Department Information
This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Please note: This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.
Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo (CMHHIP)
As a cornerstone of the Pueblo community for over a century Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo (CMHHIP) is a leading employer provider of quality mental health services and a community partner.CMHHIP is a 24 hour behavioral health acute care facility that is intended to provide a safe secure and therapeutic setting for patients with both psychiatric and medical issues. The services provided include evaluation and treatment for patients who are severely mentally ill and the goal of this facility is to return patients to their optimal level of functioning and assist them in returning to the community as appropriate.
The purpose of the Continuity of Treatment Department is to enhance increase and support treatment programming in all CMHHP patient units by managing clinical staff call-offs and deployment in order to minimize clinical treatment and activities cancellations. The goal of the department is to maintain clinical staffing levels which will assist with patient stabilization treatment and discharge preparedness. The department provides clinical training and education on specific treatment approaches therapeutic and group facilitating skills to mental health clinicians and other clinical staff within the hospital to enhance patient treatment outcomes.. The work unit develops and implements staffing systems to assure treatment and activities are ongoing and not canceled. The department tracks group/activities compliance clinical staff call-off and backfill data as well as data on treatment/activities groups cancellations. The department maintains all clinical programming schedules staff schedules protocols and group tracking systems. Staff have an understanding of and experience working with patients with mental health issues substance abuse issues developmental disabilities physical handicaps legal issues and multiple psychiatric diagnoses. The legal status of patients may include incompetent-to-proceed competency exams not guilty by reason of insanity short-term or long-term admission or long-term extension. The unit goal is to assist in treating the severely mentally ill return them to their optimal level of functioning and assist them in returning to the community as appropriate.
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Most State of Colorado employees are eligible for a great benefit package! Please see the Supplemental Information section below for details!
Description of Job
About the Position:
This position exists to provide therapeutic work in the psychiatric care and treatment of adults and adolescents with acute and chronic mental illness. The Mental Health Clinician I utilizes psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery principles and techniques in all aspects of their assigned responsibilities. The position facilitates educational groups and activities and is a co-facilitator with MHC II SW Psychology OT RT. This position works under the supervision and direction of departments Clinical Manager (HP V) and is trainedby the Clinical Educator; follows protocols and curriculum developed by the MHC II and CoT Clinical Trainers (HP II HP III); must have competencies signed off by the MHC II and/or Clinical Educator or Clinical Manager before facilitating groups/activities; monitors and intervenes to ensure a safe and therapeutic patient milieu and provides immediate crisis intervention when indicated. Other duties in this position include:
Group/ Activiy Coverage and Millieu Management:
Engage with patients to establish and maintain a therapeutic relationship that supports the patients psychiatric recovery and mental health
Facilitates certain groups such as educational treatment/activity groups as assigned and scheduled by the Clinical Manager after competency determined
May facilitate and/or co-facilitate other groups with appropriate training/education for example Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Leads/initiates scheduled alternate programming exercises
Address and resolve patient issues when possible and refer issues to the patients rights advocate as indicated
Escorts patients to activities within treatment areas (Treatment Malls)
Utilizes therapeutic interventions to manage crisis situations and management of assaultive and disruptive behaviors
Promptly responds to a patients psychiatric crisis
Understands and practices knowledge of when to report changes in patient condition or complaints such as pain or other medical needs to the unit RN
Maintains awareness of all 1:1 special precautions and medical and psych issues for each patient
Responds to duress alarm
Assures all assigned duties are complete and documented
Adheres to providing coverage in all units/groups/activities as assigned
Provides milieu management in all treatment areas assigned to
Facilities/co-facilitates groups and activities on units as assigned and in the treatment malls as assigned
Recognizes signs and symptoms of patients and reports those that may need additional intervention with the treatment team
Accountability:
Knows utilizes and follows CMHIP standards and guidelines: Treatment Plans Infection Control Manual and Rainbow book and Emergency Guides. Follows and maintains infection control standards and regulations
Adheres to CMHIP Employee Code of Conduct and CMHHPs Organizational Ethics policies
Follows and complies with all competencies related to the MHC I. Is aware and utilizes the chain of command
Provide safe/secure transport of patients to programming/treatment locations such as yard gym visits administrative conference room staffing/dispo reviews court/community reintegration sites
Documents in BEHR and Group Tracker for educational/activity groups MHC II facilitates
Knows how to access the departments drive on the computer and is expected to utilize it for protocols and curriculum department policies and processes
Responsible for ensuring all required training is current and up to date per CMHHP policies and procedures
Reports any claims of any type of harassment/workplace violence alerts public safety/charge RN/Lead Nurse/and nursing appointing authority
Participate in the Continuity of Treatment Department meetings and assigned unit morning meetings as work schedule allows
Communication:
Effectively communicates by actively listening and sharing relevant information with co-workers supervisor(s) and customers so as to anticipate problems and ensure the effectiveness of the department
Adapts communication methods to respond to different audiences to promote a positive environment
Is appropriate in all communications with co-workers and patients
Receives/seeks out reports regarding awareness of all 1:1 SP II medical and psychiatric issues for each patient assigned to scheduled groups
Assists in addressing patient complaints at the unit level
Reports abuse allegations immediately to the charge nurse immediate supervisor and refer to public safety
Alerts the unit RN on assigned work unit to all exceptions changes in patient status to include suicidal/homicidal ideation need for team intervention
Completes and routes paperwork to appropriate area/person (to include incident reports and injury on the job)
Corrects and reports any hazardous environmental findings to the Charge RN or PT
Other Duties as Assigned:
Responsible to perform assigned tasks and duties within the scope of practice for this position that do not fall within the realm of duty statements A-C
Minimum Qualifications Substitutions Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
Minimum Qualifications:
Experience Only:
Three (3) yearsof relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position
OR
Education and Experience:
A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position equal tothree (3) years
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with initiating/leading behavioral health group/activities
- Experience with initiating/conducting individual patient one to one sessions
- Experience with review adherence and documentation toward a patients Individualized Plan of Care
- Experience/ability to identify and develop groups based on patient specific treatment needs
Conditions of Employment:- May be required to work evening or weekend shifts holidays voluntary or mandatory overtime both in the clinic or on patient units throughout CMHHIP
- May be required to work overtime as needed on a shift or weekend not part of scheduled hours
- Shall not initiate or engage in sexual social personal or financial relationships with patients either during or any time after hospitalization even if the patient requests or initiates such a relationship. All relationships with current or former patients must be disclosed on your application
- Successfully pass all modules of the CMHHIP New Employee Orientation core curriculum to include English reading comprehension relevant competency assessments and written/practical exams in Defensive Tactics;
- Possess the physical ability to successfully complete CTI and CPR;
- Lift arms above head and kick as high as own waist;
- Stabilize another person to accomplish a controlled containment to the floor;
- Withstand impact on own body using an ASP shield;
- Rotate body 90 degrees with feet planted for using a defensive tactic;
- Kneel on one or both knees and stand up again with multiple repetitions;
- Must be able to see and hear in order to observe address and respond to potential breaches in safety;
- Seize hold control or subdue violent or assaultive persons and defend oneself or others to prevent injury;
- Demonstrate body agility strength of all four limbs and the ability to walk and climb stairs consistently;
- Work in situations involving assaultive behavior physical control of another person and/or restraint situations;
- Ability to read and comprehend the English language; effectively and fluently communicates in English both verbally and in writing;
- Work in an environment with fluctuating noise and temperature (hot and cold) which may include working outdoors in inclement weather and/or concrete floor/wall work settings;
- Willing and able to travel;
- 2-step TB (tuberculosis) screening
- Influenza vaccination
- Other vaccinations as required by the State of Colorado
- A pre-employment criminal background check will be conducted as part of the selection process as this position is deemed to have direct contact with vulnerable persons. Felony convictions conviction of crimes of moral turpitude or convictions of misdemeanors related to job duties may disqualify you from being considered for this position. Should your background check reveal any charges or convictions it is your responsibility to provide the CDHS Background Unit with an official disposition of any charges.
- Former employees of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) who were disciplinary terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on your application and may not be eligible for employment at CDHS.
APPEAL RIGHTS:
If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.
An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email () postmarked in US Mail or hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street 4th Floor Denver CO 80203) or faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the departments action.
For more information about the appeals process the official appeal form and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at ; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1 State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Directors Administrative Procedures Chapter 8 Resolution of Appeals and Disputes atunder Rules.
Supplemental Information
How to Apply
The Assessment Process
For additional recruiting questions please contact .us
About Us:
If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference consider joining the dedicated people of theColorado Department of Human Services(CDHS). Our professionals strive to design and deliver high quality human and health services that improve the safety independence and well-being of the people of addition to a great location and rewarding and meaningful work we offer:
*Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more
information go to Values:
We believe in a people-first approach:To serve the people of Colorado we develop a culture and work environment that creates an energized inspired and healthy team capable of giving their best to Coloradans.
Balance creates quality of life:We want our team to be resilient through a supportive workplace that values flexibility health and wellness and employee engagement.
We hold ourselves accountable:We take responsibility through our actions programs and results for the state of health and human services in Colorado.
Transparency matters:We are open and honest with employees our partners the Coloradans we serve and the public.
We are ethical:We abide by what is best for those we serve by doing what is right not what is easy.
Collaboration helps us rise together:We work together with all partners employees and clients to achieve the best outcomes for Coloradans.
We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
ADAA Accommodations:CDHS is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment including completing the application process interviewing completing any pre-employment testing participating in the employee selection process and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position please direct your inquiries to our ADAA Coordinator Nancy Schmelzer at or call 1-.
THE STATE OF COLORADO IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER