Mental Health Specialist/Safety - UPMC McKeesport

UPMC McKeesport is currently hiring a fulltime Mental Health Specialist/Safety to join our team!

Are you a behavioral health professional who is interested in working at a world-renowned medical center with an up-beat environment?  Are you looking for a meaningful career with endless opportunities?  Do you enjoy working hands on with patients, their families, and a supportive team to provide excellent patient care? If so, you might be a great fit for a role at UPMC!  

UPMC McKeesport is currently hiring a fulltime Mental Health Specialist/Safety to join our team.  This position will work various shifts (including day, evening and overnight) and have weekend/holiday responsibility.  

UPMC offers a competitive benefits package and provides the opportunity to continue to grow professionally from both a technical and managerial standpoint.

Candidates will be placed in the correct job title/salary grade based on education and experience.

We invite you to explore our opportunities today!

Purpose:
Responsible for assisting in the development and maintenance of a therapeutic environment for patients experiencing emotional disturbance. Also assists with the specialized patient care needs of each individual patient using principles of adult development and knowledge of psychopathology.

Responsibilities:

• Develop supportive interpersonal relationships with individuals and groups of patients in accordance with treatment plan goals and that will continue the patient's development as an adult.

   

• Acknowledge the specific nature of the patient's dysfunction and considers the effect with community, caregivers, family members, and program staff.
• Contribute in the development and implementation of individualized patient care plans and assists in the integration into comprehensive treatment plans.
• Supervise and assist patients with personal hygiene tasks including bathing, dressing, eating, caring for clothing, and organizing personal belongings on a daily basis.
• Participate as a Treatment Team member in assessing the social and emotional needs of the patient.
• Assist in physical restraint techniques necessary in an attempt to control violent, combative patients and maintain a safe environment with respect to age-specific competencies and guidelines in conformance with seclusion and restraint policies and positive approaches training. 
• Initiate debriefing sessions and provide feedback to staff after seclusion and restraint situations and any crisis situation. 
• Assess for changes in patient behavior that may require a 1:1 interaction to provide early intervention.
• Document patient encounters in medical record/progress note.
• May engage/encourage patients to participate in a safety related group/activity.
• May assist with Mental Health Hearing process based on staffing needs.
• Assure commitment documentation is complete.
• Monitor visiting hour activity assuring no visiting takes place in patient rooms, no contraband is passed off by visitors to patients, and milieu remains calm.
• Demonstrate knowledge of each patient as an individual within the framework of the family.
• Plan and participates in educational, social and recreational activities for individuals and groups of patients in accordance with treatment plan goals.
• Conduct proactive safety rounds throughout the units, monitoring the milieu. 
• Conduct Environmental Safety Rounds each shift and document/report any unsafe conditions as well as any security violations. 
• Monitor the milieu for any safety concerns or risks.
• Provide assistance as requested to clinical staff in the care and safety of patients, staff or visitors. 
• Respond to all Condition M calls in a professional manner with respect to age-specific guidelines and competencies.
• Provide trainings in safety issues specific to the needs of the units based on specific need of patients and staff. 
• Assist in investigating reports of incidents to include patient related issues, and any other areas considered to be of importance in the day-to-day operation of the unit.

• Associate Degree with 2 years work experience within MH/MR service, 
• OR Enrolled in Bachelor degree program in associated field of study with 2 years of related experience (hospital or community setting with psychiatric patients), 
• OR Bachelors degree in Human Services field.
• May in the course of their job duties be in rooms where medications are stored. No contact with medications is allowed.
  
  Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:
   
• Basic Life Support (BLS) OR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran