Mental Health Specialist- Center for Hope and Healing (Nights)

WVU Medicine

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Responsible for delivering paraprofessional mental health care under direct supervision. This role involves facilitating therapeutic groups, applying effective communication, assisting clients in structuring their lives, and utilizing the master treatment plan for interventions. The specialist will identify thought patterns and behaviors associated with psychiatric diagnoses, provide support to clients' families, perform basic medical tasks, assist clients with daily living activities, and may transport clients to appointments. The role also includes organizing recreational activities and professionally handling phone calls, including Helpline calls.

Requirements

Obtain certification in BLS within 30 days of hire date
State criminal background check and Federal (if applicable), as required for regulated areas.
Two (2) years of college study OR Two (2) years of experience in inpatient acute psychiatric care.
Must have strong oral and written communication skills.
Must have the ability to work successfully under highly stressful conditions, and must be capable of adapting to varying workloads and work assignments on a constant basis.
Must have the ability to make sound, independent judgments based on scientific principles, and also be able to collaborate with other multi-disciplinary team members in an appropriate fashion.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Social Work, or Nursing.
Valid driver's license.

Responsibilities

Facilitates or co-facilitates the therapeutic group process.
Applies effective communication techniques in collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team and in interacting with clients and significant others in therapeutic relationships.
Assists clients to structure their lives in a therapeutic manner.
Serves as an active member of the mental health team, taking developmental age of the client into account.
Provides community based mental health care, which includes providing care to clients in a manner that considers safety and patients’ rights and comfort.
Utilizes the master treatment plan for assistance in identifying and implementing developmental age-appropriate interventions with clients.
Therapeutically supports and reinforces clients’ appropriate and pro-social behavior and negatively reinforces and sets limits in a therapeutic and consistent manner clients’ inappropriate and antisocial behavior, within program guidelines.
Identification of verbal and non-verbal cues for potential aggressive behavior and application of de-escalation techniques to the situation.
Implements appropriate interventions and documents clients’ responses in the medical record.
Identifies thought patterns and behaviors associated with different types of psychiatric diagnoses and developmental ages and intervenes appropriately utilizing the master treatment plan.
Provides assistance to clients’ family members and other supportive individuals in accordance with program standards.
Performs basic medical tasks (i.e. obtains and documents vital signs, collects urine and stool samples, weighs clients, witnessing controlled substance wastes, obtaining blood glucose levels) and exhibits a willingness to learn additional tasks.
Assists clients in their activities of daily living (bathing, toileting, eating and ambulation) as needed.
May transport and supervise clients to appointments and activities.
Organizes and facilitates specific recreation, physical fitness and age appropriate leisure time activities.
Answers the phone and responds to all calls, including Helpline calls, in an appropriate and professional manner.