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WES Health System

Nonprofit behavioral health and disability services

Behavioral Health Registered Nurse

Part-TimeUpdated on 10/23/2026
$46 - $49/hr
Mid, Senior
Bachelor's
Philadelphia, PA, USA
In Person
Medical, Clinical & VeterinaryNursing & Frontline Patient Care

About the job

Requirements
  • Graduate from an NLN-accredited school of professional nursing.
  • Hold current Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Registered Nurse licensure and CPR certification.
  • Have three to five years of professional nursing practice in behavioral health.
  • Complete facility orientation and required certifications successfully and satisfactorily.
  • Possess current working knowledge of behavioral health nursing theory, principles, and practices; general, rehabilitation, and/or geriatric nursing theory and practice; infection control standards; handling biomedical hazards, explosive gas, body waste, discharges, and other infectious materials; age-specific competencies; medications, therapies, and treatments used in behavioral medicine; de-escalation techniques; and electronic health records.
  • Have effective communication and interpersonal skills, nursing and behavioral assessment skills, organizational, coaching, and leadership skills, and computer skills.
  • Provide the full range of effective nursing care to residents and care for older adults while maintaining their dignity.
  • Lead unit staff; communicate effectively in written and verbal form; work constructively with others and provide feedback when necessary; prepare and maintain written and electronic records, reports, and correspondence; remain calm during stressful situations; maintain confidentiality; and perform responsibilities according to the Registered Nurse Practice Act and federal and state long-term-care requirements.
  • Understand the principles of growth and development over the lifespan; assess clinical data relative to a patient's age; interpret information to identify resident requirements relative to age-specific needs; and provide patient care for different age groups.
  • Use effective approaches to choose a course of action, develop appropriate solutions, and reach conclusions.
  • Maintain cooperative working relationships and a professional manner with residents, visitors, and staff.
  • Meet internal and external customers' needs within available resources and provide empathetic, compassionate, resident-centered care.
  • Communicate information clearly and concisely, listen and respond appropriately, and establish effective working relationships.
  • Recognize, monitor, analyze, and recall situations appropriately.
  • Maintain high standards of work.
  • Be prepared to work with uncooperative or aggressive residents and meet the role's physical and mental demands, including extended periods of standing, sitting, walking, reaching, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling and occasional lifting, pushing, or pulling of objects up to 10 pounds.
  • Follow the WES Infection Control policy and applicable federal, state, and local infection-control regulations; knowledge of hospital health, infection control, ethics, and de-escalation policies is essential.
  • Be flexible with scheduling as necessary to complete required duties.
Responsibilities
  • Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate behavioral health nursing care for residents and their families within the program's philosophy and goals.
  • Apply nursing service policies when providing nursing care and health education to patients and families.
  • Function as a member of a multidisciplinary team and interact collegially with staff, physicians, consultants, and interdepartmental personnel.
  • Practice psychiatric-mental health nursing in accordance with the philosophies, goals, and objectives of Behavioral Medicine and the assigned unit.
  • Provide behavioral health nursing care in accordance with ANA standards of psychiatric-mental health clinical nursing practice, ANA standards of professional performance, and long-term-care regulations.
  • Intervene with residents through health promotion and maintenance, intake screening and evaluation, milieu therapy, therapeutic use of self, self-care activities, biopsychosocial interventions, health education, crisis intervention, individual and group counseling, and resident advocacy.
  • Contribute to the ongoing development and evaluation of goal-oriented care plans based on nursing assessments and interventions with residents and resident representatives.
  • Complete daily chart reviews.
  • Review care plans and update information as needed.
  • Implement and delegate behavioral nursing interventions consistent with the care plan and medical regimen.
  • Implement nursing policies and procedures.
  • Supervise and direct unit staff by designating and reviewing Behavioral Health Tech assignments on the appropriate assignment sheet.
  • Assume the charge role when designated.
  • Participate in performance-improvement and quality-improvement activities.
  • Use supplies judiciously and safeguard equipment to perform duties cost-effectively.
  • Maintain current knowledge of psychiatric-mental health nursing practice.
  • Represent nursing on the unit in nursing committees, as assigned, and interact collegially with the multidisciplinary team.
  • Participate in and use research to improve clinical care and contribute to the development of mental health nursing.
  • Take responsibility for personal and educational growth and development.
  • Provide direct patient care as needed.
  • Perform other assigned duties and special projects.
Desired Qualifications
  • A baccalaureate degree is preferred.
  • Direct psychiatric or addictions nursing experience is desired.
  • Bilingual English/Spanish capabilities are a plus.

About the company

WES Health System is a nonprofit delivering behavioral health, intellectual disability and social services to children, adults and families, mainly around Philadelphia. Its programs include outpatient therapy, psychiatric rehabilitation, case management for adults with serious mental illness, youth substance use treatment and skilled nursing care for older adults with mental illness. Adults with intellectual disabilities get vocational training, in-home support and help finding jobs. Clients schedule appointments or come through provider and Family Court referrals, and the nonprofit also runs Multi-Therapy Services, a for-profit outpatient practice in southern New Jersey. Founded in 1992, it is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Philadelphia, PA

Founded

1992

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