Mental Health Associate Full Time Afternoon

DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital is DMC’s largest hospital, offering a comprehensive heart center, cancer care, gerontology, emergency medicine, obstetrics/gynecology and cosmetic services. Sinai-Grace’s joint replacement program features a revolutionary minimally invasive knee and hip replacement surgery that attracts patients from all over the country. Sinai-Grace operates more than 21 outpatient care sites and ambulatory surgery centers throughout Wayne and Oakland Counties and is one of 10 hospitals in the nation to be awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to help set the standards of cardiac care for hospitals and physicians throughout the nation.

Summary Description

Under the supervision of a registered nurse and in collaboration with other members of a multidisciplinary team, develops and provides treatment and care to mental health patients.  

• Provides one to one interaction with patients requiring intense care.  
• Facilitates group teaching and task oriented sessions, observes patients relative to suicidal or homicidal intent  and for effects of medication, assists professional staff with restraint and seclusion treatment procedures and with physical exams, obtains vital signs, performs specimen collection and dressing changes.
• Monitors and documents, according to prescribed standards, patient observations which may include mental status, response to treatment interventions and intensity of services provided.  
• Completes court petitions, accompanies patients to court and testifies to substantiate the need for court ordered treatment.  
• Communicates status of court activity to professional staff.  
• Utilizes knowledge of Michigan Mental Health Code to educate patients and their families about rights guaranteed by the code.

Minimum Qualifications

1.    Two years of college study in behavioral health or the equivalent combination of education and experience in a mental health setting, and six months of related clinical experience working with mentally ill patients;

    OR

 Bachelor’s degree in a behavioral health discipline.

Skills Required

1.    Analytical ability to assess current status of acutely ill patients and safety/security of milieu.  Ability to anticipate and evaluate consequences, respond quickly and plan intervention for volatile situations.

2.    High level of interpersonal and clinical skills necessary to facilitate didactic group sessions and to develop and maintain therapeutic relationships/skills with mentally ill patients, families and patient care providers.

3.    Ability to read, understand and apply written description/documentation of behavioral observations and group processes.

4.    Ability to perform routine clerical functions such as answering phones, and basic computer input and retrieval of information. 

5.    Ability to work productively and effectively within a complex environment, handle multiple/changing priorities and deal with stress associated with a mental health environment.