Mental Health Coach

General Summary:
The Mental Health Coach is responsible for establishing a therapeutic relationship with pediatric mental health clients, modeling pro-social and positive self-coping skills. Maintains a safe and regulatory compliant treatment setting and collaborates with patient and team stakeholders to ensure an effective treatment experience. May function in on-call capacity as necessary to meet the needs of the organization.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Provision of clinical care-
· Provides evidence-based skills coaching, behavioral modification and direct observation to pediatric patients with mental health diagnoses.
· Implements and reinforces strategies included in patient’s treatment or behavioral plan. Relays ineffective aspects of plan back to broader team for review and adjustment.
· Completes coping cards with each patient and encourages their use.
· Completes nursing tasks, as delegated by the RN, for medically involved clients.
· Maintains a collaborative and supportive stance with patients as a means of maintaining unit calm.
· Displays expertise in de-escalation cycle and educates patients and families daily on its use.
Crisis Management-
· Maintains consistent awareness of where each assigned patient is on de-escalation cycle; utilizes skills appropriate for observed de-escalation level.
· Adopts a collaborative and reflective stance with patients with the goal of de-escalation in mind.
· Provides emotional first aid and de-briefing to individual patients and groups after behavioral escalations.
Ensure safe and compliant treatment setting-
· Manages patient’s room, unit environment and team schedule, ensuring consistent structure and a priority towards safety.
· Ensures work areas are organized, safe and ready for the next activity or shift.
· Maintains constant awareness of patient location and immediately alerts nurse to changes in mental status.
· Completes regular environmental assessment.
Admission/Registration/Greeter-
· Processes admissions in a timely, organized and client-centered fashion.
· Assures anyone entering the unit is free of contraband by encouraging use of assigned lockers.
· Provides updates to parent/guardian regarding patient condition and progress, information is linked to the plan of care; if unsure of boundaries consults with treatment team prior to sharing information.
· Greets families when they are present at point of access, provides guidance on way finding and unit rules.
Emergency Department
· Oversees Emergency Department mental health flow by acting as a liaison between, provider, charge nurse, bedside nurse, evaluating therapist, admission staff, parent and child.
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· Provides evidence-based skills coaching, behavioral modification and direct observation to pediatric patients with mental health diagnoses Assistance in application of restraint, when deemed medically necessary and ordered by treating physician.
· Completes nursing tasks (Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s), Vital Signs, nutrition, patient weights), as delegated by the RN, for medically involved clients.
· Maintains compliant and safe environment of care including stocking, setting up rooms for admission and general cleaning.
· Attends change of shift and unit level huddles.
· Assists with de-escalation and restraint application when needed.
· Completes coping cards with each client and encourages their use.
· Maintains consistent awareness of where each assigned patient is on de-escalation cycle; utilizes skills appropriate for observed de-escalation level.
· Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in Social Work, Counseling, Mental Health, Education, Arts & Science, Healthcare or related field from an accredited college/university or equivalent course work and/or previous training and direct care employment experience to demonstrate knowledge or expertise in children, adolescences or mental health. Undergraduate degree in noted disciplines preferred.
• Supplemental trainings in mental health disorders, crisis response, behavioral planning preferred.
• Increased Security Clearance Required for Job Role in Medical Tower II: FBI fingerprinting, criminal background check, and Child Protective Services registry search.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This role works directly with the 4-bed neurodevelopmental and 8-bed psych-med unit(s). Familiarity with this patient population is ideal. 
• The Neurodevelopmental unit services pediatric patients with developmental or intellectual disabilities
• Our Psych-med unit works with patients who are in need of immediate medical treatment, along with mental health care.