Licensed Vocational Nurse - Lancaster

Counseling and Research Associates, Inc.; Lancaster (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Counseling and Research Associates, Inc. is seeking a Licensed Vocational Nurse to perform field-based nursing services across community settings in California. The role involves medication administration, health monitoring, education, and care coordination under RN direction.

You will travel to patient homes, residential facilities, schools, shelters, and clinics, providing essential nursing care within LVN scope and collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to support recovery and wellness.

Qualifications

• Current, active California Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) license in good standing.
• At least two (2) years of experience with transition-age youth and/or adult behavioral health preferred.
• Ability to travel to fulfill duties and work in varied community settings.

Responsibilities

• Nursing data collection, documentation, and communication of health information.
• Medication administration and coordination with RN/psychiatrist for reviews and refills.
• Provide basic nursing care within LVN scope and established plan of care.
• Patient education on medications, symptoms, wellness, and recovery planning.
• Coordinate care with RN, psychiatrists, primary care, pharmacies, and community partners.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and care planning.
• Follow RN direction and comply with California LVN scope of practice.
• Identify and report crisis, urgent safety concerns, and medical changes.
• Maintain infection prevention, documentation, and regulatory compliance.
• Deliver field-based services in homes, facilities, schools, shelters, and centers.

Education

California LVN license

Job description

The Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) provides basic vocational nursing services to individuals
receiving Full-Service Partnership (FSP) and outpatient behavioral health services. The LVN is managed
by the Registered Nurse (RN) and works under the direction of an RN or authorized physician in
collaboration with psychiatrists and the multidisciplinary treatment team. The position supports medication
services, health monitoring, patient education, care coordination, and continuity of care within the California
LVN scope of practice.

This is a field-based nursing position requiring regular travel throughout the community to provide
medication services, health monitoring, patient education, care coordination, and other vocational nursing
services in patient homes, residential facilities, schools, shelters, board-and-care settings, and other
community locations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. NURSING DATA COLLECTION AND OBSERVATION: Collects, documents, and communicates
objective and patient-reported health information, including vital signs, weight, medication history,
symptoms, side effects, and changes in physical or mental status. Performs basic/focused data collection
consistent with LVN scope and promptly reports clinically significant or abnormal findings to the RN and/or
authorized provider.
2. MEDICATION SERVICES: Administers prescribed medications, including injectable medications, in
clinic and community-based settings, when permitted by law, provider order, demonstrated competency,
and agency policy. Observes and documents medication response, adherence, side effects, adverse
reactions, and post-injection concerns; promptly escalates significant findings. Supports medication
reconciliation by collecting and documenting medication information for RN/psychiatrist review and assists
with refill coordination, pharmacy communication, ordered laboratory appointments, and medication-access
barriers.
3. DIRECT VOCATIONAL NURSING CARE: Provides basic nursing care and ordered treatments within
LVN scope, competency, provider orders, and the established plan of care. Obtains and documents
assigned health measurements and observes for medication side effects, extrapyramidal symptoms,
tardive dyskinesia, metabolic concerns, and other changes requiring RN/psychiatrist follow-up.
4. PATIENT EDUCATION AND WELLNESS: Reinforces medication, symptom-management, chronic-
disease self-management, wellness, relapse-prevention, and healthy-lifestyle education established by the RN, prescribing psychiatrist, or treatment team. Provides individual education and leads group education
and wellness sessions for patients within LVN scope of practice and established treatment plans. Refers
questions requiring assessment, diagnosis, treatment modification, or independent clinical judgment to the
RN or authorized provider.
5. CARE COORDINATION AND TRANSITIONS: Supports coordination with the RN, psychiatrists, primary
care providers, pharmacies, hospitals, caregivers, and community partners. Assists with follow-up after
hospitalization, emergency department visits, and other transitions of care, and communicates relevant
changes or barriers to the RN and treatment team.
6. TEAM COLLABORATION: Participates in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings, case
consultations, and care-planning activities. Contributes nursing observations and patient-reported
information to treatment, wellness, and recovery planning and implements assigned interventions
consistent with the established plan of care.
7. RN DIRECTION AND SCOPE OF PRACTICE: Receives day-to-day management, nursing direction,
assignments, and clinical guidance from the RN. Performs nursing functions only within California LVN
scope of practice, demonstrated competency, provider orders, and agency policy. Seeks RN or psychiatrist
direction whenever patient needs exceed LVN authority or require independent nursing assessment or
clinical judgment.
8. CRISIS AND URGENT SITUATIONS: Recognizes and promptly reports suicidal or self-harm
statements, escalating behavior, significant changes in mental status, medical concerns, or other urgent
safety issues. Provides support within training and scope, follows agency emergency and crisis procedures,
assists with de-escalation and safety measures as directed, and contacts the RN, psychiatrist, supervisor,
911/EMS, or other designated emergency resource when indicated by agency protocol. The LVN does not
independently conduct comprehensive suicide risk assessments or determine psychiatric level of care.
9. INFECTION PREVENTION AND EXPOSURE RESPONSE: Follows agency infection-prevention,
communicable-disease, exposure-response, and PPE procedures. Conducts assigned screenings and
observations within LVN scope, reinforces education, and promptly reports suspected communicable
disease, exposure concerns, or abnormal findings to the RN and appropriate leadership.
10. DOCUMENTATION AND MEDICAL NECESSITY: Completes accurate, timely, and complete
documentation of vocational nursing services, medication administration, patient contacts, observations,
interventions, education, and care coordination. Documentation must support the service provided and
meet applicable agency, LACDMH, Medi-Cal Specialty Mental Health Services, payer, legal, confidentiality,
and regulatory requirements. The LVN documents within scope and does not independently document
diagnoses, clinical formulations, or assessments reserved to licensed practitioners authorized to perform
those functions.
11. FIELD-BASED SERVICES AND TRAVEL: Provides services in office, community, and telehealth
settings as appropriate to the assigned service. Travels independently to patient homes, residential
facilities, schools, hospitals, shelters, board-and-care settings, agency sites, and other community
locations. May transport patients when authorized by agency policy and procedure.
12. QUALITY, PRODUCTIVITY, AND TECHNOLOGY: Meets established expectations for scheduling, service delivery, productivity, timeliness, and documentation. Uses the electronic health record and agency- approved systems accurately and consistently and communicates barriers that may affect timely or safe service delivery.
13. CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE: Provides respectful, strengths-
based, recovery-oriented, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and patient- and family-centered services. Demonstrates cultural humility and maintains professional boundaries in all interactions.
14. SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE: Follows all applicable federal, state, county, LACDMH, licensing,
contractual, OSHA, confidentiality, ethical, and agency requirements. Promptly reports injuries, illnesses,
hazards, exposures, unsafe conditions, medication errors, and other safety or compliance concerns
according to agency procedure.
15. OTHER DUTIES: Performs other duties as assigned that are consistent with the employee's license,
competency, scope of practice, and agency policy.

Position Requirements:

• At least two (2) years of experience working with transition-age youth and/or adult behavioral health
  population preferred.
• Experience with community-based, field-based, or outpatient behavioral health services preferred.
• Ability to work collaboratively under RN direction, recognize changes in patient condition, and
  communicate concerns promptly and appropriately.Valid California Driver's License, proof of automobile insurance, good driving record, and ability to
  travel to fulfill the duties of the position.
• Current, active California Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) license in good standing.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS)/CPR certification from an agency-approved provider, if required
  by agency policy.
• Any specialized certification required for assigned procedures must be current before the LVN
  performs those procedures. IV therapy or blood withdrawal may only be performed when separately
  certified and otherwise authorized under California law and agency policy.

Work Environment:

Work is performed in office, clinical, telehealth, and community-based settings and may include patient
homes, residential settings, hospitals, schools, shelters, and other community locations. Schedule flexibility
and travel to other agency sites may be required based on patient and program needs. This position is not
routinely assigned to the agency after-hours or on-call rotation unless specifically authorized by agency
policy and consistent with LVN scope of practice.