Mental Health Specialist I - Child Unit - Evenings

Evening shift: 3:00 pm – 11:30 pm, every other Saturday & Sunday required. 32 hours/week (0.8 FTE).

Pay

Starts at $20.16/hour with potential for higher pay based on relevant experience, plus $1.80 evening-shift differential and an additional $1.80 shift differential on weekends.

Responsibilities

• Participates with the interdisciplinary team in specialized patient care.
• Cares for patient assignment as delegated.
• Establishes therapeutic relationships with patients and families, including effective communication and education.
• Provides trauma-informed care, uses positive reinforcement, and operates within a therapeutic relationship.
• Maintains staff and patient safety through de-escalation, limit setting, and physical interventions.
• Collaborates with other healthcare professionals to develop treatment plans.
• Acts as a resource to unit staff regarding diagnoses, behavior plans, relationship-based care, protective equipment, and crisis management.
• Floats to other Behavioral Health nursing units as needed at the direction of leadership.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Current enrollment in and completion of half of a Psychology, Social Work, or related undergraduate program, or equivalent experience.
• One year of hospital experience in a mental-health role within the past three years, or equivalent education.

Certifications

• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association (required within 90 days of hire).
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) certification (provided by the organization, required within 90 days of hire).
• First Aid certification (provided by the organization, required within 90 days of hire).

Skills

• Effective written and verbal communication.
• Interpersonal and problem-solving skills.

Physical Requirements

• Occasionally: Biohazard waste, chemicals/medications, climbing stairs/ladder, fumes/gases/vapors, lifting/carrying 0–60 lbs, patient equipment, pushing/pulling 0–100 lbs.
• Frequently: Bending/twisting, exposure to blood and/or bodily fluids, communicable diseases/pathogens, computer skills, flexing/extending neck, loud noises, reaching above shoulder, squatting/kneeling.
• Continuously: Audible speech, color vision, decision-making, depth perception, hand use (grasping, gripping, turning), hearing acuity, interpreting data, peripheral vision, problem-solving, repetitive hand/arm use, seeing (far/near), sitting, standing, walking.
• Performs therapeutic crisis intervention moves (TCI).
• Able to wear and function in helmets and other safety equipment.
• Rapid physical response when needed.
• Applies principles of body mechanics in lifting or moving patients and/or equipment.
• Must be able to move or reposition patients of any weight or size with assistance of another person(s) and/or equipment.