Behavioral Health & Security Associate - BH Intake Unit

Provide a safe environment for patients, visitors and staff in the Behavioral Health service line and to assist in providing care to individuals with behavioral/emotional/mental health problems.

Basic Life Support (BLS) within 30 days - American Heart Association (AHA); Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) Training within 3 months - Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI)

Bachelor's Degree: Related Field; Bachelor's Degree: Psychology; Bachelor's Degree: Social Work; Bachelor's Degree: Criminal Justice

Other Knowledge/Skills:

• Ensures patient, visitor and staff safety by following policies/procedures and adhering to the National Patient Safety Goals
• Sets behavioral limits on patients according to hospital and ED policies
• De-escalates patients utilizing CPI techniques
• Takes initiative in making decisions and taking immediate action to ensure safety
• Participates in application of seclusion/restraints when appropriate; provides monitoring of patients in such situations; completes appropriate documentation, including restriction of rights forms
• Participates in patient and staff debriefing
• Interfaces effectively with Behavioral Health, ED and Security staff to promote a safe environment; calls for additional assistance if needed
• Provides supportive care to patients and families when appropriate
• Continuously monitors video/audio equipment to ensure patient, visitor and staff safety, and/or makes “rounds” in the immediate patient care area
• Completes electronic event reports as indicated

• Serves as a point of entry for the Behavioral Health Service Line
• Answers all calls in a timely manner
• Ensures patients are treated with respect and dignity
• Obtains pertinent information from referral sources seeking patient admission to effectively and efficiently triage requests for services
• Assists in facilitating admissions or making referrals to appropriate resources
• Utilizes collected data to triage Behavioral Health patients and ensure appropriate level of care is recommended
• Ensures compliance with legal components of admissions/treatment recommendations (mental health code, confidentiality act, voluntary/involuntary admissions, patients’ rights, obtaining releases of information)
• Assists in administering/scoring assessment scales per protocol as needed
• Documents assessment thoroughly using assessment forms; completes information about disposition and steps taken to reach decision
• Documents interventions in a succinct and goal directed manner using DAIR format
• Incorporates Recovery principles in all therapeutic interventions
• Provides support, sets limits, and/or facilitates learning from the situation if/when providing direct patient care

• Actively promotes and achieves customer satisfaction (patient, family, departments and physicians)
• Assists in completing chart audits and compiling other data to evaluate performance
• Compiles and assists in analyzing intake, utilization and patient flow data
• Generates ideas for improving processes, treatment, and patient care
• Participates in Root Cause Analyses and assists in development of action plans and implementation of action plans

• Educates Behavioral Health patients/families/significant others about the Behavioral Health Service Line
• Possesses a working knowledge of community services
• Assists in referring patients to the most clinically appropriate setting
• Assists in making arrangements for recommended services (for example, makes appointments with follow up providers, etc.)
• Documents patients' requests for services, suggested referrals and disposition of such
• Incorporates Recovery principles in disposition planning
• Assists in conducting follow up “surveys” to ensure patient’s' needs were met (patient satisfaction, follow up appointments, etc.)
• Assists with removing any barriers patients/families encounter with recommendations
• Acts as a patient advocate to gain access to community services
• Maintains solid working relationships with other community providers
• Recognizes and reports abuse/neglect situations as required by law