Job Description

Days Off: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday

Schedule: Swing (1pm - 10:30pm)

Shift Differential: $1.75 per hour

Insurance Benefits: Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage), Dental, Life, Long-term Disability

Other Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

About DESC:

Recognized nationally as an innovator and leader in developing solutions to homelessness, DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider focused on meeting the needs of people experiencing long-term homelessness and living with complex behavioral health and other medical conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are actively receiving services from DESC at any given point in time. Our vision is a community where all people are shown compassion, treated with dignity, and everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

DESC operates five shelter/emergency housing programs,19 permanent supportive housing facilities with over 1,750 units, several hundred additional scattered site apartments, and a range of behavioral health services including outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment, residential crisis stabilization, street outreach, mobile crisis response, and treatment for opioid use disorder.

We are hiring for one of two Registered Nurse (RN) Supervisors at the Downtown Emergency Service Center’s (DESC) Crisi Solutions Center (CSC). The RN supervisors are members of a multi-disciplinary team responsible for providing on-going case management, psychiatric and medical services to adults experiencing a behavioral health crisis and voluntarily admitted to the CSC. Additionally, the RN Supervisors provide direct clinical and administrative supervision to registered nurses working at the CSC.

The RN Supervisors also support, in collaboration with a broader leadership team, adherence to relevant contracts, health care regulations, and DESC policies. This position has administrative duties associated with planning, hiring, and health care quality assurance/improvement. This position will share responsibility for coordinating the medical services at the CSC. Work is done under the supervision of the RN Program Manager, with expectation of close collaboration with the Clinical Program Manager, Senior Medical Lead, the other RN supervisor and clinical supervisory staff. To maximize contact with day and night nursing staff, these positions are staffed on a 4-day per week schedule, approximately 9.4 worked hours each shift, in a modified (early) swing configuration and may include one weekend day.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical

• Participate in and coordinate client care with a multidisciplinary team of social workers/case managers, substance use disorder professionals, peer support specialists, psychiatric nurses and providers and other mental health staff.
• Provide education to clients regarding their treatment and their medical and mental health conditions.
• On-going assessment of mental status and the positive impact and/or side effects of current treatment.
• Under the guidance and direction of the RN Program Manager and in coordination with the Senior Medical Lead, support the team in medical aspects of care, including monitoring and administration of medications in a manner that meets the unique needs of clients.
• Provide specialized training and consultation to other staff members on medical/mental health issues relating to clients and their care.
• Participate in psychiatric consultation, supervision, program meetings and in-service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences for team clients.
• Assess clients for a range of health care needs and facilitate linkage and on-going connection to relevant urgent, primary and specialty health services.
• Participate in planning, organizing, and facilitating group treatment services for consumers served by the CSC.
• 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.

Administrative

• Provide clinical and administrative supervision of assigned RN staff, sharing these duties with the other RN supervisor. Establish and maintain practice standards and protocols.
• Conduct performance evaluations on a scheduled basis and maintain supporting documentation in confidential supervisory and personnel files.
• Participate in hiring, orientation, and training for new RNs at the Crisis Solutions Center.
• Participate in the development and implementation of any changes to behavioral health care treatment modalities to ensure consistent and appropriate clinical care.
• Support QA & QI activities.
• Maintain current and complete clinical records; participate in quality assurance reviews.
• Support compliance with all related licensing, regulations and internal DESC policies, in collaboration with other leadership.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Registered Nurse, licensed in the State of Washington, in good standing. If licensed under the Nurse Licensure Compact Multistate License (NLC MSL), compliance with RCW 71.12.740 and NLC MSL Rule 402.2 is a condition of employment.
• Knowledge of psychiatric medications, side effects, and methods of administration.
• Interest or experience in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain in traditional mental health programs and who are experiencing behavioral health crises.
• Ability to work flexible hours as required by program and staffing needs.
• Be able to pass a Washington State Criminal background check.
• 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 homeless, mentally ill 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 with staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge and skill in working with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders; with homeless or formerly homeless individuals; and crisis intervention and stabilization experience.
• Familiarity 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.
• Valid Washington state driver’s license and insurable driving record.
• Bachelor of Nursing degree.
• Nursing certifications
• Bilingual in Spanish/English.
• Strong applicants are able to demonstrate the ability to be positive in their empathetic responses to all persons; understand the value of meaningful and deep client engagement; have the potential to acquire the necessary knowledge, attitudes and skills of an effective crisis worker; and value a non-judgmental response to sensitive issues. Candidates should be able to accept feedback and work in a highly collaborative and potentially stressful environment.

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 sit for long periods of time, communicate with other persons by talking and hearing, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 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.

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, caste, 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.