Behavioral Health Specialist, Psychiatry Float Pool

About the Role

This Behavioral Health Specialist position supports behavioral health care delivery across College Hill psychiatric programs at Cincinnati Children’s. The role brings flexibility, strong therapeutic communication, and a commitment to patient safety to a team that helps meet staffing and patient care needs across multiple behavioral health settings. This role is a strong fit for someone who enjoys variety, teamwork, and the opportunity to broaden behavioral health experience while supporting children, adolescents, families, and interdisciplinary care teams.

Why Join the PSRU Psychiatry Float Pool?

• Gaining broad behavioral health experience by supporting multiple College Hill psychiatry care areas
• Providing direct patient care in a team-based setting and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to support patient outcomes
• Using therapeutic communication, trauma-informed care, and de-escalation strategies to support youth in crisis
• Implementing individualized patient care plans and documenting behavioral observations
• Helping establish safe, stable, and nurturing environments across supported psychiatry programs
• Developing flexibility and confidence while adapting to different patient populations, team structures, and care environments
• Working in a state-of-the-art mental health facility that opened in October 2023

Responsibilities

Float Pool Support and Adaptability

• Float across supported College Hill psychiatric and behavioral health areas based on patient care and staffing needs
• Adapt quickly to unit-specific workflows, patient populations, care routines, and team expectations
• Provide consistent, reliable behavioral health support while maintaining safety standards and patient-centered care across settings
• Partner with nurses, Behavioral Health Facilitators, clinical managers, providers, and interdisciplinary team members to support continuity of care

Milieu Management and Patient Safety

• Create and support safe, stable, and nurturing environments that foster consistency, structure, and therapeutic engagement
• Support patients with a variety of psychiatric, behavioral, emotional, developmental, and neurodevelopmental needs
• Proactively prevent and respond to crises using Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) strategies, including verbal de-escalation and physical intervention when necessary due to imminent risk
• Lead or assist in behavioral crises, apply appropriate strategies based on individualized care plans, and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team
• Conduct safety checks, room searches, and patient safety searches in accordance with policy and unit expectations

Plan of Care and Therapeutic Support

• Implement individualized care plans, including behavioral interventions, structured supports, and activities of daily living as assigned
• Maintain designated observation status with accuracy and compassion, including continuous observation, 15-minute checks, or remaining within arm's length of a patient as directed
• Support patients in group and individualized programming based on treatment team recommendations and care area expectations
• Observe patient behavior, identify patterns or changes, and participate in problem-solving with the care team

Group Programming and Therapeutic Engagement

• Lead, co-lead, or support structured group programming when assigned to a care area that uses group-based interventions
• Facilitate patient engagement and modify communication or activities to meet developmental and clinical needs
• Build therapeutic rapport while maintaining professional boundaries and advocating for patient needs
• Use trauma-informed and developmentally appropriate communication to support psychological safety and patient participation

Documentation and Communication

• Complete accurate and timely documentation, including shift notes, incident documentation, behavioral observations, and safety checks
• Summarize events before and after target behaviors to support treatment planning and team awareness
• Actively participate in shift reports, safe handoff procedures, and communication with interdisciplinary team members
• Escalate safety concerns, changes in patient presentation, or care needs to nurses and clinical leadership

Professional Development and Team Collaboration

• Collaborate across disciplines using the Interprofessional Practice Model to support coordinated care
• Participate in required education, competency development, and ongoing training to support safe behavioral health practice
• Contribute to team culture through flexibility, reliability, respectful communication, and shared accountability
• Support new team members through role modeling and peer collaboration as appropriate

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent AND 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline, OR
• Bachelor's degree in a related field

Preferred Experience

• Experience in behavioral health, psychiatry, residential treatment, inpatient care, emergency services, education, coaching, direct support, or other human services setting
• Experience working with children or adolescents with behavioral, emotional, psychiatric, developmental, or neurodevelopmental needs
• Comfort adapting to multiple care environments and changing staffing needs
• Strong therapeutic communication, teamwork, de-escalation, documentation, and prioritization skills

Pay & Schedule

• Shift: Night shift (11:00pm–7:30am)
• Schedule: Part time, 24 hours per week (0.6 FTE)
• Benefits: Part-Time Benefits Eligible
• Location: PSRU Psychiatry Float Pool, College Hill Campus