Designated Crisis Responder

Position Summary

This position provides crisis outreach services throughout Clark County.  The services are grounded in the recovery model that recognizes each individual’s capacity to self-actualize and makes every effort to engage individuals in intervention services including brief therapy, case management, and referral to community mental health services. This position initiates involuntary holds and commitments only in cases where the individual’s personal risk of self-harm or risk to harm others outweighs other intervention strategies. It investigates allegations about consumers’ competence, risk of self-harm, and risk of harm to others, assess for grave disability and gathers evidence, conducts clinical evaluations, and decides, in accordance with RCW 71.05 and 71.34, if psychiatric hospitalization or referral assistance to other services is indicated. In providing these services, the position prepares witness statements, serves subpoenas and other legal documents, testifies at court hearings, completes required legal forms and written documentation of investigations, and coordinates the processing of involuntarily committed individuals through the legal system. This position requires working rotating shifts, Saturdays, and Sundays, and on-call status during peak demand periods.

This job description does not suggest or imply that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee.  This person will be required to follow other instructions and to perform other duties as assigned by his/her supervisor.

Duties and Responsibilities

As a mission-driven organization, the core values of, and the services offered at Sea Mar are based on the belief that everyone deserves to be respectfully treated in a way that preserves dignity and enhances self-worth. Sea Mar is an advocate for its clients and aims to achieve industry-leading, client-centered, culturally-aware services. 

Sea Mar employees serve as an extension of this mission and demonstrate their commitment to an excellent client experience by:

• Understanding and empathizing with client needs

• Surpassing client expectations

• Demonstrating a high level of integrity

• Exhibiting compassion and commitment

• Advocating for social justice

• Taking pride in individual work as well as that of the team

• Continually learning to stay current with industry standards, best practices and technology

As a Sea Mar employee, the individual in this position commits to adherence to these values to their utmost ability and endeavors to strengthen and embody this mission daily.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

ADMINISTRATIVE

• The DCR provides crisis outreach and ITA services in Clark County.

• Assists in ensuring agency compliance with WAC's, RCW's, and other pertinent laws, regulations, and contracts.

• Assists in developing and implementing policies and procedures as directed by the Program Manager.

• Educates staff regarding the process for health service referrals and regarding "psychoeducational topics (suicide risk assessment, behavior modification, evidence based practices, etc.) as directed by the Program Director and/or clinical supervisor.

• Maintains documentation of health services, and follows through on patient charts, including but not limited to: crisis outreaches and ITAs.

CLINICAL DUTIES

• Perform all duties in a manner that protects confidentiality/privacy of individuals  pursuant to the standards delineated in RCW 70.02, 70.96A, and 71.05, 42 CFR Part 2, and 45 CFR Parts 160 & 164;

• Work as part of the crisis team in delivering services to individuals  who are identified as needing crisis intervention services;

• Work as part of the crisis team in responding to family members and significant others of individuals who may require crisis intervention services;

• Work as part of the crisis team in responding to mental health and substance abuse treatment providers, community social service providers, hospitals, criminal justice system, and consumer advocacy groups requiring assistance with individuals  who may require crisis intervention services;

• Travel to locations in the community or use Telehealth to assess consumer’s mental status, risk of self-harm, risk of harming others, and determine the most appropriate intervention to stabilize the consumer and ensure the consumer’s safety and safety of others in the community;

• Provide in-home or facility-support until crisis is resolved or actions have been initiated to remove consumer from home or facility and into an environment that can provide for consumer’s safety or safety of others;

• Provide crisis interventions services in the least restrictive manner while providing for the safety of the consumer and others in the community;

• Provide brief therapy and case management services which focus on rapid integration into community outpatient services;

• When indicated, initiate holds on individuals in accordance with RCW 70.05, 71.34, 70.96A, WAC 388-865, and protocols developed by Washington State Mental Health Division;

• When indicated, conduct investigations, prepare witness statements, serve subpoenas and other legal documents, and testify at court hearings in accordance with RCW 70.05, 71.34, 70.96A, WAC 388-865, and protocols developed by Washington State Mental Health Division;

• When indicated, initiate involuntary commitment and psychiatric hospitalization pursuant to RCW 70.05, 71.34, 70.96A, WAC 388-865, and protocols developed by Washington State Mental Health Division;

• Coordinate the processing of involuntarily committed individual through the legal system;

•  Coordinate with law enforcement in accordance with SB 5720; and

• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.

• Demonstrates clinical competencies and proper use of approved diagnostic tools to justify clinical diagnosis and practices.

• Provides individual counseling in coordination with other systems as needed.

• Provides suicide risk assessment and develops plans to address suicidal ideations or gestures.  Uses case management as needed to provide follow through and build community support as follow through.  Provides other crisis stabilization as needed.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Understanding of the ASO and BHO contract requirements, enrollment, crisis requirement, and discharge planning.

• Works effectively with all persons and groups with an open mind towards cultural differences and knowledge of cultures.

• Works effectively in an integrated care team, including but not limited to clinical supervisor, psychiatric prescriber, case manager, financial case manager, and care coordination with primary care providers.

• Must have the ability to accurately diagnose mental health issues and develop crisis follow up plans based upon diagnoses, risk and protective factors.

• Has an understanding of chemical dependency as it relates to behavioral health clients and an ability to coordinate with chemical dependency treatment providers to ensure the needs of clients with co-occurring conditions are met.

• The DCR must sign a permanent oath of confidentiality covering all patient related information.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.

• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.

• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

• Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to create and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Education and Experience, Certificates, Licenses, Registrations, and Medical Screening

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

• Must hold a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in social or behavioral science or be a registered nurse. 

• Two or more years of clinical experience in the field.

• Responsible for his/her individual continuing education hours and licensing fees. The DCR must possess an active, approved credential from the Washington State Department of Health at all times. Must meet criteria of a Mental Health Professional (MHP).

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• This position must obtain CPR certification within 90 days of hire date and is required to maintain it throughout employment.

• Must take a TB test annually and at time of hire.

• This person must pass a background check.

• Must complete an annual clinical competency test as a DCR.

• Annual influenza vaccine required.  Only exception is for employees with a medical or religious exemption approved by Administration.  Employees with an approved medical or religious exemption must wear a mask at all time during the flu season.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  Additional evening/weekend hours may be required to fulfill the duties of this position.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit.  The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.