Psychiatric Services Specialist

State of Indiana•West Lafayette, IN

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Psychiatric Services Specialist works in the social services department at the Indiana Veterans’ Home, a full-service care facility in West Lafayette, Indiana, serving veterans and their spouses. The role assumes responsibility for a major component of social services, such as community programs or clinical services, and supports psychiatric treatment and patient care through assessment, treatment planning, therapeutic interventions, case coordination, and discharge planning. The specialist conducts admissions, completes biopsychosocial assessments and clinical documentation, explains patient rights, and builds therapeutic relationships with patients and families or caregivers. The role coordinates monthly treatment plan updates and interdisciplinary discussions, delivers individual and group interventions, and documents interactions in the Electronic Medical Record. It also serves as a liaison with internal teams and external stakeholders, assists patients with applications and practical needs, manages patient logistics, and supports discharge or transfer processes. The position may directly supervise one or more staff members and may require work beyond 75 hours in a pay period; it is exempt from overtime compensation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a human-service-related field, such as social work, sociology, psychology, human services, or criminal justice; experience in the mental health field is preferred.
Thorough knowledge of community social service agencies.
Ability to supervise and plan coordination of social service programs with related agencies.
Thorough knowledge of psychiatric social work principles and practices, including social adjustment and rehabilitation, mental illness, personality development, casework, group counseling, and community placement.
Thorough knowledge of laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines governing care, treatment, and rights of people with mental illness.
Working knowledge of other treatment disciplines and ability to coordinate interdisciplinary treatment effectively.
Working knowledge of administrative and personnel techniques related to effective program supervision and direction.
Ability to assume responsibility for agency-wide social services programs in the director’s absence.
Ability to analyze program needs and effectiveness and develop plans for change.
Effective oral and written communication skills.
Ability to perform essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the mental health field.

Responsibilities

Assume responsibility for a major component of the social services department, such as community programs or clinical services.
Evaluate treatment plan formulation and effectiveness and make changes within social services as necessary.
Discuss and address treatment problems associated with individual cases, programs, departmental policy, or professional standards.
Meet with treatment staff from other disciplines to discuss difficult cases and coordinate an interdisciplinary approach to treatment.
Conduct admissions for new patients, including completing releases of information, biopsychosocial assessments, clinical interviews, and admission notes.
Inform patients of their rights and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and their families or caregivers.
Coordinate monthly treatment plan updates, including scheduling meetings, updating plans and progress information, completing attendance records, and facilitating discussion.
Provide individual consultations and therapeutic group interventions, and document patient participation.
Refer patients to therapeutic groups and attend daily multidisciplinary morning huddles.
Facilitate communication between the NDI team and external parties, including gatekeepers, guardians, community organizations, schools, and public service agencies; explain agency services and mission.
Recommend departmental policy and procedure changes to the department director and assist with referral relationships and clinical training experiences for students.
Complete progress notes at required intervals and document interactions with patients and external stakeholders in the Electronic Medical Record.
Assist patients with applications and related needs, including identification documents, SSI/SSDI, Medicaid, and PASSR applications.
Manage patient logistics, including approved phone and visit lists, leave-of-absence paperwork, mail, clothing and item requests, and patient funds for the canteen.
Place patients on discharge or transfer waitlists and complete associated pre-discharge and discharge paperwork.
Provide updates about complex patient discharges to PSD for review by the complex discharge committee.
Perform other duties and activities as assigned.
May directly supervise one or more staff members.

Benefits

Three medical plan options, including prescription coverage, plus vision and dental plans.
Wellness Rewards Program with gift card rewards for completed wellness activities.
Health savings account with biweekly state contributions.
Deferred compensation 457(b) account with employer match.
Two fully funded pension plan options.
Leave policies including 150 hours of paid New Parent Leave for eligible employees, up to eight weeks of paid Childbirth Recovery Leave for eligible mothers, up to 15 hours of paid community service leave, and combined 180 hours of paid vacation, personal, and sick leave.
12 paid holidays, or 14 in election years.
Education Reimbursement Program.
Group life insurance.
Referral Bonus program.
Employee assistance program with covered behavioral health visits.
Eligibility as an employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Free parking for most positions.
Free LinkedIn Learning access.