Job Description

OPTS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAM INTERN

Bachelor's-Level Psychology Position

Employment Type: Part-Time

Department: Behavioral Health / Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Position Summary

The OPTS Behavioral Health Program Intern is a bachelor's-level behavioral health professional who works as part of the multidisciplinary treatment team within the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).

The position provides supportive, educational, rehabilitative, case-management, and care-coordination services to adult and geriatric psychiatric patients under the supervision of licensed clinical staff. Responsibilities may include assisting with psychoeducational and skills-based groups, patient engagement, standardized screenings, resource coordination, documentation, and established treatment interventions.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Facilitate or co-facilitate approved psychoeducational, coping-skills, wellness, and rehabilitative groups.
• Provide supportive patient contact and monitor participation and behavior.
• Observe and communicate changes in patient behavior, mood, functioning, or participation to licensed clinical staff.
• Assist with standardized screenings, assessments, case management, and care coordination.
• Connect patients with appropriate community, social, vocational, educational, housing, transportation, and behavioral-health resources.
• Participate in multidisciplinary treatment-team meetings.
• Assist with discharge planning and continuity of care.
• Complete accurate, timely, and objective documentation.
• Assist licensed staff with crisis support and de-escalation when appropriate.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Scope of Practice

This position works under the direction of the Program Director and licensed clinical staff. The Behavioral Health Program Intern does not independently diagnose, provide psychotherapy, conduct psychological testing or diagnostic evaluations, establish or substantially modify treatment plans, determine level of care, or make independent clinical risk or disposition decisions. Clinical concerns must be immediately referred to the appropriate licensed clinician.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Behavioral Science, Social Science, Human Services, or a closely related behavioral-health field.
• Previous experience working with adult or geriatric behavioral-health, psychiatric, social-service, or vulnerable populations preferred.
• Strong communication, organization, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively under the supervision of licensed behavioral-health professionals.
• Ability to recognize and communicate changes in patient behavior or functioning.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Current CPR/BLS and MAB, PART, CPI, or other required crisis-management certification, or ability to complete within the required probationary period.
• Must complete all required hospital orientation, safety, confidentiality, infection-control, and behavioral-health training.
• No professional mental-health license or BBS associate registration is required for this bachelor's-level position.

Work Environment

Work is performed in an office and behavioral-health patient-care environment. The position requires adherence to hospital safety, behavioral-health, infection-control, and crisis-management procedures.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mission Community Hospital provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. All personal characteristics will be an important component of our employment practices. This policy of Equal Employment Opportunity applies to all personnel practices, including recruitment and selection, training, promotion, transfer, corrective action, demotion, disciplinary action, layoff, compensation, benefits, leaves of absence, and other conditions of employment.