Mental Health Associate - Addiction Recovery Center

About the role

Mental Health Associate works with the treatment team to ensure complete coordination of the patient treatment plan from admission through discharge.

Responsibilities

• Ensures patients receive comprehensive services:
  • Assists the interdisciplinary treatment team in patient assessments and the development of goal-directed treatment.
  • Works with the treatment team to provide complete services to patients.
  • Accurately documents activities according to the policies and procedures of the IIAR.
  • Is knowledgeable of and capable of providing emergency assistance in regard to inappropriate acting out behavior by any patient, utilizing verbal redirection and other de-escalation techniques before instituting emergency measures such as Security Alerts or restraints.
  • Is knowledgeable and capable of working with patients who present a dual problem: Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorder.
  • Institutes the daily program format on the adult unit, guiding activities to provide optimum treatment while instilling a sense of positive empowerment to patients.
  • Ensures all patient contact and interaction is based upon inherent dignity, individuality, culture, and beliefs of each patient, providing care in a compassionate, humane, and non-enabling manner.
  • Provides patient care with attention/knowledge of age-specific care.
  • Conducts Addiction Assessments including patient rights, obtaining releases of information, and advanced directives.
  • Participates in interdisciplinary clinical staffing or ensures pertinent information is provided to the team.
  • Demonstrates Motivational Interviewing skills when working with patients.
  • Serves as the witness for RNs when wasting medication.
• Therapeutic environment and safety focus:
  • Assists in the creation and maintenance of a therapeutic milieu so that the unit is a safe, caring, nurturing, healing, and educative environment.
  • Sets behavioral limits on patients according to unit policies, individual plan of care, and behavior modification plans.
  • De-escalates patients utilizing CPI techniques.
  • Participates in application of seclusion/restraints when appropriate; provides monitoring of patients in such situations; completes appropriate documentation, including restriction of rights forms.
  • Provides supportive care to patients and families.
  • Conducts safety rounds.
  • Assists patients in conflict resolution.
  • Role models stress management.
  • Ensures patient safety by following policies/procedures and adhering to unit protocols and national patient safety goals.
• Therapeutic groups and individual therapies:
  • Provides group and individual therapies for all patients as assigned to ensure comprehensive, quality treatment.
  • Facilitates educational sessions, structured groups, and psychoeducational groups in accordance with the patient's plan of care.
  • Utilizes a variety of therapeutic models as appropriate to the clinical situation, primarily focusing on brief therapy/cognitive behavioral therapy.
  • Ensures the milieu maintains a therapeutic environment.
  • Incorporates Recovery principles in all therapeutic interventions.
  • Documents interventions in a succinct and goal-directed manner using DAR format.
  • Recognizes and reports abuse/neglect situations as required by law.
  • Provides support, sets limits, and/or facilitates learning from the situation when providing situational 1:1 interventions.
  • Adheres to group rules and ensures scheduled groups start and end on time.
  • Follows group content outlines in the group manual and individualizes groups to the needs of the current patient population.
  • Engages patients to participate in community meetings as appropriate.
  • Interacts with parents/significant others to answer programming questions and discuss patient progress.
  • Gives accurate, objective data during report to the oncoming shift in supplement to RN report.

Requirements

Educational Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.

Certification & Licensure Requirements

• Basic Life Support (BLS) within 30 days – American Heart Association (AHA).
• Certified Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor (CADC) – Must possess and maintain a current certification from Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association within three years of hire/start date.
• Must have control over personal use of all mood-altering chemicals and behaviors. If recovering from an addiction, must currently have a minimum of 2 years of uninterrupted recovery and must actively treat this addiction by appropriate recovery practices.

Other Requirements

• Required English Skills:
  • Advanced reading skills.
  • Advanced writing skills.
  • Advanced oral skills.
• Communication Skills:
  • Ability to respond appropriately to customer/co-worker.
  • Interaction with a wide variety of people.
  • Maintain confidential information.
  • Ability to communicate only the facts to recipients or to decline to reveal information.
  • Ability to project a professional, friendly, helpful demeanor.
• Computer Skills:
  • Basic computer knowledge: Uses word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail application, and web browser.
  • Comfortable within a Windows OS and learning new applications.
• Use of usual and customary equipment used to perform essential functions of the position.

About Us

At Carle Health, we're committed to fostering a workplace where every team member feels valued, respected, and empowered, where passion and purpose come together to positively impact the lives of our patients and our communities. Our nearly 17,000 team members and providers work together to support patient care across central and southeastern Illinois. We’ve grown to include eight, award-winning hospitals and a multispecialty provider group with more than 1,500 doctors and advanced practice providers. We’re developing the next generation of providers and healthcare professionals through Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the world’s first engineering-based medical school, and Methodist College.

Carle BroMenn Medical Center, Carle Foundation Hospital, Carle Health Methodist Hospital, Carle Health Proctor Hospital, Carle Health Pekin Hospital, and Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center hold Magnet® designations, the nation’s highest honor for nursing care. We offer opportunities in several communities throughout central Illinois with potential for growth and life-long careers at Carle Health.

Pay

The compensation range for this position is $22.54 per hour - $37.64 per hour. The actual compensation offered will be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, qualifications, location, training, licenses, shifts worked, and compensation model.

Benefits

Carle Health offers a comprehensive benefits package for team members and providers. To learn more visit careers.carlehealth.org/benefits.