Crisis Clinician - Crisis Center

Salary Range: The expected base rate for this Glens Falls, New York, United States-based position is $31.53 to $47.87 per hour. Exact rate is determined on a case-by-case basis commensurate with experience level, as well as education and certifications pertaining to each position which may be above the listed job requirements. 

The Impact You Can Make

As an essential part of the interdisciplinary team, you will have the opportunity to provide mental-health consultations to patients seeking urgent treatment in the ED. Your role will involve investigating treatment history, conducting patient interviews, securing necessary information, and providing it to family and collaterals as appropriate. You will be involved with the management of clinical information including diagnostic impressions, as well as the recommended disposition for the communication to the ED physician and supervising psychiatrist When not engaged directly in conducting ED consultations and providing mental health crisis care, the Crisis Clinician may assist with programming on the inpatient Behavioral Health Unit and/or perform other duties as assigned. 

How You Will Fulfill Your Potential (Responsibilities) 

Conduct emergency evaluations to efficiently assess each patient’s immediate psychiatric status and needs toward facilitating proper disposition that ensures safety:

• Respond within 60 minutes to ED requests for consultation
• Review prior clinical records as available
• Conduct evaluations of each referred ECC patient, according to established policies and procedures
• Assign provisional psychiatric diagnosis and develop proposed disposition plans
• Efficiently summarize and present case information to supervising psychiatrist and ED physician
• Complete all documentation required by policies and procedures efficiently and accurately
• Secure required insurance authorizations for inpatient admissions
• Interview and inform family members or other parties as specifically appropriate to each case 

Facilitate and assist with providing continuity of care for behavioral health patients in the ED and CSU:

• Facilitate transitions of patients from the ED to BHU or other transfer facility
• Facilitate discharges from ED/CSU assuring appropriate referrals to community resources
• Provide brief intervention and supportive short-term counseling as indicated to assist in resolving patient crises
• Function as a resource for and assists with therapeutic activities for children being held in CSU pending transfer to inpatient facilities 

Contribute to inpatient Behavioral Health Unit programming as directed by the Director of BHU:

• Conduct patient and family interviews to secure psychosocial history and to facilitate discharge planning
• Conduct therapy groups and facilitate Unit activities as assigned
• Participate in Unit milieu as assigned 

What You Bring (Qualifications) 

Education/Experience

• Master's degree in social work required, or 
• Current license as registered professional nurse (RN) in New York with a minimum of three years of experience in psychiatric nursing 
• Minimum one year of experience in a behavioral health setting 

Licenses/Certificates/Registrations: NYS Licensed LMSW, LCSW, LCSW-R, or NYS Licensed RN 

Skills/Abilities

• Ability to conduct clinical patient interviews, including assessment of mental status 
• Thorough knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses 
• Possesses the skills and knowledge to utilize therapeutic communication techniques to offer short-term crisis resolution counseling and de-escalation of crisis situations 
• Familiarity with psychiatric medication 
• Ability to communicate clearly in written and verbal forms 
• Ability to interact with various psychiatric and mental health disciplines 
• Ability to manage time effectively and to cope with multiple simultaneous demands 
• Knowledge of insurance reimbursement issues and processes 
• Ability to respond calmly in crisis situations 
• High level perceptual and reasoning skills to allow for accurate assessment and determination of proper dispositions