Outreach Crisis Specialist (Baldwin)

AltaPointe Health • Fairhope, AL

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

This role involves responding to crisis calls, initiating and implementing services of the crisis team, and providing face-to-face visits in the community or consumer homes. The specialist will assess crisis situations, de-escalate them, and determine the appropriate level of response. Responsibilities include transporting consumers to services, educating families on de-escalation techniques and safety plans, and collaborating with internal and external teams for consumer placement and follow-up. The role also requires ensuring medication compliance, utilizing appropriate communication methods, handling calls from multiple referral sources, assessing medical needs, and assisting with emergency services if necessary. Clinical duties involve performing assessments, supporting diagnoses, formulating treatment plans, providing therapy, collaborating with treatment teams and external agencies, advocating for consumers, and evaluating discharge needs. Adherence to professional ethics and adult-specific competencies is expected. The role also includes seeking supervision, accepting feedback, enhancing clinical skills, documenting services in a timely manner using the Avatar electronic health record, managing caseloads to meet productivity standards, and maintaining courteous and respectful interactions with consumers and colleagues. Administrative duties include participating in performance improvement activities and committees, completing tasks on time, accessing community resources, following policies, maintaining licensure and CEUs, and participating in staff education.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a mental health discipline, or RN, or LPN, or Certified Peer Specialist with 2 or more years’ experience working with psychiatric disorders or crisis situations.
• Knowledge in adult specialty, outlined below, to be attained within (6) six months of employment.
• Knowledge of psychiatric disorders in the adult population
• Basic knowledge of the nature of addiction for referral purposes
• Basic knowledge of Senior Adult issues for referral purposes
• Knowledge of cultural diversity
• Knowledge of behavior management, crisis intervention and interventions common to acute psychotic consumers, as well as, to non-violent crisis intervention practice
• Knowledge of psychiatric rehabilitation principles
• Knowledge of educational methods appropriate to adults with severe and persistent psychiatric disorders
• Knowledge of AltaPointe services and continuum of care
• Knowledge of appropriate services codes and billing procedures
• Knowledge of community resources

Responsibilities

• Responds in a timely manner to crisis calls
• Leads in the initiating and implementing the services of the crisis team
• Makes face to face visits when calls come into Access To Care or the Outreach Liaison
• Provides services in the community, consumer’s homes, etc.
• Demonstrates the ability to recognize the elements of a crisis state and knows how to deescalate or resolve the situation
• Effectively determines the level of response needed in crisis situations
• Transports consumers to services on a limited basis.
• Educates families on de-escalating crisis situations including but not limited to safety plans
• Collaborates with Access To Care and other members of AltaPointe to help with placement of consumers in services when necessary
• Follows up with consumers that are in AltaPointe’s Adult Outpatient Programs who may be decompensating or at high risk.
• Travels to consumers’ homes to ensure medication compliance as needed
• Utilizes appropriate communication methods to ensure appropriate communication with individual consumers’ treatment teams
• Handles and triages calls from multiple referral sources
• Able to assess for medical needs and help seek treatment as appropriate
• Assist in securing emergency medical services or law enforcement if needed
• Provides effective clinical assessment of the consumer as needed
• Utilizes assessment data to support a DSM IV diagnosis as needed
• Formulates appropriate treatment plan along with consumer and families, as appropriate
• Provides individual, group, and family therapy, utilizing basic therapeutic models and theories according to consumer needs as stated in the treatment plan as needed
• Effectively collaborates with the treatment team members, law enforcement, emergency medical services, court personnel and outside sources in the delivery of clinical services
• Advocates on behalf of the consumer to secure community resources
• Evaluates the consumer for discharge planning or movement to a less restrictive environment
• Adheres to professional code of ethics
• Effectively demonstrates the application of adult specific competencies
• Seeks clinical supervision and consultation as needed
• Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement
• Actively works to enhance clinical skills
• Documents in a timely fashion per AltaPointe policy
• Learns and utilizes Avatar electronic health record appropriately
• Documents in detail the resolutions of crisis situations and linkage to appropriate follow up sources.
• Documents all services provided before the completion of the shift.
• Documents appropriate, complete, and clinically comprehensive mental health assessments
• Documents measurable and specific goals in the treatment plan
• Documents in a clear and concise manner, types of consumer problems, treatment goals addressed, services, and techniques used
• Documents case disposition, case closings, follow-up and referrals
• Documents legibly
• Effectively manages caseload based on consumer needs
• Meets AltaPointe productivity standards
• Monitors caseload for accuracy
• Treats consumers with care, dignity and compassion
• Respects consumer’s privacy and confidentiality
• Is pleasant and cooperative with others
• Assists consumers as needed
• Personal values do not inhibit ability to relate and care for others
• Is sensitive to the consumer’s needs, expectations and individual differences
• Is gentle and calm with consumers, families, and other agencies
• Actively participates in Performance Improvement activities
• Actively participates in AltaPointe committees as required
• Completes assigned tasks in a timely manner
• Accesses appropriate community resources according to consumer needs
• Follows AltaPointe policies and procedures
• Maintains current license and requirements for renewals (i.e. CEU’s), if applicable, and attends to required in-services and workshops
• Keeps To Do list on Avatar maintained appropriately
• Participates in ongoing staff education trainings

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level