Mental Health Associate (40 Hour)

State of Connecticut - DMHAS Connecticut Valley Hospital; Middletown (CT); On-site; USD 54,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

Connecticut Valley Hospital seeks two Mental Health Associates to support clinical operations and centralized scheduling. This full-time role will oversee unit staffing, coordinate schedules, and assist in maintaining a safe, therapeutic environment for behavioral health care.

Applicants should have 3+ years of psychiatric setting experience or applicable substitutions and be prepared to work the second shift in Middletown, CT, with potential weekend differentials. E-Verify may be used.

Qualifications

• Three (3) years of experience at the level of a Mental Health Assistant 2, in a psychiatric setting.
• College training in mental health technology may substitute for the General Experience.
• Completion of a mental health trainee certificate program may substitute for one-half year of General Experience.
• Preferred: scheduling operations experience in healthcare.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, train, and evaluate assigned staff.
• Plan and develop staff schedules to ensure safe coverage.
• Coordinate scheduling with clinical teams and support services.
• Ensure compliance with department policies and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain confidentiality of records and communications.

Skills

Scheduling operations

Staff coordination

Communication

Time management

Healthcare setting

Education

College study in mental health technology

Mental health trainee certificate program

Tools

Access

UKG

Kronos

Job description

Are you a dedicated behavioral health professional with strong leadership skills and scheduling coordination skills? Join our team at Connecticut Valley Hospital!

The State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is seeking two (2) motivated and experienced Mental Health Associates to support clinical operations at Connecticut Valley Hospital (CVH). In this vital role, you will help oversee unit staffing, support clinical teams, and contribute to safe, therapeutic environments that promote recovery for individuals with behavioral health needs. Please note: This opportunity is for current State of Connecticut employees only.

Highlights

• Facility: Connecticut Valley Hospital (CVH)
• Location: Middletown, CT
• Unit: Centralized Scheduling Office
• Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week
• Shift: Second Shift (Please note these positions may be eligible for shift/weekend differential)

Schedule Details by Position

• Position Number 106525: 5:00 PM – 1:30 AM; Regular Days Off: Week 1: Monday & Friday | Week 2: Saturday & Sunday
• Position Number 24655: 4:00 PM – 12:30 AM; Regular Days Off: Week 1: Saturday & Sunday | Week 2: Friday & Monday

Grow with the State of Connecticut

• Continue enjoying the comprehensive benefits you know and rely on – review our State Employee Benefits Overview for a refresher on everything available to you.
• Continue to enjoy a healthy work/life balance!

Discover the Opportunity to

• Be a key part of a multidisciplinary team dedicated to high-quality behavioral health care
• Provide compassionate support that promotes safety, recovery, and dignity for those we serve
• Help clients build skills, maintain stability, and move toward their treatment goals
• Make a meaningful impact in Connecticut's public behavioral health system
• Work collaboratively with clinicians, support staff, and peers to maintain a safe, therapeutic environment

More About Us

DMHAS is a health care agency whose mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of persons with behavioral health needs through an integrated network of holistic, comprehensive, effective, and efficient services and supports that foster dignity, respect, and self-sufficiency in those we serve.

CVH is the largest DMHAS facility, offering inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, addiction services, young adult and geriatric services, and specialized programs such as the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program, which provides multidisciplinary supports across rehabilitation, cognitive treatment, counseling, and community reintegration.

Please note: A comprehensive medical examination, including a drug screening, will be required of all applicants upon a conditional offer of employment. All state employees must adhere to Connecticut’s Policy for a Drug Free Workplace.

Selection Plan

In order to be considered for this job opening, you must be a current State of CT employee, who has worked for the state for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service, absent any applicable collective bargaining language, and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.

This employer may participate in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm work authorization.

Preferred Shift/Location

Candidates should be willing to work the second shift (eligible for shift/weekend differential) at Middletown, CT.

Examples of Duties

• Assumes responsibility for the supervision, training, and evaluation of assigned staff;
• Plans and develops personnel schedules and assignments to provide adequate and safe coverage;
• Applies accepted standards of nursing care and administration;
• Assists in the evaluation of the quality of nursing care being administered;
• Investigates and reports any unusual incidents;
• Assures confidentiality of oral and written reports;
• Coordinates support services such as dietary, maintenance, etc.;
• Supports and participates in the protection of human and civil rights of clients;
• Assures that federal and state regulations and directives are followed;
• Participates in unit, program, and department meetings;
• Collaborates with members of other disciplines in the planning, development and implementation of hospital programs and services;
• Cooperates and collaborates with clinical personnel in developing and maintaining a therapeutic milieu;
• May supervise the self-administration of oral medications;
• May assist in approved research projects;
• Performs direct client care functions and other related duties as required;
• Coordinates and facilitates the activities of clients;
• Functions as team member of a case management or crisis team or program;
• Participates in the assessment, crisis intervention and monitoring of clients in the community at large (i.e., ERs, jails, homeless shelters, outpatient programs, etc.);
• Assists clients in acquiring daily living skills, budgeting, medication monitoring and/or community adaptation skills;
• Provides individual, group and/or family supportive treatment under appropriate supervision;
• Applies accepted standards of nursing care to clients;
• Supervises staff of lesser grades or other disciplines;
• Provides clinical therapeutic counseling and/or preventive education services to community groups and individuals, including the development and administration of curriculum on various issues relevant to the community;
• Independently participates in community outreach programs that include crisis interventions, case management and/or family support in home settings;
• Participates as a liaison to community agencies;
• Makes arrangements for outpatient appointments;
• Provides information on department philosophy and objectives;
• May perform problem-solving techniques with clients in their natural environment;
• May assist in the motivation of long-term clients in small groups hospital programs or in community;
• May coordinate crisis-intervention plans to circumvent hospitalization;
• May support and supervise clients in transitional living facilities;
• May assess families in need of respite care programs;
• Performs direct client care functions and other related duties as required;
• Trains mental health assistants in the principles, practices, and procedures of client care, nursing care, supervision and administration, hygiene, sanitation, safety, security, and fire prevention, the management of assaultive behavior, report writing, and writing of behavioral objectives;
• Provides information on the dynamics of human behavior;
• Trains employees in the techniques of group work;
• Trains employees in the methods of supporting clients in avoiding hospitalization;
• Performs direct client care functions and other related duties as required

Knowledge, Skill and Ability

• Considerable knowledge of acceptable standards of nursing care;
• Psychiatric rehabilitation and/or case management principles, practices, and procedures;
• Dynamics of individual and group behavior;
• Knowledge of supervisory and administrative methods and techniques;
• Hygiene and sanitation;
• Security, safety, and fire procedures;
• Community resources and programs;
• Considerable interpersonal skills;
• Oral and written communication skills;
• Observation skills;
• Considerable ability to apply the principles of therapeutic counseling;
• Ability to lead staff;
• Supervise client activity;
• Direct others in the formulation of plans for client care;
• Interpret and implement agency/facility policies and procedures;
• Organize;
• Coordinate and collaborate effectively with individuals, groups and families;
• Train and teach;
• Effectively handle emergency situations independently

Minimum Qualifications – General Experience

Three (3) years of experience at the level of a Mental Health Assistant 2, Licensed Practical Nurse or its equivalent in a psychiatric setting.

Minimum Qualifications – Substitutions Allowed

• College training in mental health technology, a behavioral science, social work, rehabilitation therapy, or its equivalent may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience up to a maximum of two (2) years.
• Completion of a mental health trainee certificate program may be substituted for one-half (1/2) year of the General Experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with healthcare or behavioral health scheduling operations, including staffing coverage, call outs, payroll and timekeeping
• Experience creating, maintaining, and auditing staff schedules in a healthcare environment
• Experience utilizing workforce management and scheduling systems such as Access, UKG, Kronos or similar applications
• Experience applying labor regulations, 1199 union contracts, and internal scheduling policies to staffing decisions
• Experience communicating effectively with clinical staff, supervisors, and multiple departments to resolve scheduling conflicts
• Experience working independently in a fast-paced environment with organizational and time-management skills

Special Requirements

• Incumbents in this class may be required to be bilingual or fluent in American Sign Language
• Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator's license

Working Conditions

Incumbents may be required to lift and restrain clients; may have significant exposure to communicable/infectious diseases and to risk of injury; may be exposed to strongly disagreeable conditions.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Acknowledgement

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.