Associate Behavioral Health Specialist

Psychiatric Assessment Services - Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital

# 2101798

Job Summary:

The Associate Behavioral Health Specialist performs duties of patient care necessary to implement individual treatment under the supervision of a Registered Nurse. The Behavioral Heath Specialist provides the psychological, emotional and physical care and support required by each patient. Assists in maintaining the therapeutic environment of the clinical program with occasional guidance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Performs clinical care consistent with the patient's treatment plan, including but not limited to vital signs, phlebotomy, specimen collection and point of care testing as directed by unit standards.
• Collects data to contribute to the assessment of individual strengths and limitations.
• Assists patients with showering, oral hygiene, laundry and other activities of daily living as directed by the assigned RN.
• Provides input to the patient's assigned nurse and other healthcare professionals assigned to the patient regarding patient's progress towards treatment goals.
• Promotes and maintains a safe environment conducive to healing and health promotion.
• Assures orientation of newly admitted patient to the program and establishes a therapeutic relationship with the patients.
• Provides immediate feedback to the charge nurse about any safety concerns on the unit.
• Actively participates in gathering patients for groups and periodically assisting in co-leading groups
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned

Department Summary:

The Psychiatric Assessment Services (PAS) Department functions as a Psychiatric Emergency Room. We accept walk-ins and have a multitude of workflows to ensure we provide Medical Screening Exams and crisis assessments. Each person/job code on our team plays their own part in this. PAS is a multi-disciplinary unit that works closely with the Adult Emergency Room.

Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital is a 106-bed facility. It has three adult units in addition to a Child and Adolescent Unit. The Adult I unit treats patients with thought disorders. These patients are typically chronically and persistently mentally ill. Our Adult II unit treats patients with addictions as well as a co-morbid psychiatric illness. Adult III is a mood-disorder unit with a small geriatric component. The Child and Adolescent Unit is one unit, but functions as two based on age; children ages 4-12 and adolescents ages 13-18. We treat patients with a variety of diagnoses, ranging from Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and autism, oppositional defiance disorder, to depression and first-break psychosis. Adult IV consists of 14 beds reserved for the voluntary treatment of primary psychotic disorders and mood disorders. The goal in Adult IV is a supportive transition plan for outpatient treatment.

Position Shift:

• 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM

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Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity -- of culture, thinking, learning and leading -- is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

VUMC Recent Accomplishments

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* US News & World Report: #1 Adult Hospital in Tennessee and metropolitan Nashville, named to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll of the top 20 adult hospitals, 10 nationally ranked adult specialty programs, with 3 specialties rated in the top 10 nationally, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt named as one of the Best Children's Hospital in the nation, with 10 out of 10 pediatric specialties nationally ranked.

* Healthcare's Most Wired: Among the nation's 100 "most-wired" hospitals and health systems for its efforts in innovative medical technology.

* Becker's Hospital Review: named as one of the "100 Great Hospitals in America", in the roster of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs and to its list of the 100 Hospitals with Great Heart Programs.

* The Leapfrog Group: One of only 10 children's hospitals in the to be named at Leapfrog Top Hospital.

* American Association for the Advancement of Science: The School of Medicine has 112 elected fellows

* Magnet Recognition Program: Received our third consecutive Magnet designations.

* National Academy of Medicine: 22 members, elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding achievement

* Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index: 6 ^th year in a row that Vanderbilt University Medical Center was a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.