Mental Health Counselor: Adult Psychiatric Treatment Unit- FT Days/Nights

Baystate Health•Springfield, MA

7d•$18 - $30•Onsite

About The Position

Baystate Health, a nationally recognized leader in healthcare quality and safety, and home to Baystate Medical Center (BMC), is seeking a Mental Health Counselor to join our Adult Psychiatric Treatment Unit (APTU). This unit includes unit counselors, a psychiatrist, a physician assistant, psychiatric nurses, psychiatric social workers, and master's prepared specialists, occupational and recreational therapists in Springfield, MA. The role involves participating in a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care, understanding patient admissions and progress notes, reporting observations, and contributing to treatment plans. The Mental Health Counselor is responsible for maintaining a safe environment, conducting sharps checks, intervening in crisis situations, managing restraints and seclusion, monitoring groups, and identifying safety hazards. Daily documentation of patient mental status, social behavior, progress, and ongoing assessments is required, along with specific documentation for restraints, seclusions, and EMR entries. The position also involves providing a therapeutic milieu, counseling patients, referring physical problems to the RN, collaborating on ADL needs, and utilizing behavior management principles. Additional duties include developing and implementing special programming and assisting co-workers.

Requirements

High School Diploma required.
1 year of healthcare experience required.
Physical/Psych Mgmt Training (within 60 days of hire)
Certified Crisis Prevention (within 60 days of hire)
CPR through American Heart Association BLS Provider (required)

Nice To Haves

Associates or Bachelors in related field preferred.

Responsibilities

Participates in Multidisciplinary Team approach to patient care.
Is familiar with admission and progress notes of team members to develop a better understanding of patients.
Reports observations of patients' status to the team and provides input in the preparation and updating of the treatment plans.
Provides a safe environment.
Conducts daily sharps checks on patients upon arrival and when indicated by the Team.
Intervenes appropriately during crisis situations by providing support, patient escorts and authorizes restraint and seclusion.
Maintains safety by monitoring groups, time away and restraint and seclusion.
Observes for potential safety hazards on the unit and reports hazards immediately to supervisors.
Documents patient mental status, social behavior and progress towards identifying goals daily.
Documents the ongoing assessment of patients by completing monitoring and rounds sheets.
Documents restraints and seclusions in accordance with policies.
Documents all necessary information in EMR as dictated by policy and procedure.
Provides a therapeutic milieu.
Assesses patient mental status social and symptomatic behavior and progress towards identified goals daily.
Counsels patients with empathy and respect to assist them to formulate treatment goals.
Refers patients' physical problems to RN for assessment and intervention.
Collaborates with Team to initiate and implement plan of care to meet ADL needs of patients who are unable to perform these tasks themselves.
Demonstrates effective use of the behavior management principles and Collaborative Problem Solving techniques.
Develops and implements special programming.
Assists co-workers in daily activities and replaces them as needed.
Additional duties and responsibilities as needed.