Mental Health Worker I - Adolescent Services - 2nd Shift

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Worcester, MA

19d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Mental Health’s Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital (WRCH) is hiring a Mental Health Worker I to provide direct care and support activities of daily living for people served in an inpatient setting. The role supports habilitative and rehabilitative care and helps implement behavioral and recreational treatment plans by sharing observations and input with the treatment team. The worker is expected to uphold the Department of Mental Health’s commitment to a culture of safety. These are full-time, 40-hour positions on Unit E2, working the second shift from 2:45 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. Available schedules have Sundays and Mondays off, or alternating days off across a two-week schedule: Week 1, Monday and Saturday; Week 2, Sunday and Thursday. Mandatory overtime is required. WRCH provides intermediate- and long-term inpatient care for adults and adolescents with serious and persistent mental illness, along with specialized court-ordered evaluations. Its services include a Deaf Inpatient Mental Health Service program.

Requirements

Knowledge of the English language.
Ability to communicate effectively orally and write clearly and concisely, expressing thoughts clearly and developing ideas in logical sequence.
Ability to gather information by observing and questioning individuals and examining records and documents.
Ability to maintain accurate records.
Ability to establish rapport and deal tactfully with people from varied ethnic, cultural, or economic backgrounds.
Ability to interact with people under physical and/or emotional stress and maintain a calm manner in stressful or emergency situations.
Ability to follow written and oral instructions.
Ability to work in a team and group situations.
Ability to exercise sound judgment.
Ability to understand, apply, and explain laws, rules, regulations, procedures, guidelines, and policies governing assigned unit activities.
Ability to lift and carry heavy objects or people.
Minimum entrance requirements: None.
Depending on assignment, may be required to hold a current and valid motor vehicle driver’s license at a class level specific to the assignment.
Depending on assignment, must obtain and maintain one or more certifications after successfully completing training: CPR, first aid, and/or Medication Administration Program (MAP).
Successful candidates must acknowledge and attest to their COVID-19 and influenza vaccination status or required mitigation measures, as applicable to the position.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with individuals with serious, persistent mental illness, substance abuse, and/or experiences of homelessness.
Bilingual or multilingual fluency, given the population served.
American Sign Language (ASL).

Responsibilities

Provide direct care and assist people served with activities of daily living and habilitative or rehabilitative care to support their health, comfort, safety, and human rights.
Take and report vital signs as instructed.
Accompany people served to appointments, programs, and treatment areas, assisting professional or medical staff as needed.
Observe people served according to hospital and departmental policy, including 5-, 15-, and 30-minute checks and 1:1 or constant observation as directed.
Contribute to and address Treatment and Recovery Plan interventions with the treatment team, including planning and implementing rehabilitative, behavioral, and recreational care.
Discuss the goals and needs of people served at Treatment Team meetings and shift-change reports as instructed; report observations, behaviors, desires, and problems to support consistent and timely care.
Organize and encourage participation in leisure activities during unstructured time to support socialization and interpersonal skills.
Support a safe therapeutic environment through observation and communication.
Review Individual Safety Plans and assist the treatment team by recommending revisions; communicate immediate observations and recommended changes to the supervisor or charge nurse.
Remain alert to safety and health concerns and report them to the supervisor or charge nurse.
Respond to emergencies as trained.
Use de-escalation and restraint and seclusion prevention strategies to provide trauma-informed care.
Establish rapport and meet with assigned people served at designated intervals to discuss goals and care issues that facilitate recovery.
Use a computer, where available, to document medical records, daily reports, safety checks, and other information.
Complete admission forms by interviewing and orienting people served, and communicate priority care information to the treatment team.
Attend and complete required annual trainings.
Perform related duties as required.