What are the responsibilities and job description for the Behavioral Health -Safety Specialist ( Day and Night shifts available) position at Baton Rouge General Medical Center - Mid City?

JOB PURPOSE & MISSION

The Behavioral Health Safety Specialist (BHSS) functions as a Mental Health Technician (MHT) with advanced responsibilities in violence prevention, behavioral risk identification, environmental safety, patient observation compliance, and de-escalation support. The BHSS works collaboratively with nurses, providers, security personnel, and leadership to maintain a safe, therapeutic environment while supporting patient care and recovery

The role combines direct patient care responsibilities with proactive safety oversight and serves as a unit resource for workplace violence prevention, crisis intervention, and safety initiatives. This position remains therapeutic in nature and is not intended to function as a security office.

Essential Job Functions include, but are not limited to:

Patient Safety and Observation

Perform patient observation rounds in accordance with physician orders and unit standards.

Monitor patients for behavioral escalation, self-harm risk, aggression, and safety concerns.

Assist with line-of-sight and enhanced observation assignments.

Ensure environmental safety hazards are identified and addressed promptly.

Assist with contraband searches and patient belongings inventories according to policy.

Support fall prevention interventions and patient-specific safety precautions.

Violence Prevention and De-escalation

Identify early warning signs of agitation, aggression, and behavioral escalation.

Use approved verbal de-escalation techniques to reduce the potential for violence.

Assist staff during behavioral emergencies and Code White events.

Participate in violence-risk assessments and safety huddles as assigned.

Communicate safety concerns to nursing leadership promptly.

Support implementation of workplace violence prevention initiatives and unit safety plans.

Environmental and Unit Safety

Conduct routine environmental safety rounds.

Identify and report ligature risks, contraband concerns, and environmental hazards.

Monitor compliance with patient safety standards.

Ensure therapeutic areas remain safe and free from prohibited items.

Assist with security rounding and unit safety initiatives as appropriate .

Documentation and Reporting

Complete required observation documentation accurately and timely .

Document behavioral concerns, safety incidents, and interventions per organizational policy.

Complete incident reports for safety events, aggressive behavior, and workplace violence incidents.

Participate in post-incident reviews and debriefings .

Team Support and Education

Serve as a safety resource for MHTs and nursing staff.

Assist with onboarding and mentoring of new staff regarding safety practices.

Reinforce observation standards, de-escalation techniques, and workplace violence prevention strategies.

Participate in unit-based safety committees and performance improvement activities.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Experience

Minimum one (2) years of experience in public safety, corrections, law enforcement, military police, or related safety/security field; OR

Equivalent combination of behavioral health and security/safety experience.

Education

High school diploma or GED required .

Associate degree in Behavioral Health, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Sociology, Human Services, or related field preferred.

Certifications & Licensure

MOAB (Management of Aggressive Behavior) or equivalent training.

BLS Certification.

Security officer training certification preferred.

Special Skills or Knowledge

Required:

Excellent observation and situational awareness skills.

Ability to identify behavioral escalation and potential violence risk .

Knowledge of trauma-informed care principles.

Ability to maintain professional boundaries.

Effective verbal de-escalation and conflict resolution skills.

Ability to remain calm in high-stress situations.

Strong teamwork and communication skills .

Ability to safely intervene during behavioral emergencies within scope of training.

Ability to document observations and incidents accurately.

Knowledge of patient safety, workplace violence prevention, and behavioral health operations.

HIPAA & SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

HIPAA - Maintains knowledge of and adherence to all applicable HIPAA regulations appropriate to Job Position including but not limited to: Medical records without limitation both paper and electronic, patient demographics, lab and radiology results, patient information related to surgery or appointment schedules, medical records related to quality data, patient financial information, patient billing 3rd party, patient related complaints, information related to patient location, religious beliefs and/or public health records.

SAFETY - Maintains knowledge of and adherence to all applicable safety practices appropriate to Job Position including but not limited to: Incident reporting, handling of wastes, sharps and linen, PPE, exposure control plans, hand washing, environment of care, patient identification, administers/collects medications/blood order, transports/monitors or observes patients with infusion pumps, and monitors clinical alarms.

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA & STANDARDS

Everyday Excellence Values - Employee demonstrates Everyday Excellence values in the day-to-day performance of their job .

Demonstrates courtesy and caring to each other, patients and their families, physicians, and the community.

Takes initiative in living our Everyday Excellence values and vital signs.

Takes initiative in identifying customer needs before the customer asks.

Participates in teamwork willingly and with enthusiasm.

Demonstrates respect for the dignity and privacy needs of customers through personal action and attention to the environment of care.

Keeps customers informed, answers customer questions and anticipates information needs of customers

Corporate Compliance - Employee demonstrates commitment to the Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest Guidelines and the GHS Corporate Compliance Guidelines.

Practices diligence in fulfilling the regulatory and legal requirements of the position and department.

Maintains accurate and reliable patient/organizational records.

Maintains professional relationships with appropriate officials ; communicates honestly and completely; behaves in a fair and nondiscriminatory manner in all professional contacts.

Personal Achievement - Employee demonstrates initiative in achieving work goals and meeting personal objectives .

Uses accepted procedures and practices to complete assignments. Uses creative and proactive solutions to achieve objectives even when workload and demands are high.

Adheres to high moral principles of honesty, loyalty, sincerity, and fairness.

Upholds the ethical standards of the organization.

Performance Improvement - Employee actively participates in Performance Improvement activities and incorporates quality improvement standards in his/her job performance.

Optimizes talents, skills, and abilities in achieving excellence in meeting and exceeding customer expectations.

Initiates or redesigns to continuously improve work processes.

Contributes ideas and suggestions to improve approaches to work processes.

Willingly participates in organization and/or department quality initiatives.

Cost Management - Employee demonstrates effective cost management practices.

Effectively manages time and resources

Makes conscious effort to effectively utilize the resources of the organization — material, human, and financial.

Consistently looks for and uses resource saving processes.

Patient & Employee Safety - Employee actively participates in and demonstrates effective patient and employee safety practices.

Employee effectively communicates , demonstrates , coordinates and emphasizes patient and employee safety.

Employee proactively reports errors, potential errors, injuries or potential injuries.

Employee demonstrates departmental specific patient and employee safety standards at all times.

Employee demonstrates the use of proper safety techniques, equipment and devices and follows safety policies, procedures and plans.