Behavioral Health Therapist - Good Samaritan & Ephrata Community Hospitals - Days / Evenings / Nights

PRN as needed

Days / Evenings / Nights

 

General Summary

Assists with initial triage and assessment, provides clinical oversight, facilitates the admissions process, and serves as a resource about internal and external services. Assists with security and patient behavioral management and provides crisis intervention services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

• Triages requests for service, providing prompt assistance to all requests in relation to their urgency.
• Documents all requests for service using computerized inquiry functions.
• Maintains a knowledge base of insurance/managed care processes related to pre-certifications and authorizations and completes these as required.
• Uses independent clinical assessment / judgement to make safety observation recommendations in the ED.
• Determines appropriate level of care based on the client’s history, psychosocial history, clinical presentation, and funding situation.
• Instructs and assists the client and client family in completing all necessary paperwork, and witnesses signatures as necessary.
• Works cooperatively with program staff to transition the client to the program and participates in the conference call with the psychiatrist as necessary. Provides a summary of pertinent clinical information and special needs as a part of this process.
• Interacts with all clients and family members with an awareness of confidentiality requirements and patient rights issues, and sensitivity to the client’s and family’s level of distress and needs.
• Assists licensed individual practitioners with initial assessment of patients as they enter triage services.
• Completes all necessary procedures and/or documentation to have treatment authorized by 3rd party payers as needed.
• Completes all necessary procedures and /or documentation necessary to refer patients to other levels of care when appropriate, and / or to other types of service when needed.
• Communicates with and coordinate care with other providers or agencies who may be working with the patient including, but not limited to, the primary care physician, the school, Probation & Parole, Children & Youth, attorneys, clergy, and so forth.
• Using clinical decision-making skills, providing individual, family and group therapy in the ED setting for current ED patient caseload
• Uses independent clinical judgment and adheres to processes / standard work related to the coordination of care of Behavioral health patients.
• Maintains an awareness of community resources and provides this information to clients as requested.
• Serves as an initial contact for internal emergencies, administrative concerns, and public relations issues, and directs these contacts to the appropriate WellSpan Philhaven staff.
• Maintains an awareness of WellSpan Philhaven’s admission criteria and the Mental Health Procedures Act and serves as a resource for other WellSpan Philhaven staff concerning appropriateness for admission and mental health legal requirements.
• Maintains a knowledge base of behavioral management techniques and assists in behavioral management emergencies (BERT) throughout the ED.

Common Expectations:

• Prioritizes workload and manages time effectively to best serve other staff and potential clients.
• Maintains a constant awareness of customer service and assists customers until their needs are satisfied.
• Completes Service Activity accurately and on a timely basis.
• Maintains an accurate and up-to-date awareness of WellSpan Philhaven programs and services and provides this information to clients as requested.

 

Qualifications

Minimum Education:

• Master's Degree Required

Work Experience:

• 2 year's experience in psychology, social work, or related field required

Driver's License Statement:

Must possess a valid driver's license in the current state of residence. Driving record must meet requirements established by WellSpan Risk Management.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Requires interpersonal skills, both verbal and listening, to manage patient admission interaction, and to advise, counsel, and lead employees in compliance with policies.
• In addition, the ability to provide counsel on sensitive patient matters and act in a public relations capacity on various issues is required.
• Analytical ability is required to determine appropriate solutions to crisis calls and service inquiries.
• Visual ability to review and prepare written information and to observe patient behavior is required.