ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Include the following.  Other duties may be assigned.

Provide Patient Assessment, Evaluation & Counseling 

Conduct evaluation interviews and provide clinical assessments of emotional and behavioral disorders.  Conduct evaluation interviews and provide clinical assessments of alcohol and substance abuse disorders.  Identify and prioritize significant problem areas for intervention, utilizing an advanced level of clinical psychosocial assessment, clinical evaluation and community resource knowledge and skill.  Provide clinical recommendations for appropriate level of care referral following comprehensive assessment and evaluation. Demonstrate considerable expertise in the areas of psychosocial assessment, establishment and documentation of appropriate goals, and interventions directed toward achieving those goals.  Utilize an eclectic range of treatment modalities that best fit the presenting problem of each patient. 

Patient Management and Disposition

Manage appropriate determination of level of care while providing clinical justification for level of care referral in terms understandable to the patient population. Manage appropriate transfer to alternate facilities for patients requiring inpatient hospitalization.  Provide support, information, advocacy and guidance through the system and linkage to outside behavioral health networks as necessary. 

Family Intervention 

When clinically appropriate and agreed upon by the patient, contact will be made to the patient’s family/significant other.  When the patient’s family members are on-site, provide support, education and crisis intervention as needed. 

Documentation 

Prompt charting reveals clear, concise statement of presenting problem.  Documentation also includes a full description of the patient’s presenting problem, a psychosocial history, a detailed mental status examination, an initial treatment plan, and a description of disposition status.  Documentation includes assessment of patient needs related to alcoholism and or substance abuse, including history of use; previous treatment and response to treatment; co-occurrence with other behavioral/emotional disorders; biomedical complications and psychosocial assessment.  Documentation also includes focus of work with patient/family, intervention related to problems identified; commitment forms or transfer notes, if indicated; and closing entry describing outcome, disposition, or therapeutic results, and reason for disposition plan. 

Pre-Certification 

As indicated, work toward authorization of treatment by contacting appropriate agencies, providing relevant information, and documenting details of efforts. 

Interdisciplinary Professionalism 

Maintain professional working relationships and coordinate effective patient care with interdisciplinary staff.  Maintain professional working relationships and coordinate effective patient care with receiving outpatient provider(s)  Maintain professional working relationships and coordinate effective patient care with psychiatric staff. 

Quality Initiatives 

Actively contribute time, initiative, research, documentation and promotion of the program quality improvement and quality assurance efforts. 

Consultation & Liaison 

Regularly attend staff and other appropriate meetings.  Provide clinical liaison, when applicable, with receiving outpatient providers to ensure cohesive transfer of patient care. Consult with interdisciplinary providers, when applicable, to implement best practices with regards to patient care.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

 As defined by Occupation Safety/OMS