Title: Behavioral Health Nurse

Reports to: Lead APRN

Department: Outpatient Clinic & Behavioral Health Homes (BHH)

Classification: Non-Exempt; Non-Union

Date Created/Revised: 10/12, 10/13, 04/15, 03/17, 04/18, 11/19, 10/22, 7/24, 6/26

Organization Overview:

Sound Community Services, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating, assisting, and supporting individuals with persistent mental illness and substance use disorders. We work tirelessly to create a culture and environment in which recovery and wellness are possible.

Position Overview: 

Provide key supports to employees in a fast-paced mental health outpatient clinic. Responsibilities include but are not limited to the triaging of calls, preparing refill requests for APRN/MD signature, completion of insurance authorizations, preparing and administering intramuscular injections. Other duties include consultation with other medical professionals especially during admission and discharge from other services; development of training on protocols and health promotions, wellness, and prevention initiatives; facilitation of health education groups; support to employees and clients in our residential facilities; tracking and performing required assessments and screenings; monitoring and reporting required outcomes and goals. 

Essential Functions: 

• Assist with care plans for Behavioral Health Home (BHH) clients.
• Teach and perform physical health assessments, obtain vital signs, smoking cessation, and administer other health screening tools as necessary, including a medical profile, health risk assessment and a PHQ-9 screening for depression.
• Acts as support to team members to interface with home health care agencies, specialty providers and hospitals to provide follow-up during transitions of care; monitors updates regarding changes in client’s health status.
• Complete medical forms, Outpatient Treatment Requests (OTR), Prior Authorizations (PA), disability forms, and other forms as needed.
• Support creation and presentation of monthly BHH wellness topics.
• Prepare required letters that can be abstracted from medical records.
• Prepare approved refill requests for APRN/MD signature in a timely manner.
• Triage all phone calls to the prescribing staff and uses good judgement in developing a response.
• Call in lab requests and triages urgent values from non-urgent and sends an alert to prescribing employees as needed.
• Request records and lab results from medical providers/hospitals/laboratories.
• Perform intramuscular injections as assigned.
• Perform urine drug screens as directed, venipuncture, and sends specimens when applicable.
• Update releases of information (ROI) as needed.
• Support clients in educational needs.
• Attends all team meetings as scheduled
• Support hospital discharge and other care transitions.
• Outreach to engage, support, and promote continuity of care.
• Ensure linkage to medication monitoring services.
• Document all activity related to client services provided (face to face, telephone, collateral) using Carelogic electronic health records system.
• Maintain collaborative relationships with SMHA, Beacon, VNA, community and network providers as well as the SCSI multi-disciplinary team.
• Perform other related tasks assigned by supervisor.

Physical Requirements: 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls, and climb stairs. The employee frequently is required to walk, talk and/or hear; Speaking and hearing ability sufficient to communicate effectively by phone or in person at normal volumes; Vision adequate to read correspondence, computer screen, forms, etc. The employee is occasionally required to stand and climb or balance. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this position include the ability to adjust focus. 

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 accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Qualifications: 

Connecticut Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or higher active and in good standing required; experience in behavioral health is preferred; must be able to obtain minimally required liability insurance; competent user of technology including Electronic Medical Records, ePrescribe, documenting of vital signs and the Microsoft Office suite; general knowledge of nursing and health care terminology; excellent skills related to patient care, organization and attention to detail, analytical, problem-solving and time management; CPR/First Aid Certified or eligible.

COMPETITIVE BENEFITS PACKAGE!

• Generous PTO package for Full Time employees includes:
  • 13 paid federal holidays annually
  • 5 paid personal/floating holidays annually
  • Sick time
  • Up to 20 Vacation days per year!!
• 401k available
• Company-paid Life Insurance
• Company-paid Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
• Opt-in benefits available: Pet Insurance, Employee/Spouse/Child Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Paid Training

 Sound Community Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, religion, citizenship, national origin/ancestry, physical/mental disabilities, military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.