Behavioral Health Specialist - Flex/PRN

About the Role

The Mental Health Specialist provides direct patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse. Primary responsibilities include the provision of a safe and therapeutic milieu, crisis intervention, and activities of daily living.

Responsibilities

Essential Job Functions

• Perform all crisis intervention techniques (verbal and physical) and respond to code situations
• Monitor and ensure patient safety at all times via continuous Q15-minute rounding
• Therapeutically communicate with patients
• Recognize and communicate the physical and psychological status of the patients under their care
• Assist patients with Activities of Daily Living when necessary

Nonessential Job Functions

• Maintain a clean work setting and milieu
• Assist in the transporting of patients to and from the hospital when needed
• Perform vital signs on patients
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

• High School diploma or GED required, accompanied with 5+ years of related psychiatric experience
• Associate’s Degree accepted along with comparable experience
• One-year experience working within the mental health field, or an equivalent amount of college-accredited school work or internship experience
• State of IL EMT & Paramedic Certificate

Qualifications (Preferred)

• Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology or related field strongly preferred
• One-year experience working within an inpatient psychiatric hospital with children, adolescents, and adults
• Prior experience with utilizing crisis intervention verbal and physical techniques
• Experience conducting group therapy sessions, performing vital signs, and documenting nursing progress notes

Success Factors / Job Competencies

• Positive therapeutic relationships and interventions with patients
• Service Excellence with all customers
• Ability to use least restrictive measures
• Clear and concise documentation
• Adherence to Hospital Attendance policies

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions:

Environmental Conditions

• Exposure to psychiatric patients who may exhibit violent/aggressive behavior
• Potential for exposure to communicable diseases, blood/body fluids, and other hazardous waste
• General hospital environment

Physical Demands

• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing
• Physical agility to manage patients during physical interventions
• Push, pull, and lift up to 40 pounds
• Intermittent sitting; prolonged standing, walking, bending, and stooping
• Ability to perform visual and auditory observation of patients
• Drug and alcohol-free as evidenced by negative results of post-offer, pre-employment urine drug screen

Pay

Salary offers may be based on key factors such as education and related experience. UHS complies with all applicable state or local laws requiring employers to provide wage or salary range information to job applicants and employees.