Agency Nurse

Who we are:

C4 was founded in 1972 to help people released from psychiatric hospitals into the Uptown and Edgewater communities stabilize in the community. Since that time, C4’s service area has expanded to rekindle hope for individuals and families on Chicago’s north and west sides, remaining committed to community-level, system-focused interventions; C4 always seeks to avoid restrictive levels of care and maximize families’ agency to lead their recovery, allowing them to heal in their homes and community.  C4 is the leader in building hope and breaking down barriers – from the personal to the systemic - for Chicago’s systematically disadvantaged communities through the delivery of effective, empirically supported, and trauma-informed mental health services. C4 seeks to equip 7,000 individuals annually to help them move from trauma to living, to working and thriving within their community.

Our Mission - Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4), a behavioral health advocate and social service provider, offers quality, comprehensive customer-oriented services tailored to the diversity of its consumers. 

Our Vision - Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) will be, and will be recognized as, essential to the wellbeing of the communities we serve. 

Philosophy - C4 believes that people recovering from mental illness and emotional trauma are able to live, work and thrive in the community. 

Purpose:

The Agency Nurse provides comprehensive case management and nursing services to C4 clients diagnosed with medical disorders and severe mental illness. He or she also oversees and coordinates C4’s infection control program and provides appropriate training to C4 staff concerning infection control. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

Clinical Duties

• Provides routine nursing care to clients including, but not limited to, administration of STAT oral and injectable psychotropic medication and long-acting antipsychotics, evaluation of physical condition, and measurement of vital signs
• Facilitates supportive treatment intervention to maintain or enhance the client’s capacity for independent functioning such as phone consultation with pharmacies and prior authorization with third party insurers 
• Interviews and evaluates clients to identify medical issues requiring urgent attention, such as hospitalization, or non-urgent follow up 
• Provides medical referrals to clients and their families
• Facilitate connection to Primary Care Physicians 
• Assist with medication refills
• Assesses clients for indications of abuse
• Oversee the care of clients using Clozaril, including paperwork and labs
• Responds to requests for emergency medical care of clients within the facility
• Records and documents diagnostic evaluations and treatment following established agency policies and procedures
• Provides coverage to maintain clinical services as needed
• Works collaboratively with C4 staff, on call psychiatrist and on call medical MD
• Work in collaboration with Advanced Practice Nurse at Hartgrove by:
  1. Assisting with ordering labs and after lab client follow ups
  2. Screening/troubleshooting refill requests
  3. Responding to clients medication inquiries
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Infection Control and Other Administrative Duties

• Responsible for the coordination and administration of an agency wide Plan for Surveillance and Prevention of Infectious and Communicable Diseases, which includes surveillance, analysis, and reporting standards 
• Identifies and monitors specific infections and performs targeted surveillance 
• Prepares detailed reports and maintains records concerning infectious disease surveillance, investigation and other necessary infection control practices in the case of an outbreak
• Assists in the required reporting to outside agencies
• Provides training to C4 staff concerning infection control policies and best practices during orientation and continuing education programs 
• Provides medical support activities agency-wide, including tuberculosis screening of employees and the coordination and administration of Influenza and Hepatitis B injections
• Provides electronic medical records technical training and assistance to other staff members
• Participates in the development, implementation, and review of clinical policies concerning infection control and other medical initiatives 
• Maintains and stores a limited supply of psychotropic medications according to agency procedure and Joint Commission guidelines.
• Maintains compliance at all times with C4’s policies regarding clinical documentation
• Maintains compliance with confidentiality policies and procedures at all times
• Attend clinical meetings, supervision and trainings
• Oversee Infectious Control policies
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Current license as a Registered Nurse in Illinois or LPN with 7 years of leadership experience
2. Bachelor’s degree 
3. Minimum of 3 years of experience in a hospital or clinic setting as a registered nurse
4. Valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
5. Personal vehicle, valid Illinois driver’s license, and insurable driving record required