Mental Health Coach

About the role

The Mental Health Coach is responsible for establishing a therapeutic relationship with pediatric mental health clients, modeling pro-social and positive self-coping skills. Maintains a safe and regulatory compliant treatment setting and collaborates with patient and team stakeholders to ensure an effective treatment experience. May function in on-call capacity as necessary to meet the needs of the organization. Reports to the Nurse Manager.

Responsibilities

• Provides evidence-based skills coaching, behavioral modification and direct observation to pediatric patients with mental health diagnoses.
• Implements and reinforces strategies included in patient’s treatment or behavioral plan; relays ineffective aspects of plan back to the broader team for review and adjustment.
• Completes coping cards with each patient and encourages their use.
• Maintains a collaborative and supportive stance with patients to maintain unit calm; displays expertise in de-escalation cycle and educates patients and families daily on its use.
• Maintains consistent awareness of where each assigned patient is on the de-escalation cycle; utilizes skills appropriate for the observed de-escalation level.
• Provides emotional first aid and debriefing to individual patients and groups after behavioral escalations.
• Manages patient’s room, unit environment and team schedule, ensuring consistent structure and a priority towards safety; ensures work areas are organized, safe and ready for the next activity or shift.
• Maintains constant awareness of patient location and immediately alerts nurse to changes in mental status; completes regular environmental assessment.
• Processes admissions in a timely, organized and client-centered fashion; assures anyone entering the unit is free of contraband by encouraging use of assigned lockers.
• Provides updates to parent/guardian regarding patient condition and progress, linked to the plan of care; consults with the treatment team when unsure of boundaries.
• Greets families at point of access, provides guidance on wayfinding and unit rules.
• Oversees Emergency Department mental health flow by acting as a liaison between provider, charge nurse, bedside nurse, evaluating therapist, admission staff, parent and child.
• Assists in application of restraint when deemed medically necessary and ordered by treating physician.
• May complete nursing tasks (Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), Vital Signs, nutrition, patient weights), as delegated by the RN, for medically involved clients.
• Maintains compliant and safe environment of care including stocking, setting up rooms for admission and general cleaning.
• Attends change of shift and unit-level huddles; assists with de-escalation and restraint application when needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in Social Work, Counseling, Mental Health, Education, Arts & Science, Healthcare or related field from an accredited college/university or equivalent course work and/or previous training and direct care employment experience to demonstrate knowledge or expertise in children, adolescents or mental health.
• Supplemental trainings in mental health disorders, crisis response, behavioral planning preferred.
• Increased Security Clearance may be required: FBI fingerprinting, criminal background check, and Child Protective Services registry search.

Working Conditions

Inpatient hospital or outpatient practice with little exposure to dust, temperature and the like.

Physical Requirements

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