Evaluator Clinician – UPMC Western Maryland (multiple shifts & statuses!)

Located in Cumberland, MD – UPMC Western Maryland is full of opportunities for those looking to take the next step in their career!  We are currently hiring Evaluator Clinicians to provide crisis intervention services in our Emergency Department. All shifts and employment statuses are available!

This role will perform assigned tasks, assume responsibilities delegated by Senior personnel, and participate as a member of the multi-disciplinary team, in various aspects of patient care with an emphasis on therapeutic activities conducted with assigned individuals and groups.

Responsibilities:

• Complete the patient/family assessments referred to the emergency services for presentation to the attending psychiatrist.
• Complete the assessment as a joint effort as dictated by the charge person.
• Demonstrate ability to utilize the DSM; develop provisional diagnoses.
• Provide all care to assigned patients; provide helpful support/assistance to other staff.
• Identify and begin initial disposition plans including inpatient admission, referral to outpatient services/research protocols, community mental health centers, etc.
• Assure continuity of care through liaison with other programs and agencies.
• Consistently notify all treatment team members of patient visits to emergency services.
• Provides accurate, timely information to CO-workers, physicians, outside agencies, etc. with a professional, courteous manner/attitude.
• Demonstrate the standards for documentation completed all required paperwork.
• Implementation of therapeutic measures, i.e., restrictive observations, restraints, etc.
• Develop emergency/ongoing management plans for patients who frequent the service regularly.
• Response to psychiatric and medical emergencies as a team member.
• Demonstrate knowledge of mental health law; obtains appropriate consent or commitment authorization as needed.
• Prioritize patients according to needs; anticipates changes in patient’s condition and implement treatment measures in the charge role
• Consistently provide information/update patients in the waiting area.
• Demonstrate knowledge of insurance programs; obtain authorizations as needed; demonstrate knowledge of registration/financial issues/concerns.
• Maintain census flow; demonstrates appropriate bed assignment.
• Maintain confidentiality of patients.
• Active participation and ongoing maintenance of quality management activities; development of standards from problem identification.
• Maintain annual Staff Development recertification.
• Demonstrate knowledge of research protocols through appropriate patient referrals.
• Ability to delegate responsibilities to staff; provide direct, honest, tactful feedback.
• Assist with the direction and the coordination of specific tasks during crisis situations.
• Provide staff assistance in the completion of patient assignments.
• Inform Shift Coordinator /Nurse Manager of pertinent issues, solutions, and re-evaluation.
• Assist in the staff coverage of all shifts up to and including mandating of staff.
• Ability to conduct brief, efficient telephone screening using standardized, semi-structured interviews while assessing the severity of psychiatric illness/lethality in the patient requesting services.
• Ability to evaluate presenting symptomatology for the purpose of determining the appropriateness of referrals to clinical research programs, outpatient open treatment programs (and scheduling the appropriate appointment times) specialty clinics, referrals to admission coordinators for inpatient admissions, and emergency services for evaluation.
• Work with the emergency services attending for clinical issues/questions as needed.
• Demonstrate knowledge of inclusion criteria for current research programs and open treatment programs.
• Excellent skills in telephone triage, intake and crisis intervention.
• Function as liaison with community agencies and organizations for facilitate patient/family care and provide information and referrals to lay persons, external agencies, and professionals and regional treatment centers when working both in telephone triage and emergency services.
• Document all patient, professional and agency telephone contacts for entry into the information tracking system.
• While in the all center, ability to operate with a high level of efficacy interacting with the clinical computer programs.
• Ability to trace phone calls for patient related distress call; assess lethality; accurately and efficiently initiate 302 / involuntary proceedings as needed.
• Perform admission coordination duties as assigned.
• Efficacy in learned competency skills as designated by the Program Manager, i.e., vital signs.
• Complete evaluation audit forms on peers, attending, and trainees.
• Completion of audio/visual tapes for supervision /training purposes.
• Serve as a preceptor for less senior staff.
• Develop a specialized area of expertise and serves as a trainer to other professional within this specialized area.
• Serve on a hospital committee with an attendance of at least 85%.
• Compare and present a quality improvement project.
• Hold mentoring sessions for clinician I.
• Give feedback to the program manager on evaluations for clinician I.
• Facilitate monthly clinician meetings.