Psychiatric Evaluator Emergency Department

Psychiatric Evaluator Job Description

We will deliver the highest quality health care in partnership with our community, one person at a time.

Department: Behavior Service Unit

Job Title:Psychiatric Evaluator

Reports To: Flex Unit Manager

Shift: Day/evening flex

Job Summary:

Cayuga Medical Center has two Behavioral Services units, one for adults over the age of 18 years, and one for adolescents between 13 and 17. We provide individualized care in a warm, supportive environment. We're here to help you understand the problems you have been experiencing and to work with you to make your life more manageable.

Our team of professional caregivers will do a thorough evaluation to help determine what is causing your distress and how we can best help you. We will check carefully for any underlying medical illness or biochemical origins to your symptoms. We will then work with you, your family, and other health-care professionals to develop a course of treatment that is right for you.

Job Responsibilities:

• Responsible for collection of comprehensive biopsychosocial data, assessment/determination of lethality/risk, pre-certification of medical care with insurance/managed care entities.
• Provide liaison services between Emergency Department providers and psychiatric providers in determining the disposition of clients in need of psychiatric evaluation
• Position is responsible for determination of need for clinical consultation with psychiatrist and medical consultation with Emergency Department staff to allow timely patient disposition.
• If RN, receive physician orders for disposition (If SW transfer to RN for receipt of orders).

• Communicate disposition decisions with all necessary parties (ED, BSU).
• Current referral sources and interact effectively with patients, peers and other staff on appropriate patient treatment options.
• Possesses a broad knowledge of regulatory laws as it relates to care of the mentally ill and the drug/alcohol patient: understands the disease pathology associated with emotional/mental illnesses and addictions, and their models of treatment.
• Clinician is able to act professionally under stressful conditions, by effectively setting priorities. Clinicians must have excellent critical thinking skills.
• Clinician is responsible and accountable for independent behavioral health emergency evaluations of acute psychiatric/addiction patients in Emergency Department.

• Position is responsible for coordination of disposition, care, community resources, including seven days a week, 24 hours a day triage of behavioral health patients.
• Position is responsible for med/surgical psychiatric/addiction evaluation/consultation backup for medical floor evaluators and on-call medical floor psychiatrists.
• Additionally, when the need arises, the position will perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements

Education: Master's degree in Social Work or Mental Health Counseling from an accredited college or university. Current license to practice as an LMHC or LMSW/LCSWORRegistered Nursing Degree from an accredited college or university; Successful completion of TCI Training within three months of hire.

Experience: Previous experience in mental health field, preferably in an acute care inpatient psychiatric setting; Provide psychosocial assessment and interview of patients, clients, family members and/or persons deemed necessary to obtain the most complete case history in the Emergency Department or ED Flex space; Complete documentation of psychosocial evaluation to include a formulation of all data leading to a decision for disposition, legal status paperwork, insurance authorization, releases of information appropriate to data collection.

Licensure: Current License to practice as a Registered Nurse in New York State.

Physical Requirements: Audio/visual acuity and physical dexterity to interact appropriately with patients, peers, visitors, staff, and outside customers/agencies; Ability to do long periods of standing, walking, bending and stretching, and ability to change position and body motion quickly; Ability to lift and assist in lifting, utilizing appropriate body mechanics, without weight restriction; Ability to participate as a member of the team trained to physically subdue and restrain individuals in behavioral dyscontrol, of all sizes and strengths. This activity includes, but is not limited to, lifting, holding, straining and running.