Mental Health Social Worker/Therapist

Job Description
Job Summary
Provides behavioral health services, daily and on-call, for Emergency Department patients and Hospital inpatients per physician order. Manages Behavioral Health Help Line phone calls. Provides assessments of patients referred by their primary care physician on an urgent basis to Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center.
Assists patients in completing forms as needed. Facilitates referrals to other facilities as needed. Communicates on behalf of the patient with family members or significant other in emergency situations. Communicates with physicians, Hospital personnel, County Judges, and law enforcement authorities as needed.
Provides continuity of care for clients needing psychiatric assessments and services in Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center. Duties include performing a psychosocial assessment on each client and the participation in the development of each client's treatment plan. Participates in staffing of selected patients. Covers shifts of on-call service and completes Emergency Department assessments. Demonstrates knowledge of developmental needs of the patient population. (Patient population is defined in each department's Scope of Practice.) Provides back-up social work duties on Behavioral Unit as needed. Completes Regulatory Reporting Measures and manual tracking duties as assigned
Qualifications

• Education:


• Master's Degree in Human Services field is required (Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Mental Health Counseling). Must have License from Indiana Professional Licensing Agency or have education plan for obtaining Licensure, as approved by the Director of Behavioral Health Services. Maintains continuing education requirements according to the appropriate Licensure Board.


• License:


• See 'Education' section.


• Training:


• Requires 6-10 weeks of orientation including a minimum of 40 hours shadowing another experienced practitioner with ongoing Social Work supervision.


• Experience:


• Prefer 2-4 years social work/Behavioral Health experience with 1-2 years in psychiatric setting.


• Job Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:


• Thorough knowledge of admission criteria, patient assessment, discharge planning, and outcome measures. Demonstrates ability to relate to clients and their families and an ability to function in a multi-disciplinary setting. Must have excellent communication skills and ability to relate and communicate to mentally ill clients, their family members, friends, and hospital staff including providers. Familiar with the emergency response plans of local schools and Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center. Ability to respond and provide services as needed and assigned. Familiarity with organizational, functions, policies and procedures as they relate to Memorial Counseling Center and the Behavioral Health Services Department. Knowledge of sate and federal guidelines including Indiana State Department of Health and The Joint Commission. Participation in Quality Counsel process. Completion of competency skills checklist within 60 days. Knowledge of Code situations, Infection Control, and Standard Precautions as they apply to the Division of Patient Services.

Performance Requirements

• Responsibility:


• Responds to emergency referrals and provides patient assessment, recommends course of action, and contacts appropriate personnel for approval prior to admission to the Behavioral Health Services Department. Obtains emergency detention for patient, as applicable. Assists patients with completing forms. Completes Medicaid reimbursement forms from Behavioral Health Unit. Complete charting and other documentation as appropriate. Makes follow-up phone contacts to facilitate and assist with discharged behavioral health patients. Responds to Help Line phone calls appropriately. Complete regulatory reporting measures and internal tracking measures appropriately.


• Physical Demands:


• Walks, sits and stands intermittently. Works in a variety of settings which are generally well-lighted, heated and ventilated. Some exposure to disagreeable conditions. May come in contact with hazardous health conditions, however, if proper procedures are followed, no harm should come to the employee.


• Special Demands:


• Assists in the overall coordination and delivery of psychotherapeutic services for Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center. Requires excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as the ability to monitor clients' progress through reading the medical records. Position requires working with a diverse population to include persons of all ages. Requires close mental and visual attention to the client needs. Exercises sound, independent judgment while working with clients, their families and Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center staff. Responsible for decisions that could seriously impact patient care, policy, or cost. Functions as a team member and is required to participate in on-call and Holiday rotation schedule for the Behavioral Health Services as assigned. Possess initiative and judgment in adapting or devising techniques and procedures to meet the needs of the department. Maintains confidentiality. May be required to assist other Hospital areas that require Behavioral Health services, including providing on the scene crisis intervention with administrative approval. Other related duties as assigned. Reflects the mission, philosophy, core values, and customer service plan of Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center in action and attitude.