence, including recognizing and addressing health disparities, inequalities, and injustices related to access to care and healthcare services.
Ability to develop and maintain cultural competence, understand client groups’ histories, traditions, values, and family systems as they relate to healthcare and decision-making, and integrate cultural awareness into practice.

Nice To Haves

Four years of experience in a psychiatric setting, preferably in an emergency department or crisis role.
Experience in an emergency department or crisis role.

Responsibilities

Conduct emergency psychiatric assessments, interpret patients’ psychiatric and psychosocial needs, gather collateral information, and determine appropriate disposition.
Provide advocacy, referrals, and discharge planning to address patient and family needs.
Coordinate with patients’ community behavioral health and medical providers to support continuity of clinical care.
Refer patients and family members to appropriate levels of care and other resources, and provide direct crisis intervention services.
Coordinate psychiatric patient care and dispositions with Emergency Department staff, collaborating across clinical settings to support integrated healthcare delivery.
Document assessments and all patient-related case-management activities.
Initiate treatment plans for patients with longer lengths of stay in collaboration with a provider.
Participate in quality and safety initiatives, which may include committees, workgroups, and aftercare calls.
Participate in administrative and development activities, including debriefings, team meetings, clinical supervision of staff, and staff education.
Contribute as a team member to an improved patient experience.
Ensure cost-effective utilization of resources.