Mental Health ProgramSpecialist I

Elwyn; Harrisburg (Dauphin County); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO

Medical/Dental/Vision benefits

Earned Wage Access/On-Demand Pay

On-the-Job Training

Tuition Reimbursement

Career Advancement Opportunities and 3

Job summary

Elwyn is seeking a Mental Health Program Specialist I to implement and document programs for individuals with behavioral health needs, provide supportive counseling, and advocate for rights with outside agencies. This role supports activities of daily living, leads therapeutic groups, and helps plan community integration strategies.

The position requires strong teamwork, documentation accuracy, and crisis intervention skills, with CPR/First Aid capabilities and experience in behavioral health

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent, plus twelve credits in mental health or forensics services, OR three years' experience in mental health/forensics fields
• Experience in behavioral health field or internship preferred
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Excellent judgment with independent problem-solving abilities

Responsibilities

• Attend interdisciplinary team meetings to inform treatment plans
• Maintain documentation for client records and shift reports
• Provide supportive counseling and facilitate therapeutic groups
• Advocate for individuals with outside support agencies
• Ensure communication with medical team and safety during shifts
• Intervene in crisis using agency protocols
• Escort individuals to appointments as needed
• Conduct safety drills and building inspections
• Report emergent problems to supervisor and ensure follow-up

Skills

Teamwork

Communication

Time management

Attention to detail

CPR and First Aid

Education

High school diploma + 12 mental health credits

High school diploma + 3 years mental health/forensics experience

Associate's degree in human services or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Job description

Join a Team That Changes Lives

For more than 170 years, Elwyn has been leading the way in supporting children, teens, and adults with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and behavioral health challenges. As a mission-driven nonprofit, we’re here to create real change – helping people lead meaningful, fulfilling lives.

Overview

Payrate: $20.00/HR
Schedule: PRN

Join a Team That Changes Lives For more than 170 years, Elwyn has been leading the way in supporting children, teens, and adults with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and behavioral health challenges. As a mission-driven nonprofit, we’re here to create real change – helping people lead meaningful, fulfilling lives.

We offer:

• Generous Paid Time Off
• Comprehensive Medical/Dental/Vision Benefit Packages
• Earned Wage Access/On-Demand Pay
• Paid On-the-Job Training
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Career Advancement Opportunities and Growth
• Flexible Schedules
• Retirement Savings Plan

Job Description

Elwyn seeks a Mental Health Program Specialist I to implement and document programs for individuals with behavioral health needs, provides supportive counseling, and advocates for individual's needs and rights with outside support service agencies, families, etc. This role also assists and supports individuals in all activities of daily living, facilitates therapeutic groups, and plans and implements community integration plans for individuals.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Attend meetings of the interdisciplinary team in the development of treatment programs for individuals with behavioral health needs to become fully informed on the treatment plan to be able to provide support to the individuals based on the plan goals, as directed by the supervisor or Operations Manager
• As set by regulations and the behavioral plan, create and maintain all appropriate documentation relevant to the scope of this position, including progress notes, as needed, and shift reports, for the purpose of providing information for client records and for use by other professionals within the program
• Provide supportive counseling to individuals with personal, behavioral, or social problems including but not limited to implementing deescalating techniques depending on situational context with individuals supported, facilitating therapeutic groups and house meetings according to individual needs, encouraging individuals in the constructive use of leisure time, and encouraging individuals with attaining daily and long-term treatment goals
• Collect behavioral data for the individuals in the program which have been identified by the behaviorist
• Advocate, in collaboration with the program case manager, for individuals with all outside support agencies to provide needed resources or services to meet established treatment goals, supporting the individual in expressing their needs in verbal and/or written form
• Maintain communication with the program medical team to ensure the individual's physical health (e.g., medical, basic grooming, dietary needs) needs are met. Provide verbal reports on individual's progress and/or needs during shift huddles with the full interdisciplinary team to ensure a safe and clean living environment for individuals, also addressing fire/safety concerns, as well as room and facility management issues
• Intervene in crisis situations in accordance with established safe crisis intervention protocols
• Escort individuals to and from doctor's appointments and other appointments, as needed
• Attend scheduled staff team meetings, appropriate in-services, and those required by funding source and regulatory bodies, as designated or assigned by supervisor, to provide updates on individuals' progress, to be updated on program events, and to obtain any assistance in effectively performing job duties
• Conduct fire drills, safety rounds checks, and building inspections per program, state, and county regulations, and provide the appropriate documentation for same
• Report all emergent problems or concerns, including but not limited to physical altercations, calls to fire or medical emergency agencies, maintenance emergencies, death, and medical and/or psychiatric episodes to the supervisor or director to ensure appropriate response, the safety of all parties, completion of immediate documentation, and needed follow-up per program and regulatory requirements
• Remain on duty until relieved
• Adhere to regulatory standards, procedures, and schedules established by the supervisor
• Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and safe crisis intervention using agency-trained protocols
• Perform other duties as assigned

Education/Experience/Skills Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent, plus twelve (12) credits in mental health or forensics services, OR high school diploma with three (3) years' experience in the mental health or forensics fields; associate's degree in human services, or related field, OR sixty (60) college credit hours including twelve (12) hours in mental health services or forensics preferred
• Experience working in or having completed an internship in the behavioral health field
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage and prioritize multiple, often competing, priorities
• Demonstrated strong attention to detail
• Demonstrated strong time management and organizational skills
• Demonstrated excellent judgment with the ability to independently solve problems and make decisions with little or no need for direct supervision
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate future needed changes or identify problem areas and take effective actions
• Must possess excellent customer interaction, collaboration, presentation, and written and verbal communication skills
• Must be able to perform CPR, first aid, and safe crisis intervention techniques using agency-trained protocols
• Demonstrated basic experience with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Knowledge of Electronic Health Record (EHR) / Electronic Medical Record (EMR) preferred
• Must have current, valid driver's license in state of residence, 3 years driving experience in the United States, and acceptable driving record

Equal Opportunity Employer

Elwyn is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Elwyn does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, pregnancy status, medical condition, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, sexual orientation or identity, age, national origin, citizenship, handicap status, marital or family status, mental or physical disability, perceived disability, military or veteran status, political activities or affiliations, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law, ordinance, or regulation.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal