Mental Hlth Specialist I

West Virginia University Health System - Glen Dale, WV

Glen Dale, WV

Social Assistance

About the position

Responsible for delivering paraprofessional mental health care under direct supervision.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates or co-facilitates the therapeutic group process.
• Applies effective communication techniques in collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team and in interacting with clients and significant others in therapeutic relationships.
• Assists clients to structure their lives in a therapeutic manner.
• Serves as an active member of the mental health team, taking developmental age of the client into account.
• Provides community based mental health care, considering safety and patients' rights and comfort.
• Utilizes the master treatment plan for assistance in identifying and implementing developmental age-appropriate interventions with clients.
• Therapeutically supports and reinforces clients' appropriate and pro-social behavior.
• Negatively reinforces and sets limits on clients' inappropriate and antisocial behavior.
• Identifies verbal and non-verbal cues for potential aggressive behavior and applies de-escalation techniques.
• Implements appropriate interventions and documents clients' responses in the medical record.
• Identifies thought patterns and behaviors associated with different types of psychiatric diagnoses and intervenes appropriately.
• Provides assistance to clients' family members and other supportive individuals.
• Performs basic medical tasks such as obtaining and documenting vital signs.
• Assists clients in their activities of daily living as needed.
• May transport and supervise clients to appointments and activities.
• Organizes and facilitates specific recreation, physical fitness and age appropriate leisure time activities.
• Answers the phone and responds to all calls in an appropriate and professional manner.

Requirements

• Obtain certification in BLS within 30 days of hire date.
• West Virginia state criminal background check, and federal, if applicable, required for DHHR regulated area.
• Two years of college study OR Two years of experience in inpatient acute psychiatric care.

Nice-to-haves

• Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Social Work, or Nursing.
• Valid driver's license.