Therapist, Crisis Team (Sylacauga)

Responsibilities

Primary Job Functions:

Facilitates appropriate hospital screenings and referrals:

• Provides referral information and appropriate linkage to community resources, as needed.
• Facilitates, coordinates, and screens potential hospital referrals according to risk factors/priority and works with hospital staff and admitting physician for appropriateness in a timely manner.
• Communicates and follow up with AltaPointe physicians and staff, court system personnel, hospitals, consumers/families and community providers as needed regarding hospital referrals to ensure consumer continuity of care.
• Reviews admission screening and referral information and paperwork as well as EMR/Avatar data to ensure accuracy, completion and communication/dissemination of all information and documents.
• Demonstrates the ability to recognize the elements of a crisis state and knows how to deescalate or resolve the situation.
• Verifies coverage and enters Medicaid and Medicare information in EMR as related to the patient’s insurance and guarantor rankings information into EMR as needed
• Adheres to professional code of ethics.

Facilitates aftercares, post discharge follow up, and community referrals:

• Facilitates timely and appropriate aftercare planning/appointments scheduled through Avatar for consumers discharged from AHS, local and State hospitals.
• Reviews relevant paperwork and populates demographic and clinical EMR data to ensure accuracy, completion and communication/dissemination of information.
• Researches, obtains, and accurately populates EMR as related to the patient’s insurance and guarantor rankings as needed.
• Provides follow up to AltaPointe programs and staff, local hospitals, consumers/families and community providers as needed to ensure consumer continuity of care.

Monitors after-hour crisis services and operations:

• Monitors daily answering service reports and crisis logs.
• Provides follow up as needed, next business day, on new or closed consumers that called crisis line.
• Communicates crisis calls and after hour crisis reports, next business day, to attending practitioner that were received on open consumers.
• Works with Hospital Admission and Referral Specialist to review and coordinate potential after hour crisis calls from consumers that, upon follow up, may need hospitalization.
• Monitors after hour crisis reports regarding additional staff training needs regarding crisis intervention skills, documentation, screening and referral information, etc and communicates these to Hospital Admission and Referral Specialist and/or Clinical Director.
• Collects, organizes, and reports monthly after hour crisis service data.
• Identifies problems, evaluates alternatives and implements effective solutions for program operations.

Supervision and Consultation

• Seeks supervision and consultation as needed to actively enhance skills.
• Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement.

Record Keeping

• Documents appropriate, complete, and comprehensive AltaPointe Access to Care assessments.
• Documents in a timely, clear, legible, and concise manner.

Courteous and respectful attitudes towards consumers, community, and AltaPointe co-workers

• Treats and attends to consumers with care, dignity and compassion, including their privacy and confidentiality.
• Delivers five-star customer service to both consumers, community, and AltaPointe staff.

Administrative and Other Related Duties as Assigned

• Provides coverage as needed in department and completes other duties as assigned in a timely manner.
• Actively participates in Performance Improvement activities, such as treatment plan reviews.
• Works closely with Admission - Aftercare and Referral Specialists and Financial Investigation Planners as needed.
• Actively participates in AltaPointe committees and regular workshops and in-services as appropriate.
• Follows AltaPointe policies, procedures, and professional code of ethics.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications: 

Master’s degree in a behavioral health or related field or a Registered Nurse licensed in the state licensed in the state of Alabama; Must be highly organized, capable of multitasking, and excellent communication skills; Experience preferred in psychiatric emergencies and acute care services for children/adolescents/adults; knowledge of hospital admission protocols; knowledge of placement criteria.