Milieu Specialist - Psych - PRN

University of Missouri Health Care•Columbia, MO

2d•$22 - $35•Onsite

About The Position

As a Milieu Specialist at Missouri Psychiatric Center (MUPC), you will help create a safe, structured, and therapeutic environment for children, adolescents, and adults receiving inpatient psychiatric care. You will build supportive relationships with patients, encourage healthy behaviors, and serve as a positive role model throughout their treatment journey. Working closely with the interdisciplinary care team, you will monitor patient well-being, provide emotional support, and help prevent and de-escalate crises. Through therapeutic communication and daily interactions, you will promote patient safety, recovery, and overall well-being. MUPC provides specialized training in non-violent crisis intervention, behavioral therapy, group skills, and therapeutic communication to support your success in the role.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in social work, behavioral therapies (counseling, psychology, therapeutic recreation, occupational therapy), or a related area, or an equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities can be acquired.

Nice To Haves

Mental health experience.
Additional license/certification requirements as determined by the hiring department.

Responsibilities

Promote a calm milieu by providing individual support and monitoring to patients as indicated/assigned.
Actively manage the milieu through interactions with individual patients on a regular/frequent basis.
Encourage patients to act at a level equal to their ability.
Function as a role model for patients on the unit to show ways to effectively relate to others, to get one's needs met, and to enhance/develop social competencies, and interpersonal awareness.
Serves as a resource and point of contact for information, guidance, and support for patients.
Work in collaboration with staff and the treatment team.
Communicate in a warm and empathetic manner.
Ensure a compassionate, high-quality, exemplary customer-driven culture.
Validate the patient's needs and rights.
Be mindful of times of increased activity or stress on the unit to prevent escalation.
Redirect unhealthy/risky behaviors on the spot by giving feedback and alternative strategies.
De-escalate patients, and in emergencies, provide appropriate crisis intervention techniques to maintain patients in the least restricting manner.
May complete unit/department-specific duties and expectations as outlined in department documents.