Job Description

Shift: Variable - no earlier than 8am, no later than 7pm

Other Benefits: 403(b), EAP, Sick & Safe Time

About DESC:

DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization working to help people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and housing. Our vision is a community where no person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing homelessness.

As the region's leading provider of services to multiply disabled adults who have experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 3,000 people each day. Our integrated service model is designed to help people secure and maintain appropriate, safe and affordable housing. DESC is recognized nationally and regionally as an innovator in developing solutions to homelessness.

JOB DEFINITION:

The Psychiatric ARNP is responsible for providing psychiatric evaluations, diagnosis & treatment; crisis stabilization; medication prescription; recommending rehabilitation services, and coordination with community providers as necessary.

JOB DEFINITION:

The Psychiatric ARNP is a member of a multi-disciplinary team and is responsible for providing psychiatric evaluations, diagnosis & treatment; crisis stabilization; medication prescription; recommending rehabilitation services, and coordination with community providers as necessary. In conjunction with other psychiatric and management staff, this position has clinical responsibility for monitoring participant treatment and staff delivery of clinical services, assuring compliance with all local, state and federal laws and relevant contract and procedure requirements associated with operations within DESC.

Services will be provided in participants' home and community at least 75% of the time which includes travel time to perform services. In conjunction with the project manager, team leader, Nursing Supervisor, psychiatrist and Medical Director, this position has overall clinical responsibility for monitoring participant treatment and staff delivery of clinical services. All members of the team are expected to work with participants in a variety of shared functions. This team is designed to work with individuals who have experienced long durations or multiple episodes in psychiatric hospitalizations and/or residential mental health treatment. Individuals served experience chronic or multiple episodes of severe mental illness, co-occurring substance use disorders and possibly homelessness. These individuals have either been unable or unwilling to participate and succeed in traditional treatment settings. Therefore, it is critical that the members of this team work together in a collaborative manner that eliminates the traditional treatment borders and barriers.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Coordinate client care with a multi-disciplinary team of social workers/case managers, chemical dependency professionals, psychiatric nurses, peer counselors, employment specialists and other mental health staff within the PACT team.
• Perform full psychiatric evaluations and provide treatment and recommendations as appropriate, at DESC sites and in the community, as needed by program and individual need.
• Diagnose the nature and extent of mental and/or substance-related disorders by reviewing the client’s clinical record, requesting and reviewing known medical/psychiatric documentation, coordination with other providers, and evaluating the client's current physical and psychological condition.
• Coordinate all psychiatric services provided with Program management, Medical Director, nursing and other management staff.
• PACT always has a provider on-call who is available for consultation with other staff as well as Emergency Departments, first-responders, and other medical providers.
• Maintain compliance with all related licensing, DEA, and other regulations.
• Conduct all work within principles of the Recovery model.
• Evaluate clients and advise course of treatment. Respond to emergency situations as needed.
• Refer and advocate for clients to consult with a primary care physician on a regular basis. When appropriate, refer clients to other specialists.
• For all clients receiving medication treatment, conduct a face to face evaluation at least every 90 days or other schedule as related regulations or contract terms change.
• Document all client contacts and pertinent information according to agency, County, and State requirements within stated time lines. Provide treatment in compliance with relevant RSN policies and procedures and all local, state and federal requirements.
• In coordination with the Medical Director and Psychiatrist, participate in clinical program planning, matters of regulatory compliance for medical staff, and other issues relating to delivery and integration of psychiatric care.
• Actively participate in staff meetings and in-service trainings.
• Provide weekly psychiatric consultation to treatment teams and individual consultation as time allows.
• Provide education to clinical teams and individually as opportunity and need presents.
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively under supervision, as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and independently, when necessary.
• Take initiative to meet the changing needs of community mental health treatment.
• Participate in verbal de-escalation and physical interventions in emergent situations and be willing and able to assist other staff as needed to maintain a safe and secure environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Masters degree in Nursing, Psychiatric.
• Washington State Department of Health license as a Psychiatric Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner with prescriptive authority per WAC 308-120-400.
• Registration with the Drug Enforcement Agency.
• Must have a Washington State Driver's License, a reliable vehicle to use for work purposes and current auto insurance.
• Ability to work flexible hours as required by program and staffing needs including occasional evenings or weekends.
• Ability to share on-call Psychiatric consultation as scheduled with other provider. This effort also receives additional compensation.
• Be able to pass a Washington State Criminal background check.
• Knowledge and skill in working with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.
• Familiar with Recovery Principles, Crisis Intervention and Stabilization, Integrated Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders, Intensive Case Management, Illness Management, and relevant Evidenced based/Emerging best practices.
• Knowledge of Harm Reduction strategies.
• Ability to relate to a wide range of people, demonstration of highly developed communication skills, and a desire to serve mentally ill, chemically dependent, and homeless clients.
• Ability and interest in providing case consultations with a multi-disciplinary staff.
• Ability to remain open and receptive to constructive feedback.
• Ability to communicate with and coordinate staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients.
• Bilingual in Spanish/English preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit, drive, walk, stand, communicate with other employees and clients, is required to lift and carry items weighing up to 10 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Considerable stress may occur. Employee will be working both indoors and outdoors in all types of weather.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace, and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.