Crisis Counselor - Emergency Department

Required Skills

Client Services

• Develop initial preliminary assessment data including clients’ presenting problems, mental status, relevant psychiatric, medical and developmental histories to make decisions regarding diagnosis (according to DSM-V) and/or to provide information and make appropriate referrals to other treatment resources in the community.
• Provide direct service intervention for emergency department patients.
• Implement crisis or pre-crisis intervention procedures with potentially suicidal, homicidal, or severely disabled clients. Make appropriate referrals to consulting psychiatrists or inpatient psychiatric facilities to prevent further destabilization.
• Coordinate referrals to inpatient and outpatient levels of care for emergency psychiatric assessments.
• Interview collateral contacts, previous and current treatment professionals, and significant others, as needed, to further assess appropriate plan of care.
• Conduct screenings and facilitates referrals from local hospitals, other agencies and/or internal programs to the state psychiatric facility (AMMHC) when applicable.
• Utilize MS Teams/Telehealth to conduct assessment of clients presenting to LMH, TMH and JMH with behavioral health concerns as requested by the ED providers

Client Information System

• Complete required administrative and legal paperwork (such as: voluntary and involuntary paperwork, Case Openings, SMI/SED, Acknowledgment of Voluntary Admission, Insurance Pre-Certifications, etc).
• Collect necessary information for billing and fee collection.
• Provide necessary client information to other agencies or health care providers to coordinate services to identified clients.
• Document assessments directly into the hospital EHR, where applicable, and ensure ED is provided with copies of all documentation when not able to enter directly into the client record.
• Complete insurance pre-certifications, when applicable, for patients being admitted to an MHS inpatient behavioral health unit.

Training Activities/Professional Growth

• Manager and employee mutually identify professional goals, which will enhance job related skills.
• Participate in ongoing agency meetings, committees, and special projects to enhance professional expertise.
• Attend and participate in mandatory monthly clinical supervision with manager as required by the IL Department of Human Services.
• Complete all mandatory education requirements by specified deadlines.
• Participate in required staff meetings and in-service meetings to keep abreast of agency policy and administrative procedures, meet requirements for continuing education, and upgrade professional knowledge.

Consultation/Networking

• Engage in appropriate team work functions (such as mutual support, clarification of office responsibilities and procedures) according agency policy to provide a professional working environment and effective service delivery.

Embodies the Memorial Health System Performance Excellence Standards of Safety, Integrity, Quality, and Stewardship that support our mission, vision and values:

• SAFETY: I put safety first in everything I do.  I speak up, without fear on matters of patient and colleague safety.  I take action to create an environment of zero harm.
• INTEGRITY: I respect others and show compassion.  I behave honestly and ethically.  I am accountable for my attitude, actions and health
• QUALITY: I advance my knowledge and skills.  I seek continuous improvement.  I deliver evidence-based care that leads to excellence in outcomes
• STEWARDSHIP: I use resources wisely and maintain financial stability.  We work together to coordinate care and services across the health system. We promote healthier communities

Job Relationships

• Communicate directly with manager for clinical supervision, clarification of agency policy, and program evaluation to promote a professional working environment and effective service delivery system.
• In absence of immediate manager, will reach out to Director for clinical supervision.
• Adhere to MHS/MBH Behavioral Standards.

Other Job Responsibilities

• Respond to requests for service from the community and link to appropriate clinic program or outside agencies.
• Participate in On Call Rotation and assist manager in ensuring coverage of open shifts as needed
• Perform other duties as required by agency needs.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job.  Incumbents may be requested to perform tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.