Mental Health Associate Professional, Pathways, PRN/limbo weekends

Centra Medical Group•Lynchburg, VA

5h•Onsite

About The Position

This role involves providing direct care and supervision to patients, primarily children and adolescents aged 6-17, within a therapeutic milieu. The Mental Health Associate Professional will act as a preceptor for interns and new staff, manage patient behaviors, ensure therapeutic programming is implemented, and collaborate with the treatment team on patient care and incidents. The position requires strong observational, documentation, and communication skills, as well as the ability to manage conflict and utilize resources effectively.

Requirements

Bachelors Degree in Human Services: Counseling, Education, Social Work, Psychology, or other related field
Must be able to verbalize knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of children and adolescents, ages six through seventeen (6-17) years old
Current CPI (Crisis Prevention Management) certification within thirty (30) days of being hired into this role

Nice To Haves

Masters Degree in Human Services: Counseling, Education, Social Work, Psychology, or other related field
One (1) year of experience in residential treatment, day hospital, or acute psychiatric inpatient treatment with emotionally/behaviorally disturbed children and adolescents
Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of children and adolescents, ages six through seventeen (6-17) years old

Responsibilities

Acts as preceptor to all student interns and staff on orientation status
Assists in managing and monitoring aberrant behaviors
Assists residents in meeting individual appointments for assessment and/or treatment
Collects data on each resident and prepares information for staffing
Ensures that therapeutic programming is implemented
Chairs all team debriefings before, during and after shift
Notifies the treatment team on any major incidents (e.g., elopement, therapeutic holds, injuries or seclusions)
Acts as contact person for on duty RN regarding medical issues as well as consults and debriefs directly with RN regarding all precautions, elopements, utilization of time out and therapeutic holds, staff/patient injuries or any other major incidents
Provides milieu documentation and monitors records with supervision
Assists in assuring that correct staff/resident ratios are met and adjusted as needed according to acuity
Participates in the development of the milieu
Manages patients during therapeutic milieu activities
Observes, reports and documents behaviors
Provides opportunities to strengthen appropriate behavior and alter problematic behavior
Manages maladaptive behavior
Provides supervision and direct care to patients
Participates in the development of treatment goals or plans
Implements psycho-education treatment or lesson plans
Engages patients in therapeutic relationships
Supports patients' goals within the program
Enhances patient motivation for change
Creates and maintains an environment that protects patients from harm
Participates in service recovery and uses appropriate resources during complex situations
Handles conflict resolution in an appropriate, timely, and consistent manner
Identifies personal contributions to unit-based cascading goals
Uses resources (e.g., time, people, supplies, etc.) cost effectively