Behavioral Health Associate

Schedule: 12-hour shifts: 7am-7pm and working every other weekend on a rotation!

The Behavioral Health Associate I works under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse as an integral part of the multidisciplinary treatment team and is responsible for monitoring and reporting of client behaviors; providing continuous client care, supervision, interaction, and role modeling; assisting in client data collection, recording, and maintenance; and responding in crisis situations and medical emergencies as needed. This position is onsite at the facility and is not a remote position.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

· Ensures the wellbeing of clients and provides a safe, positive, supportive, and structured environment, under direction of charge nurse or supervisor. Maintains a constant awareness and supervision of clients.

· Assists clients with activities of daily living, such as toileting, bathing, dressing, grooming, oral hygiene, meals, snacks, hydration and changing bed linens.

· Conducts safety checks, ensuring that supervision is conducted at intervals in accordance with individualized supervision guidelines.

· Checks clients for contraband and manages the client’s valuables and belongings.

· Interacts routinely with clients, observes behaviors and communicates significant observations to nursing staff.

· Engages with client in activities and interactions designed to encourage achievement of treatment goals.

· Facilitates client educational-rehabilitative groups which cover a variety of topics including social skills, coping skills, anger management and independent living skills.

· Takes and records vital signs properly and communicates significant changes in client’s condition to the charge nurse.

· Charts in client records timely, accurately, and appropriately.

· Applies de-escalation techniques to help manage client’s emotions, behavior and participation in treatment and assists with seclusion and restraints when necessary.

· Assists with unit cleaning, organization of new admits charts, discharge process, filing, etc. Initiates client/employee incident reports.

· Provides transfer or transportation for client or coordinate transportation with appropriate staff member, as required.

· Provides verbal report/briefing to the oncoming shift.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Complies with organizational policies, procedures, performance improvement initiatives and maintains regulatory and industry standards.

· Maintains regular and reliable attendance.

· Accepts responsibility for professional growth and development of self and attends all mandatory facility in-services and staff development activities as scheduled.

· Maintains professionalism and confidentiality of facility employees and clients.

· Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILL REQUIREMENTS:

· High school graduate or equivalent required.

· Six months or more experience working with the specific population of the facility preferred.

· Knowledge of common psychiatric disorders and/or dual diagnosis and various treatment modalities of the population served preferred.

LICENSES/DESIGNATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS:

· CPR and de-escalation and restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).

· First aid may be required based on state or facility requirements.