Emergency Room Crisis Clinician

Job Description:

Under the direction of the Director of Behavioral Health, Program Manager, or ED Coordinator (as noted above), the Crisis Clinician in the emergency room is responsible for performing a wide range of duties involving patient evaluation, case management, treatment, and discharge planning, and documentation. The crisis clinician is responsible for gathering a psychosocial evaluation through interviews and record review and completing a written assessment with case formulation and treatment plan, including risk assessment and level of care recommendation. The crisis clinician may also act as a preceptor to interns working toward mental health counseling or social work degrees. The position includes close collaboration with the treatment team, which may include a Psychiatrist, Psychiatric Resident, Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse, Physician Assistant, Mental Health Counselor, Patient Care Technician, and Psychiatric Nurse. The crisis clinician must have excellent written, keyboarding, and verbal communication skills. Represents and supports Baystate Health’s mission to provide quality, compassionate care to members of our community while operating in collaboration with other clinical departments, emphasizing the important interaction between behavioral health, general health, and wellness. Contributes to Baystate Health’s four compass points of Safety, Quality, Experience, and Value, and demonstrates the BH values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Teamwork, and Innovation in all interactions with patients, families, colleagues, and collateral contacts.

Adheres to system and department compliance policies, as well as any and all applicable laws and regulations. Performs other duties as assigned.

1. Obtains and maintains release of information forms, and gathers collateral information from outside resources including family, friends, providers, and other community resources

2. Completes a psychosocial evaluation including current and past history, assessment of mental status, and risk assessment through patient interviews, collateral contacts, and record review.

3. Develops a continuing care plan and ensures timely communication of records and needed information to coordinate placement when appropriate.

4. Conducts regular therapeutic interviews and ongoing re-assessments of assigned patients, and documents interactions in a progress note.

5. Facilitates psycho-educational and psychotherapeutic family and systems meetings to address treatment objectives.

6. May collaborate as assigned with utilization review specialist to obtain necessary insurance authorizations and concurrent reviews as necessary

7. Monitors and assists in the completion of legal documentation (CV's, 3-Day Notices, Section12's, & Section 7/8 forms).

8. Completes a discharge plan which addresses follow-up recommendations, step-down / placement options, transportation issues, or other treatment needs.

9. Enters data and reviews charts for quality assurance, program statistics, tracking of patient progress, and/or tracking of clinical outcomes as assigned.

10. Actively participates in departmental and program meetings, such as conferences, administrative meetings, training, program development, and other special committees.

11. Identifies appropriate goals that enhance professional development and institutional needs. Maintains independent licensure, including earning of required CEUs, and adheres to all other practices and policies as outlined by Baystate Health, hospital-specific and department-specific policy manuals, and Employee Handbooks. Contributes to the perspective of her/his professional discipline to the interdisciplinary care team as appropriate and adheres to the profession’s Code of Ethics.

12. Must be actively engaged in supervised clinical hours to obtain independent licensure within 1 year of hire.

13. This description covers the essential functions of the position. The incumbent is expected to perform other similar and related duties as assigned

14. Management has the right to add or change job responsibilities at any time