PATIENT SAFETY SPECIALIST

UHS•Washington, DC

7h•Onsite

About The Position

The Psychiatric Institute of Washington (PIW) is a 130-bed, short-term, acute care hospital providing comprehensive behavioral healthcare for children, adolescents, adults, and senior adults. PIW offers inpatient, partial, and intensive outpatient hospitalization, along with specialized treatment programs for chemical dependency. The Patient Safety Specialist is crucial in fostering a safe and supportive environment for both patients and staff. This role involves providing consistent care, supervision, and positive role modeling throughout the facility. The specialist will lead behavior-based safety initiatives, conduct safety observations, and offer real-time coaching to enhance safe practices. By proactively monitoring and collaborating with staff and leadership, the specialist aims to identify risks, minimize incidents and injuries, and promote PIW's dedication to a culture of safety.

Requirements

High School Graduate/GED
Two or more years of experience in a mental health facility
Demonstrated experience training or experience in de-escalation
BLS, required
Excellent communication skills
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, writing reports and summaries

Responsibilities

Provide safe escort and supervision, monitoring employees and visitors, preventing unauthorized activity, and reporting observations to leadership.
Support lobby and hospital operations, responding to calls for intervention during potentially challenging situations and communicating all adverse events.
Maintain a safe therapeutic environment through continuous patient supervision, crisis reporting, contraband checks, and adherence to safety and infection-control procedures.
Engage directly with patients, teaching hygiene and social skills, reinforcing treatment-plan activities, orienting new patients, and supporting medication compliance.
Deliver staff training in areas such as BLS, de-escalation, Handle With Care, and milieu management as assigned.