JOB PURPOSE: 

Provides crisis intervention services to reduce symptoms of severe and persistent mental illness or serious emotional disturbance and to prevent admission of an individual to a more restrictive environment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS and DUTIES:

1.  Responds to crisis activation as required by HHSC contract (emergent, urgent, and routine).

2.  Completes Risk Assessment and works with an individual to determine appropriate safety measures up to and including inpatient hospitalization.

3.  Completes thorough Safety Plan in collaboration with the individual.

4.  Identifies and makes arrangements for inpatient hospitalization when needed.

5.  Submits all documentation according to Center Policy, HHSC contract, Medicaid Rule.

6.  Remains flexible with on-call schedules and is accessible during on-call shifts.

7.  Collaborates with community partners and others involved in a crisis situation as needed.

8.  Completes hospital follow ups as needed.

9.  Completes Intake Screenings as needed.

10.  Provides most of the Crisis Services face-to-face in the community, clinic, local emergency room, and correctional facility.

Trauma-informed:

A trauma-informed approach to care ?realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved in the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization. The six key principles of a trauma-informed approach include: safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support; collaboration and mutuality; empowerment, voice and choice; and cultural, historical and gender issues (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [2014]).

- The Three E's of Trauma:  Events, Experiences, and Effects.

- The Four R's:  Key Assumptions in a Trauma Informed Approach: Realization, Recognize, Respond, Resist Re-traumatization.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Required: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and minimum number of hours equivalent to a major in social, behavioral or human services or is a registered nurse or is an LPHA.  (Social, behavioral, and human services: psychology; social work; medicine; nursing; rehabilitation; counseling; sociology; human growth and development; physician assistant; gerontology; special education; educational psychology; early childhood intervention; or early childhood education.)  Knowledge of DSM V mental disorders.

Preferred: At least six months' experience in providing mental health services to adults, children, and adolescents.

DEGREE AND/OR CERTIFICATION REQUIRED:

1.  BA/BS in field specified above or licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of Texas or LPHA.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS and ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST: Abilities required to perform the essential and marginal tasks of this job:  Walking, Operating office equipment, Standing, Operating motor vehicle, Light lifting  (under 15 lbs), Sitting, Ability to see, Identify colors, Light carrying (under 15 lbs), Hearing (with aid), Straight pulling, Ability to write, Ability to count, Ability to read, Simple grasping, Ability to tell time.

Work site and environmental conditions that apply to this job: Travel by car 50% of time, Excessive noise/intermittent, Outside, Inside, Excessive heat, Long or irregular work hours, Excessive cold, Excessive humidity, Working closely with others, Working alone.

CRED/PRIV REQUIRED?  Yes  DRIVING REQUIRED:  Yes 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES, and COMPETENCY:

1.  Work abilities and requirements: Work in cooperation with family members and community organizations including, but not limited to law enforcement, hospital staff, and other community providers.  On-call crisis response duties are included in this role as part of a scheduled rotation.  Requires travel within in Gulf Bend Center's (7) county catchment area. 

2.  Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills to communicate clearly and effectively with strong organizational skills and the ability to interface effectively with all levels of the organization. 

3. Task management: Ability to perform tasks effectively and efficiently and to handle multiple priorities in a confidential environment. Must have strong attention to detail. Ability to plan and schedule work and implement directives without constant supervision. Ability to plan and schedule work and implement directives without constant supervision. Must have good organizational skills to achieve multiple deadlines.

4.   Confidentiality: Ability to maintain a strict standard of confidentiality in handling sensitive information, reports, and correspondence.

5.  Conflict resolution: Ability to solve problems and resolve issues.

6.  Interpersonal skills: Interacts with employees' contractors, customers, community, family members, referral sources, governmental sponsoring and funding entities, program auditors, advocacy groups, and the media. Ability to work collaboratively with a team of staff to accomplish the efficient operation of the program by assisting coworkers, as necessary, to meet client needs and contract requirements with no verified complaints. Ability to work cooperatively and productively with supervisor, individuals, co-workers, and groups of persons at all levels of activity, contributing to a strong spirit of teamwork. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, other agencies and the public using tact, courtesy, and good judgment.

7.  Code of Conduct, CORE Values: Work behavior must be compatible with Center's Core Values, Culture, Mission and Vision statements, and Policies and Procedures contributing to an environment of problem solving, building trust, conflict resolution, and customer service. Adheres to the professional, ethical and legal requirements set forth in the Center's business Code of Conduct as well as the Corporate Compliance Plan.

8.  Customer service: Demonstrates appropriate responsiveness to internal/external customer needs.

9.  Dress code: Adherence to Center Dress Code to present a professional appearance and conduct when representing the Center.

10.  Fleet: Completes fleet checklist as required.  Reports all fleet problems directly to the Program Director within 24 hours of identifying problem.  Uses GeoTab key fob in fleet vehicles and maintains road safety compliance.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS OR CONDITIONS:

1.  Current State of Texas Driver License or if you live in another state, must be currently licensed in that state. Liability insurance required.

2.  Must be insurable by Center's liability carrier if employee operates a Center vehicle or drives personal car on Center business. Safe driving record as defined by Gulf Bend Center.

3.  Must have computer experience to include Microsoft Word, Excel (beginner to intermediate level), Outlook, Teams, and Zoom.  Ability to type 40 wpm. Ability to operate office equipment (copy machine, fax). Ability to type 40 wpm.

4.  Must complete all training requirements prior to the due date. Attend required training and team meetings. Relias training and any other training required for the role is 100% compliant.

5.  Must maintain regular and reliable attendance, including compliance with the telework agreement. This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday with varied shifts and rotating on-call shifts that cover evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays or agreed upon hours 100% of the time, to ensure consistency and completeness of the program's processes. Evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

AAP/EEO Statement

Gulf Bend Center provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identify or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applied to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.