Are you looking for a career opportunity working for a healthcare organization that is based on excellence and love ChristianaCare is one of the country's most dynamic healthcare organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible, and lowering healthcare costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,299 beds), a free-standing emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care, and women's health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute and was rated by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation's Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. It is continually ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the Best Hospital. With the unique CareVio data-powered care coordination service and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care.ChristianaCare Benefit HighlightsFull Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, etc.Two retirement planning offerings, including 403(b) with company contributionsGenerous paid time off with annual roll-over and opportunities to cash out12-week paid parental leaveIncredible Work/Life benefits including annual membership to care.com, access to backup care services for dependents through Care@Work, retirement planning services, financial coaching, fitness and wellness reimbursement, and great discounts through several vendors for hotels, rental cars, theme parks, shows, sporting events, movie tickets and much more!About This PositionThe Mental Health Associate will contribute to the overall operation of the organization and the day-to-day care of the behavioral health patient within the emergency departments and on the medical units throughout the organization. To collaborate with other health care professionals on patient treatment, diagnoses, plans of care, behavioral plans of care, discharge plans, and other related information. Also, to promote patient and staff safety through early intervention using least restrictive measures possible and reduce the need for restraints and seclusions.*****This Full Time position has an evening/midnight shift rotation of 8 and 12 hour shifts, every other weekend and every other holiday. Positions are available in both Wilmington and Newark, but there will be expected coverage at either location.Principal duties and responsibilities:Comprehends psychiatric diagnoses.Conducts formal and informal educational groups and related activities. (7 North Only)Review Aggression Alert list and conduct preventative rounding.Review restraint list and develop plans for patient release as soon as possible.Q-15-minute patient checks (7 North & PES Only)Attend Multi-Disciplinary Rounds when appropriate.Document patient and staff rounding within the Cipher application.Assists in treatment planning.Assists in patient discharge and planning procedures.Admission tour of unit and create initial Safety Plan/Contract with patient (7 North & PES Only)Updates Safety Plans/Behavioral ContractsPrimary code 81 responders on assigned unit. (7 North PES Only)Performs Environmental Safety Rounds (7 North & PES Only)Searching of belongings and documentationSearching of PatientsSerial assessments to identify challenging patient behaviors, causes or triggers, and patterns.Diffuses crisis situations, assist in calming patients who have potential for violence, and summons emergency assistance when needed.Enact immediate interventions including verbal communication, calming techniques, and environmental/milieu changes.Physical management (i.e., physical hold, violent or nonviolent restraints, seclusion) or transfer to a psychiatric behavioral health unit.Participation in the direct care of patients as an explicit method of role modeling use of behavioral techniques for staff.Communicates patients' individual, group and family behaviors to other psychiatric health care team professionals.Initiation of standardized behavioral care plans that are reviewed with the patient’s care team.Serves as primary caretaker along with nurse and PCT II, closely follows patients' progress and documents on patient’s records. (7 North & PES Only)Precepts new Behavioral Health Specialists and coordinates training with Unit Educator (NPDS).Assists with nursing procedures in absence of PCT II and activities for daily living, including vital signs, patient hygiene, urine collection, Accu checks and Breathalyzer, EKG, Phlebotomy. (7 North & PES Only)Handles crisis telephone calls.Attends in-service meetings and unit meetings as required.Monitors performance improvement protocol and compliance; submits monthly documentation as assigned.Serves as representative on unit committees to provide input in formulating psychiatric protocol, standards and procedures.Demonstrates skills and knowledge necessary to provide care to the pediatric and adolescent Behavioral Health population, including knowledge of growth and development, the ability to obtain information and provide care as needed.Demonstrates skills and knowledge necessary to provide care to adult and geriatric psychiatric patients, including knowledge of growth and development, the ability to obtain information and provide care as needed.Customize interventions designed to de-escalate the behavioral crisis, starting with the least restrictive and most patient centered interventions.Offer debriefing, education or a follow-up call for the patient's primary staff members who may have been less experienced with behavioral de-escalation.Performs assigned work safely, adhering to established departmental safety rules and practices. Reports to supervisor, in a timely manner, any unsafe activities, conditions, hazards, or safety violations that may cause injury to oneself, other employees, patients and visitors.Cross-trains to provide “as needed coverage for all areas of the department.Support patients and families in the Bereavement process for trauma codes/heart alerts when needed (PES ONLY)Responds to all Behavioral Health assistance calls on medical units and the Emergency Departments.Promotes staff safety.Promote utilization of the reporting system for all events to increase reports of violence in the workplace.Promote the decrease utilization of restraints in the Behavioral Health population.Education and experience requirements:B. S. Psychology, Sociology, Education or related discipline1 year experience in nursing educational groups-orA. S. Mental Health Services or related principle3 years experience in nursing educational groups.An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.