Community Mental Health Nurse

Overview
The Community Health Nurse will provide direct client care, health education, and coordination of care. They are accountable for coordinating and facilitating client services across the various levels of the care (i.e. outpatient, inpatient, specialists, hospital admissions, respite care, etc.) for the team's clients. The Community Health Nurse will work with clients directly in the community (70%) engaging them in the community settings.
The Community Health Nurse will provide supervision and consultation for the team and clients on illness, self-management, and medication monitoring, training, etc. They will collaborate with the treatment team, providers, and others on client plans of care to ensure quality standards are met. The Community Health Nurse will provide strengths-based, client-centered, and trauma-informed services to clients with severe mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse/addiction disorders utilizing a harm reduction approach and motivational interviewing skills.
Responsibilities

• Make initial and ongoing assessments and treatment plans regarding clients' health problems to prioritize and guide nursing interventions.
• Address health needs of clients with serious mental illness and substance use disorders; i.e. administer specified medications, including long-acting injectable antipsychotics, obtain vital signs, point-of-care testing (POCT), etc.
• Document in electronic medical records (EMR) according to organizational policies for assessments, injections, and progress notes.
• Collaborate with clinical and non-clinical employees on client care plans and ensure quality standards are met. Evaluate effectiveness, monitor progress, and effect change as needed.
• Attend organization wide nursing meetings as scheduled and supervision meetings with both supervisors and Nurse Manager.
• Ensure clients and employees have education related to individual clients' health needs.
• Perform and consult on medication reconciliation process and document as needed in EMRs.
• Serve as client advocate, collaborate with the team, and link clients as needed to services in the community (e.g. medical specialists) for complex coordination of care.
• Coordinate client care by transporting to and attending medical appointments in the community as necessary.
• Provide individual-based motivational treatment to clients to assist them in their recovery from mental illness.
• Attend daily team meetings to provide updates to team on client's current needs.
• Perform other related duties and/or projects that may be assigned to support the organization as a whole.

Qualifications

• Must have a) received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by the date of hire or b) submitted and received approval of a religious or medical exemption, prior to start date, in order to be considered. Proof of vaccination, or documentation confirming exemption will be required
• Associate degree in Nursing required; Bachelor's/Master's preferred
• Current Registered Nurse license in the State of Illinois.
• Active Basic Life Support (BLS) or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification required
• Valid Illinois driver's license with daily access to a well-maintained vehicle with $100,000/$300,000 liability insurance
• Nursing experience in a Community Mental Health setting or working with psychiatrically disabled or other disabled populations highly preferred
• Experience in care coordination highly preferred