Mental Health Treatment Aide - Correctional Health Services Sunday-Thursday, 7am-3pm

Physician Affiliate Group of New York • New York, NY

6d • $29 - $29 • Onsite

About The Position

Physician Affiliate Group of New York, P.C. (PAGNY), on behalf of the Division of Correctional Health Services (CHS) of New York City Health + Hospitals, is hiring a Mental Health Treatment Aide for Rikers Island. CHS provides medical care, mental health care, and discharge planning in the city jail system. Its mental health services include specialty housing for people with serious mental illness, psychiatric care, creative arts programming, DBT training, facility clinics, substance use treatment, and re-entry services.

Working with an interdisciplinary team and under the supervision of a Supervising Treatment Aide, the Mental Health Treatment Aide supports patients through crisis and de-escalation interventions, therapeutic observations, groups, patient supervision, and other behavioral-health duties. The role includes coordination with correctional staff to support unit safety and patient care. The position is located on Rikers Island, in a normal correctional health environment.

The schedule is Sunday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is a regular, full-time 1199 union position. The listed salary is $29.42 per hour. Benefits are provided through the union.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree in criminal justice, social services, or a health-related area; or a high school diploma or GED and two years of full-time experience in nursing, behavioral health, or another related field; or an equivalent combination of these qualifications.
• Ability to carry out written and oral instructions.
• Ability to establish successful interpersonal relationships with patients and coworkers.

Responsibilities

• Orient patients to unit policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and routine schedules.
• Use crisis and de-escalation interventions when necessary and appropriate for patients whose behavior cannot otherwise be supported.
• Identify patient characteristics and environmental variables that may trigger agitation, and communicate this information to the treatment team.
• Perform patient checks and rounds as required.
• Communicate clinical matters to assigned mental health, DOC, or other professional staff as required; report unusual findings or changes in patients’ physical, medical, or emotional conditions to a supervisor.
• Escort patients to groups or other required locations as directed.
• Perform one-to-one patient monitoring for behavioral management or modification purposes.
• Participate in required departmental clinical training.
• Lead or co-lead groups or activities, such as anger-management practices, and document group activities appropriately.
• Respond appropriately to patient emergencies and cooperate with DOC staff when needed to support unit safety.
• Participate in regularly scheduled, in-person one-to-one supervision with the MHTA supervisor or designee.
• Maintain a professional appearance and demeanor.
• Perform other appropriate mental health duties as directed by team leaders or supervisors.
• Engage DOC staff when violence occurs on the unit, contraband is found, or contraband is suspected.
• Debrief DOC custodial staff before each tour regarding problematic patients or unit issues.
• Take a secondary role in resolving a crisis when officers arrive on the unit for an emergency.

Benefits

• 401(k) account for employee contributions, subject to IRS contribution limits; employees are immediately vested in their contributions.
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs).
• Pre-tax employee-paid contributions for commuting expenses.
• Benefits are provided through the 1199 union.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree