University of Missouri Health Care·Columbia, Missouri
Create a safe and therapeutic environment for psychiatric patients by providing individual support and monitoring. Act as a role model to promote healthy behaviors and utilize crisis intervention techniques to maintain safety.
ABOUT THE JOB As a Milieu Specialist at Missouri Psychiatric Center (MUPC), you will help create a safe, structured, and therapeutic environment for children, adolescents, and adults receiving inpatient psychiatric care.
You will build supportive relationships with patients, encourage healthy behaviors, and serve as a positive role model throughout their treatment journey.
Working closely with the interdisciplinary care team, you will monitor patient well-being, provide emotional support, and help prevent and de-escalate crises.
Through therapeutic communication and daily interactions, you will promote patient safety, recovery, and overall well-being.
MUPC provides specialized training in non-violent crisis intervention, behavioral therapy, group skills, and therapeutic communication to support your success in the role.
ABOUT MISSOURI PSYCHIATRIC CENTER (MUPC) The Missouri Psychiatric Center offers short-term, intensive inpatient treatment services for adults, adolescents and children at our facility adjacent to University Hospital in Columbia, MO.
The center's 61 inpatient beds are divided among three units.
A 17-bed unit serves pre-adolescents, ages 5-12, and adolescents, ages 13-17, two units with a total of 44 beds serve adults.
The MU Psychiatric Center also offers an emergency room assessment unit for both adult and pediatric patients to help with crisis stabilization, intake and discharge planning for patients.
We provide special training in non-violent crisis intervention (Crisis Prevention Institute) and additional special training in behavioral therapy, therapeutic communication, group skills, and more!
ABOUT MU HEALTH CARE MU Health Care is proud to be named one of Forbes’ Best-in-State Employers seven years in a row, and that’s largely a result of the incredible culture and team we’ve built.
At MU Health Care, we have an inspired, hard-working and collaborative environment driven by our mission to save and improve lives.
Here, we believe anything is possible and rally around solutions.
We celebrate innovation and offer opportunities to be a part of something bigger — to have a voice and role in the work that is serving our community and changing the field of medicine.
Our academic health system — the only in mid-Missouri — is home to seven hospitals, including the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and region’s only Children’s Hospital, as well as over 90 specialty clinics.
Here you can define your career among our many clinical and nonclinical positions — with growth, opportunity and support every step of the way.
Learn more about MU Health Care.
Learn more about living in mid-Missouri.
DETAILED JOB DESCRIPTION · Promote a calm milieu by providing individual support and monitoring to patients as indicated/assigned.
Actively manage the milieu through interactions with individual patients on a regular/frequent basis.
Encourage patients to act at a level equal to their ability. · Function as a role model for patients on the unit to show ways to effectively relate to others, to get one's needs met, and to enhance/develop social competencies, and interpersonal awareness.
Serves as a resource and point of contact for information, guidance, and support for patients. · Work in collaboration with staff and the treatment team.
Communicate in a warm and empathetic manner. · Ensure a compassionate, high-quality, exemplary customer-driven culture.
Validate the patient's needs and rights. · Be mindful of times of increased activity or stress on the unit to prevent escalation.
Redirect unhealthy/risky behaviors on the spot by giving feedback and alternative strategies.
De-escalate patients, and in emergencies, provide appropriate crisis intervention techniques to maintain patients in the least restricting manner. · May complete unit/department-specific duties and expectations as outlined in department documents.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS · Bachelor's degree in social work, behavioral therapies (counseling, psychology, therapeutic recreation, occupational therapy), or a related area, or an equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities can be acquired.
· Mental health experience. · Additional license/certification requirements as determined by the hiring department. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met with or without reasonable accommodation. The performance of these physical demands is an essential function of the job. This position is very active and requires ambulating, reaching, and moving objects weighing up to and over 20 lbs. This role also routinely comes into contact with patients who may have contagious illnesses. This position is in a health care facility open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Rotating shifts as well as holiday and work during inclement weather will be required.
Equal Employment Opportunity The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Requires a Bachelor's degree in social work, behavioral therapies, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Mental health experience is preferred.
Market context
Behavioral health roles in Missouri often draw steady demand, especially for licensed counselors who can support adults, children, and adolescents across varied care settings. These positions are competitive because employers typically want fully licensed LPCs with broad population experience, and benefits such as health, dental, vision, parental leave, and flexible schedules can influence candidate interest. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to save research time, then confirm your Missouri LPC status and highlight direct experience with all three age groups in your application.
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