Mental Health Coach

Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

The Mental Health Coach at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters builds therapeutic relationships with pediatric clients, modeling pro-social and positive coping skills. The role maintains a safe, regulation-friendly treatment setting and collaborates with patients and the care team to support effective care experiences.

This position may require on-call coverage and involves crisis management, de-escalation, and potential nursing tasks delegated by RNs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Mental Health, Education, Healthcare, or related field.
• Or one year of experience in psychiatric care; or two years in direct patient care.
• FBI fingerprinting and background checks required.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical care and evidence-based skills coaching to pediatric mental health patients.
• Implement and reinforce strategies in treatment or behavioral plans; relay changes for review.
• Complete coping cards with each patient and encourage their use.
• May complete nursing tasks as delegated by the RN for medically involved clients.
• Maintain a collaborative, calm unit environment and assist with de-escalation and crisis management.
• Coordinate admissions, greet families, and provide progress updates linked to the care plan.

Skills

Skills coaching

Behavioral modification

Direct observation

De-escalation techniques

Education

Bachelor's degree in Social Work / Counseling / Mental Health / Education / Healthcare

Job description

The Mental Health Coach is responsible for establishing a therapeutic relationship with pediatric mental health clients, modeling pro-social and positive self-coping skills. Maintains a safe and regulatory compliant treatment setting and collaborates with patient and team stakeholders to ensure an effective treatment experience. May function in on-call capacity as necessary to meet the needs of the organization. Reports to departmental leadership.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provision of clinical care-
• Provides evidence-based skills coaching, behavioral modification and direct observation to pediatric patients with mental health diagnoses.
• Implements and reinforces strategies included in patient’s treatment or behavioral plan. Relays ineffective aspects of plan back to broader team for review and adjustment.
• Completes coping cards with each patient and encourages their use.
• May complete nursing tasks, as delegated by the RN, for medically involved clients.
• Maintains a collaborative and supportive stance with patients as a means of maintaining unit calm.
• Displays expertise in de-escalation cycle and educates patients and families daily on its use.
• Crisis Management-
• Maintains consistent awareness of where each assigned patient is on de-escalation cycle; utilizes skills appropriate for observed de-escalation level.
• Adopts a collaborative and reflective stance with patients with the goal of de-escalation in mind.
• Provides emotional first aid and de-briefing to individual patients and groups after behavioral escalations.
• Ensure safe and compliant treatment setting-
• Manages patient’s room, unit environment and team schedule, ensuring consistent structure and a priority towards safety.
• Ensures work areas are organized, safe and ready for the next activity or shift.
• Maintains constant awareness of patient location and immediately alerts nurse to changes in mental status.
• Admission/Registration/Greeter-
• Processes admissions in a timely, organized and client-centered fashion.
• Assures anyone entering the unit is free of contraband by encouraging use of assigned lockers.
• Provides updates to parent/guardian regarding patient condition and progress, information is linked to the plan of care; if unsure of boundaries consults with treatment team prior to sharing information.
• Greets families when they are present at point of access, provides guidance on way finding and unit rules.
• Emergency Department-
• Oversees Emergency Department mental health flow by acting as a liaison between provider, charge nurse, bedside nurse, evaluating therapist, admission staff, parent and child.
• Provides evidence-based skills coaching, behavioral modification and direct observation to pediatric patients with mental health diagnoses. Assistance in application of restraint when deemed medically necessary and ordered by treating physician.
• May complete nursing tasks (Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), Vital Signs, nutrition, patient weights), as delegated by the RN, for medically involved clients.
• Maintains compliant and safe environment of care including stocking, setting up rooms for admission and general cleaning.
• Attends change of shift and unit level huddles.
• Assists with de-escalation and restraint application when needed.
• Completes coping cards with each client and encourages their use.
• Maintains consistent awareness of where each assigned patient is on de-escalation cycle; utilizes skills appropriate for observed de-escalation level.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

LICENSES AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS

• Required Licenses and/or Certifications
• None

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Required Education and Experience
• Must meet at least one of the following education or experience requirements upon hire:
• bachelor's degree in Social Work, Counseling, Mental Health, Education, Healthcare, or a related field; or
• one (1) year of experience in psychiatric care; or
• two (2) years of experience in direct patient care.
• Increased Security Clearance Required: FBI fingerprinting, criminal background check, and Child Protective Services registry search.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Inpatient hospital or outpatient practice with little exposure to dust, temperature and the like.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Click here to view physical requirements.