Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

The atmosphere in RCA is different—it's like family. People care, people smile, people love what they do, and that makes all the difference when you walk into work every day. You’ll have the opportunity to help people become whole again alongside talented nursing, clinical, and administrative staff who work around the clock to help clients achieve that goal.

About RCA

In 2013, Recovery Centers of America (RCA) announced a goal: Save one million lives from the disease of addiction. We’re working toward that promise with over 11 facilities offering evidence-based inpatient, outpatient, and medication-assisted treatment 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We tailor treatment for each patient and offer specialized programs for trauma, multiple recurrences, older adults, first responders, and more. Our curriculum, resources, and evidence-based care help patients not just achieve recovery but maintain it for life.

About the Role

As a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, you’ll support RCA’s mission of helping millions jumpstart their recovery. Your medical expertise will aid in patient recovery as you implement effective techniques and make a difference in the lives of patients, their families, and communities.

Responsibilities

• Assess, examine, diagnose, and treat patients with mental illness by conducting comprehensive family assessments.
• Collect data from multiple sources using assessment techniques appropriate to the patient’s language, culture, and developmental state, including screening evaluations, psychiatric rating scales, genograms, and other standardized instruments.
• Assess the impact of acute and/or chronic illness, psychiatric disorders, and stressors on the family system.
• Perform initial history and physical examination, with intermittent medical assessments as warranted.
• Involve patients, significant others, and interdisciplinary team members in data collection and analysis.
• Teach patients’ families about the patients’ condition and how to react in certain scenarios.
• Develop a plan of care and prescribe medications as needed.
• Educate patients on medications for addiction treatment (MAT).

Requirements

• Master’s, postgraduate, or doctoral degree from a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
• Current Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification from the ANCC.
• 2+ years’ experience as an RN; 3 years’ experience as a psychiatric nurse practitioner preferred.
• Valid NP license in the state of practice.
• Active DEA (and CDS if required by state) license. For full-time roles, the DEA and CDS must match the facility address. For part-time and PRN roles, the address may differ.
• Up-to-date CPR or BLS certification (or must be completed during orientation).
• Critical thinking skills and ability to formulate accurate medical/psychiatric assessments.
• Understanding of ASAM criteria and levels of care.
• Ability to safely prescribe medications and administer as needed.
• Competency in performing CLIA-waived testing as needed.
• Proficiency in screening and assessing for suicide ideation and aggression.

Skills

• Ethics: Integrity, honesty, responsibility, credibility, and the ability to use ethical considerations to guide decisions.
• Health Promotion, Health Protection, Disease Prevention, and Treatment: Provides direct mental health care services and synthesizes theoretical, scientific, and clinical knowledge for assessment and management of mental health and illness states.
• Nurse Practitioner/Patient Relationship: Demonstrates a personal, collegial, and collaborative approach to enhance patient care effectiveness.
• Cultural Competence: Delivers culturally competent care, respecting cultural and spiritual beliefs, and making healthcare resources available to patients from diverse backgrounds.

Working Conditions

• Work Environment: May work in professional offices, clinics, hospitals, or outpatient facilities. Spends much of the time on their feet, actively working with patients.
• Physical Demands: Regularly required to talk or hear. Frequently uses hands to handle objects, tools, or controls. Occasionally stands, walks, sits, reaches, climbs, balances, stoops, kneels, or crawls. Must occasionally lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds. Requires close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Must be able to administer at least 2 consecutive minutes of quality CPR.
• Travel: Primarily local during the business day, though some out-of-area and overnight travel may be expected.