Mental Health Coach - Outpatient

Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters seeks a Mental Health Coach to establish therapeutic relationships with pediatric clients and model pro-social coping skills. The role supports safety, collaborates with the care team, and may operate in on-call capacity as needed, reporting to department leadership.

The position emphasizes evidence-based skills coaching, behavioral modification, and direct observation to guide treatment plans and family communication within a regulated clinical

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Counseling, Mental Health, Education, Healthcare, or related field; or 1 year of psychiatric care; or 2 years direct patient care.
• Increased Security Clearance Required: FBI fingerprinting, criminal background check, and CPS registry search.
• Outpatient Clinical setting experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Establish a therapeutic relationship with pediatric mental health clients.
• Model pro-social and positive coping skills with patients.
• Provide evidence-based coaching, behavioral modification and direct observation.
• Implement and reinforce strategies in patient treatment or behavioral plan.
• Maintain a collaborative, calm unit environment and ensure safety.
• De-escalate crises and provide emotional first aid and de-briefing after escalations.
• Communicate updates to families and treatment team while preserving confidentiality.

Skills

Evidence-based coaching

Behavioral modification

De-escalation

Crisis management

Patient observation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Social Work

1 year psychiatric care

2 years direct patient care

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 department 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.
• 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 treatment team to changes in mental status.
• Processes admissions in a timely, organized and client-centered fashion.
• Assures anyone entering the unit is free of contraband.
• 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.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.
• LICENSES AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS
• Required Licenses and/or Certifications
• None required.
• 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.
• Preferred Education and Experience:
• WORKING CONDITIONS
• Outpatient practice with little exposure to dust, temperature and the like.
• PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
• Click here to view physical requirements.