The role involves providing comprehensive psychiatric assessments, diagnosing and treating psychiatric disorders, and managing medications for clients. The practitioner will collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team and provide crisis intervention and counseling to high-risk populations.
Requirements summary
Requires a Master's level Nurse Practitioner degree with PMHNP certification and current California licensure, including a valid DEA certificate. Candidates must have at least one year of experience in psychiatric nursing and the ability to pass a criminal records clearance.
**This is on call as needed position within business hours Monday - Friday 8
30am - 5:00pm. This position requires current California licensure as a Nurse Practitioner; valid Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) certificate and current license to practice medicine in California with no disciplinary actions, as specified by MediCal/Medicare. One or more years of experience in the specialty field of psychiatric nursing.**
Hourly Rate: $100/hr
Principal duties and responsibilities
1. Develop a nursing diagnosis and plan of care, implements the nursing process, and evaluates it for effectiveness.
2. Assist and support nursing staff with clinical (e.g., checking vitals, administering injections, assessing and triaging medical issues) and administrative (e.g., coordinating care with pharmacies, insurers, and medical providers) duties.
3. Provide medication management and medical support when client’s primary psychiatrist is unavailable or not yet assigned. 4. Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals with psychiatric disorders using their full scope of therapeutic skills, including the prescription of medication and administration of psychotherapy. 5. Prescribe appropriate medications. 6. Write Psychiatric Evaluation and Report, consisting of a medical evaluation and report. 7. Maintain professional working relationships with all staff, clients, and the public. 8. Order laboratory tests as indicated and monitor the laboratory test results; make changes to the treatment regimen as indicated. 9. Knowledgeable of policies and procedures for safe work practices. 10. Demonstrate knowledge of legal issues, including patient confidentially and risk management in all aspects of patients care. 11. Consult with the Chief Medical Officer, when necessary, about patient needs and assessment findings. 12. Support psychiatrists in managing patients as outlined below. 13. Medication Monitoring Prescribe and evaluate the efficacy of psychotropic medications and the need for laboratory testing. 14. Perform comprehensive psychiatric assessments and evaluations of new referrals and established clients, and make determinations of needed psychiatric treatment.
1. Assess the need for medications; prescribe and monitor medications, as appropriate, and provide education to the client about the medications. 2. Provide psychiatric care aimed at client goals and objectives. 15. Participate as an active member of the multi-disciplinary team at assigned program(s).
1. Consult with appropriate professional staff on unusual, complex, or critical cases. 2. Participate in staff conferences and clinic meetings. 3. Coordinate client care and participate in clinical case conferences, both formally and informally, with multi-disciplinary staff. 16. Interface directly with clients and provide counseling, particularly during times of conflict and crisis intervention.
1. Provide appropriate consultation and support to other staff in responding to client crises. 2. Help clients strengthen problem-solving, socialization, and coping skills. 3. Encourage clients’ resourcefulness, self-empowerment, and understanding their diagnosis and/or illness. 17. Complete and update case notes and other documentation, processes, and procedures in accordance with Agency, payor and regulatory requirements, utilizing paper or computer technology.
1. Document all client, assessments, psychiatric evaluations, and services in medical record, emphasizing client progress and special or exceptional treatment, adverse effects, and significant lab values. 2. Complete necessary forms and comply with regulatory guidelines per contractual obligations. 18. Meet with Supervising Psychiatrist regularly and as needed for consultation, according to supervision schedule to be determined by the Chief Medical Officer.
1.
1.
Discuss and review the following as appropriate with Supervising Psychiatrist: client assessments, diagnostic and clinical management questions, QI concerns, and workflow or efficiency issues.
2.
Review clinical documentation with Supervising Psychiatrist as needed and incorporate feedback.
3.
Consultation with Supervising Psychiatrist is REQUIRED in the following situations: Emergent medical conditions requiring prompt intervention after stabilizing care is initiated; Acute decompensation of the client; History, physical, or laboratory findings inconsistent with the clinical picture; Upon request of the client, PMHNP, or Supervising Physician.
Other duties and responsibilities
1. Attend and participate in staff, program, Agency and community meetings and training, as required. 2. Meet continuing education requirements to satisfy regulatory, accreditation, and Agency requirements and ensure continued professional growth and knowledge of current trends in mental health.
3. Participate in management of team/program discretionary resources available to meet client needs.
Knowledge, skill, and abilities required: (E = Essential; D = Desired)
1.
Graduate of an accredited Master's level Nurse Practitioner program or successful completion of a graduate level Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Specialty program accredited by the CA BRN; certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) (E); current California licensure as a Nurse Practitioner (E); valid Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) certificate and current license to practice medicine in California with no disciplinary actions, as specified by MediCal/Medicare.
One (1) or more years of experience in the specialty field of psychiatric nursing. (E) 2.
Demonstrated ability to: 1.
Evaluate results of clinical findings and laboratory tests; (D) 2.
Administer long-acting injections; (E) 3.
Work independently and in a small team environment; (E) 4.
Organize and manage a caseload; manage multiple tasks and demands on a timely basis; (E) 5.
Engage and communicate effectively with others in both verbal and written English; legible handwriting; (E) 6.
Conceptualize and prioritize the problems of mentally disordered individuals, determining their needs, services, and appropriate treatment methods; (E) 7.
Monitor and support developmental growth and the recovery process; (E) 8.
Maintain timely, accurate and complete case notes for client records; prepare reports; (E) 9.
Employ tact and diplomacy, exercise good judgment, and act calmly in emergency situations; (E) 10.
Engender trust and respect and maintain confidentiality; (E) 11.
Work from a strengths-based, harm-reduction, social rehabilitation model; (E) 12.
Work effectively with persons differing in value systems, ethnicity, cultural backgrounds, language capabilities and disabilities; (E) 13.
Work collaboratively with individuals identified as those with serious mental illness who meet the following criteria: histories of hospitalization, institutionalization, including with the criminal justice system, substance abuse, low engagement in medication treatment, and difficulty in participating in structured activities and living independently; (E) 14.
Work with populations identified as high risk and/or considered under-represented in the County Mental Health system with multiple barriers; (D) 15.
Exhibit exemplary customer service, compassion, and care in the execution of all duties and interactions. (E) 3.
Demonstrated ability to work with participants who: 1.
May also have histories of assaultive behavior; (D) 2.
May have resided in long term care facilities for extended periods; (D) 3.
May have patterns of service that relied almost exclusively on emergency and institutional care; (D) 4.
May have cognitive difficulties and medical co-morbidities and are considered medically fragile and may also be developmentally disabled; (D) 5.
May have long-term patterns of homelessness and criminal justice involvement. (D) 4.
Knowledge of: 1.
Medications, medication contraindications, and medication education; (E) 2.
Clinical techniques for assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of people with mental illness; problem resolution and conflict resolution techniques; (E) 5.
Proven typing speed of 30 net wpm (E); 40 net wpm (D); computer literacy; MS Office applications—Word; Excel; Outlook—and Windows-based databases at a basic level; (E) familiarity with UNIX-based databases. (D) 6.
Special Requirements: Must be able to meet and receive a criminal records clearance, as required by Title XXII, other licensing regulations, and Momentum practices. (E) 7.
A valid California Driver’s License, with access to a reliable vehicle/for driving a company vehicle, current proof of auto liability insurance, and a clean DMV record. (D) Physical requirements needed to perform the essential functions of this job, with or without accommodation: (E)
1.
1.
Hearing and talking on telephone and in person; standing, walking, sitting, pinching and finger flexion are required constantly (over 2/3 of the workday); (E) 2.
Lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, bending, stooping, crouching, and kneeling are required occasionally (under 1/3 of the workday); (E) 3.
Balancing, climbing and crawling are generally not required; 4.
Must be physically able to assist clients in the evacuation of program facilities in emergency situations.
