Mental Health Specialist - PRN

Lindner Center Of Hope; Mason (OH); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

The Lindner Center of Hope is a nonprofit, comprehensive mental health center dedicated to advancing diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. This role provides direct care to patients under a Registered Nurse, serving as group leader and supporting therapists in teaching coping skills.

You'll work within a patient- and family-centered care model, contributing to safety, advocacy, and collaboration across clinical teams in a structured, supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, or related field with 6 months of mental health experience.
• Associate degree in mental health technology with three years of mental health experience.
• Six years of mental health experience.

Responsibilities

• Gathers objective data and observes patients and reports changes to RN.
• Differentiates normal from abnormal observations and escalates as needed.
• Assesses risk of aggressive or dangerous behavior and responds to emergencies.
• Maintains a calm, healing environment and supports patient and family involvement.
• Rounds on patients and assists with activities of daily living and vital signs.

Skills

Mental health experience

Patient care

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Psychology/Social Work/related field

Associate degree in Mental Health Technology

Job description

The Lindner Center of Hope is a nonprofit, comprehensive mental health center and global leader offering state-of-the-science diagnosis and treatment of the most pervasive mental illnesses of our time.

• One of the first centers designed as a fully integrated system of care to address deficiencies in mental health care as identified by the Institute of Medicine.
• Innovative residential assessment, inpatient and outpatient programs in partnership with UC Health serving more than 54,660 patients from around the world.
• A leader in research and collaborations that are advancing the field and positioning Cincinnati as a national leader in mental health care.

We embrace the many talents, skills, and experiences our employees bring to Lindner Center of Hope. Everyone is encouraged to use their unique gifts to express ideas, make meaningful contributions to our programs and genuine connections with patients and family, as well as strengthen donor, referrer and community relations.

At Lindner Center of Hope, you’ll have the opportunity for a consistently rewarding career, working for an organization that shares your desire and ability to make a demonstrable difference in the lives of people living with mental illness.

Position Summary:

This position provides direct care to patients under the direction of the Registered Nurse. Delivers assigned, delegated, direct care consistent with the treatment plan. Serves as group leader for assigned groups, assists individual therapists in supporting patients in learning and application of skills, provides support and feedback to patients and clinical team. Performs routine care consistent with established standards policies and procedures. Maintains a safe and therapeutic treatment environment.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• CLINICAL JUDGEMENT
• Gathers objective data and observation about the patient.
• Differentiates between normal and abnormal observations.
• Reports changes in patient medical/health status to Registered Nurse.
• Demonstrates an ability to identify early changes in behavior that indicate escalation.
• Assess patient for risk of aggressive or dangerous and escalating behavior
• Identifies emergency situations occurring on the patient care unit.
• Responds to the emergency situation with immediate attention and with a controlled and skilled manner.
• ADVOCACY / MORAL AGENCY
• Identifies issues of customer service.
• Acts to resolve customer service issues within available options.
• Refers complex and unresolved issues to the appropriate parties.
• Maintains integrity and confidentiality of information.
• Demonstrates knowledge of and participates in departmental and organizational performance improvement.
• Completes monitors for assigned indicators
• Implements actions that result in continuous improvement of quality and compliance.
• Supports the philosophy of patient and family – centered care, recognizing the individual needs of the family. Supports family involvement in the care of the patient and supports family presence.
• CARING PRACTICES
• Maintains a calm healing environment
• Check belongings for non-approved items for residential programs.
• Rounds on patients at designated times.
• Engages with patients who are exhibiting early behavioral changes.
• Applies alternatives to physical interventions.
• When physical interventions becomes necessary, implements appropriately.
• Reports any actual or potential situation that impacts patient safety.
• Assists patient with physical care as needed including activities of daily living, vital signs, weights and reading EKG strips.
• COLLABORATION
• Displays a positive team oriented team attitude and behavior.
• Participates in and follows all scheduling guidelines, taking into account staffing needs of the unit to ensure delivery of high quality patient care.
• Demonstrates quality patient care and the positive mentoring of peers.
• Demonstrates cost effective use of supplies and equipment.
• Involves patient and family in the care process
• Engages in individual & purposeful interactions with patients and involved others.
• SYSTEM THINKING
• Participates in the organization wide quality measures.
• Demonstrates the routine use of LCOH e-mail system.
• Demonstrates adherence to policies and procedures during daily practice.
• Demonstrates the ability to use the online educational system to complete all mandatory requirements.
• Completes unit specific competencies in a timely manner as required.
• Complies with all regulatory agency standards.
• Ensures proper reporting of unusual occurrences
• RESPONSE TO DIVERSITY
• Demonstrates the ability to recognize cultural differences in the patient/family population.
• Uses the resources available to educate self to the different cultures
• encountered and then demonstrates the ability to work with/family to
• Incorporate their differences in belief into information that they receive.
• Provides services with respect for human dignity and uniqueness, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes or the nature of the health problem.
• Presents information to patients and involved others utilizing age specific principals.
• Assess patient/family ability to comprehend information.
• CLINICAL INQUIRY
• Assures that an ethical framework has been used when making decisions for or acting on behalf of the patients.
• Implement changes in practice based on research findings
• Participates in self-evaluation and identifies own learning needs in order to acquire and maintain current knowledge in behavioral health practice.
• Contributes to the professional development of peers, colleagues, and others.
• Participates in organizational wide performance improvement measurements.
• Continuously participates in learning opportunities to expand and grow and develop a knowledge base.
• Applies learning and experience to patient care.
• Knowledgeable about treatment plan and completes interventions identified in the plan for each assigned patient.
• Conducts designated groups within the program based on the curriculum
• Reports any actual or potential situation that impacts patient safety.

• Transporting patients to appointments and other activities as needed.

Position Qualifications:

• Bachelors’ Degree in Psychology, Social Work, related field with 6 months of mental health experience required OR,
• Associates Degree in Mental Health Technology with three years of Mental Health experience required OR
• Six years of Mental Health experience
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skillsnecessary to provide age-specific and developmentally appropriate care for thespectrum of populations admitted to LCOH.
• Ability to enthusiastically follow and model the Lindner Center of Hope mission, vision and values.

Physical Requirements:

To effectively care for patients, candidates must be able to push, pull and lift up to 50 pound'son a regular basis and be able to stand or walk about 90% of work shift. Must be able to see, talk and hear co workers, patients and others.

All candidates extended conditional offer of employment will be subject to a WebCheck (BCI & FBI Fingerprinting). Fingerprints will be submitted to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The reports from these agencies will include criminal record information. Lindner Center of Hope will follow the requirements for employment based on the State of Ohio Administrative Code 5122-30-31, and any other regulatory requirements regarding criminal background checks. Lindner Center of Hope also reserves the right to obtain Consumer Reports and/or Investigative Consumer Reports as defined in the Federal Fair Credit Reporting ACT (FCRA).

Lindner Center of Hope is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.