This position is responsible for providing clinical behavioral health assessment and evaluation services in the community to determine levels of service needed of prospective patients to ensure referral to the service or resource that best addresses the patient’s needs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Coordination of referrals to a community resource or behavioral healthcare placement if necessary.
• Consults with Intake department, CNO, and COO about the acceptability of admissions.
• Represents and distributes information about Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital services to community healthcare entities in a positive educational manner.
• Current on referral sources and interacts effectively with patients, peers and other staff on appropriate patient treatment options.
• Understands and communicates the disease pathology associated with behavioral conditions and their models of treatment.
• Facilitates the patient's access to the appropriate level of care and setting.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with physicians, nursing staff and health professional affiliates in community areas assigned.
• Demonstrates strong skills in assessing client's crisis and clinical indicators.
• Prepares written report of assessment results in a timely manner (immediately following completed assessment) and includes recommendations for the level of care and treatment needs.
• Makes appropriate interventions during assessments, and crisis situations with clients, family/friends and other professional staff.
• Assesses need for involuntary hospitalization evaluation and contacts county crisis team or law enforcement as needed to ensure the safety of client and others.
• Maintains knowledge of legal guidelines pertaining to EMTALA/COBRA and abuse/neglect reporting.