General Summary

As a Department of Psychiatry associate and under limited supervision, the Mental Health Clinician (MHC) is responsible for the assessment of patients served primarily in the Emergency Department. On occasion the MHC may be asked to service patients on the acute care floors. These assessments determine the decisions to ether admit or discharge patients based clinical condition and safety of self/others. Patients range across the age spectrum and across the DSM-5 classifications. MHC's are members of the Healthcare Team and have accountability to function as a team member to accomplish safe, effective and efficient patient outcomes.

The Mental Health Clinician is a professional caregiver who assumes responsibility and accountability for services given to all patients assigned to the Emergency Psychiatry service. The MHC provides care to those patients via therapeutic use of self, the clinical process, the environment, technology, and other healthcare team members, according to established standards. Patients served include Child through Adult-Geriatric.

Principal Responsibilities and Tasks
The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. These are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.

1. Participates as a member of the Patient Care Support Team to provide direct care requiring the skills/qualifications of the Mental Health Clinician, including collaboration with other Care/Support Team members to meet patient's needs.
2. Screens and assesses the clinical needs of patients through accepted standards of interviewing.
3. Following a referral, interviews patient and completes psychosocial assessment through collaboration with family, physician, health care team, community agency representatives, and/or psychiatrists.
4. Completes mental status evaluations and risk assessments on referred patients.
5. Applies the principles of growth and development over the life span and assesses data reflective of the patient's requirements relative to his/her age specific needs.