Behavioral Health Specialist

The Behavioral Health Specialist is responsible for direct patient care, safety, supervision and management of children and adolescents with identified behavioral health needs within diverse environments such as emergency services, medical units, and behavioral health programs. Performs duties under the direction of a licensed professional and implements behavioral treatment plans. Works alongside clinical professionals to provide a safe, supportive, and trauma informed environment.

Department Name: Inpatient
Job Status: 36hrs FT
Shift: Days, Shifts will vary based on dept needs

• Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology, social services, human services, education, biology, neuroscience or related field.
• Equivalency: Four (4) years of direct professional experience or a combination of direct professional experience and college credits in a related field of study, may be substituted for the Bachelor's degree. (30 college credits = 1 year of experience).
• Certification(s): Healthcare Provider BLS/CPR certification. Must obtain de-escalation training certification offered by CHCO within 90 days of hire.

***This position may require a BLS certification from the American Heart Association. Click on the following link and enter your zip code to find an appropriate class near you. Please note BLS (CPR cards) from organizations other than American Heart Association, even if it says it is AHA approved, will not be accepted.***

http://ahainstructornetwork.americanheart.org/AHAECC/classConnector.jsp?pid=ahaecc.classconnector.home

POPULATION SPECIFIC CARE

Infancy - >30 days to 1yr

Toddlers - >1yr to 3yrs

Pre-Schoolers - >3yrs to 5yrs

School age - >5yrs to 13yrs

Adolescent - >13yrs to 18yrs

Adult - >18yrs to 65yrs

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all the following essential functions. These examples do not include all the functions which the employee may be expected to perform.

1. Provides direct patient care and management of children and adolescents while under the direction of a licensed professional, ensuring a positive, supportive, and structured environment. Intervenes and escalates safety concerns through appropriate channels.
2. Maintains therapeutic rapport, unconditional positive regard, and a non-punitive approach with patients independent of patient behaviors.
3. Leads, monitors and collaborates on educational and therapeutic milieu groups for patients per unit expectations.
4. Implements individual treatment plans and monitors treatment progress.
5. Maintains accurate and timely clinical records consistent with CHCO and regulatory standards; ensures proper documentation of patient progress; completes 15-minute patient checks; and/or milieu management.
6. Maintains competency in crisis prevention training and verbal de-escalation skills. May encounter escalated patient situations.
7. Responds as part of the Behavioral Assistance Resource Team by location, as applicable.
8. Manages and maintains safety of therapeutic environment/milieu of multiple hospitalized inpatient/partial hospitalized psychiatric patients at one time, as required by position.
9. Observes and records patient behaviors and activities in accordance with unit-based clinical model/standard.
10. By position, may be required to assist new hires during onboarding process and less experienced team members ensuring competencies and skills are well developed and performed.

SCOPE & LEVEL

Guidelines: Developmental, standard, or intermediate level. Guidelines are generally numerous, well established, and directly applicable to the work assignment. Work assignment and desired results are explained by general oral or written instructions.

Complexity: Falls between the entry and full performance/senior level. Duties assigned are generally repetitive and restricted in scope but may be of substantial intricacy. Employee primarily applies standardized practices.

Decision Making: Decisions or recommendations on non-standardized situations are limited to relating organizational policies to specific cases. Brings non routine issues to supervisor. Problems that are not covered by guidelines or that are without precedent are taken up with the supervisor.

Communications: Contacts with team members, clients or the public where explanatory or interpretive information is exchanged, gathered, or presented and some degree of discretion and judgment are required within the parameters of the job function.

Supervision Received: Under normal supervision, within a standardized work situation, the employee performs duties common to the line of work without close supervision or detailed instruction. Work product is subject to continual review.

Ability to Perform Essential Functions of the Job

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Audio-Visual: Depth Perception: Good

Audio-Visual: Far Vision: Good

Audio-Visual: Hearing: Good

Audio-Visual: Near Vision: Good

General Activity: Stand/Walk: Up to 10 hours per day

Motion: Bend: Up to 1/3 of time

Motion: Carry: Up to 1/3 of time

Motion: Climb: Up to 1/3 of time

Motion: Crawl: Up to 1/3 of time

Motion: Lift: Up to 1/3 of time

Motion: Pull: Up to 1/3 of time

Motion: Push: Up to 1/3 of time

Motion: Reach: Up to 1/3 of time

Motion: Squat/Crouch: Up to 1/3 of time

Weight Lifted/Force Exerted: Up to 100 pounds: Up to 1/3 of time

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Exposure: Exposure to blood/body fluid: Regular/Frequent.

Exposure: Exposure to cold/heat: Occasional.

Exposure: Exposure to dampness: Occasional.

Exposure: Exposure to infectious diseases: Occasional.

Exposure: Exposure to noise/vibration: Occasional.

Mental and Emotional Requirements: Independent discretion/decision making.

Mental and Emotional Requirements: Makes decisions under pressure.

Mental and Emotional Requirements: Manages stress appropriately.

Mental and Emotional Requirements: Works with others effectively.

As part of our Total Rewards package, Children's Colorado offers an annual employee bonus program that rewards eligible team members based on organizational performance. If organizational goals are met for the year, the bonus is paid out the following April.

Children's Colorado delivers annual base pay increases to eligible team members based on their performance over the previous year.

EEO Statement
It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or any other status protected by law or regulation. Be aware that none of the questions are intended to imply illegal preferences or discrimination based on non-job-related information. The position is expected to stay open until the posted close date. Please submit your application as soon as possible as the posting is subject to close at any time once a sufficient pool of qualified applicants is obtained.

Colorado Residents: In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.