Crisis Response Specialist

Position Summary / Job Purpose

The Crisis Response Specialist is responsible for daytime response to mental health crisis calls from Law Enforcement, Emergency Room, and the Permia Care Crisis Hotline. This position provides emergency services to individuals in the community by defining presenting complaints, obtaining relevant medical history, assessing needed interventions, and initiating appropriate crisis intervention services, resolving crisis situations, filing emergency detention orders, and facilitating entrance into Crisis respite facilities when appropriate.

The Crisis Response Specialist is responsible for ensuring persons in crisis are treated in the least restrictive and most appropriate environment. This position develops and maintains positive working relationships with law enforcement, hospital personnel and the judiciary. The Crisis Response Specialist facilitates entry of crisis clients into need brief services and/or referral to ongoing services as well as handles crises that walk into the Mental Health Clinics.

This position works independently, under limited supervision, reporting major activities through periodic meetings.

• Education Required: A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in psychology, social work, medicine, nursing, rehabilitation, counseling, sociology, human growth and development, physician assistance, gerontology, special education, educational psychology, early childhood education or early childhood intervention or a bachelor's degree with at least 30 hours of coursework in the previous fields.
• Experience
  
  Required:
  
  At least 1 year of experience in the mental health field preferred.
• Registration, Certification, Licensure or other Qualifications
  
  Required:
  
  
  • Must maintain a valid Texas Driver's license, auto liability insurance and a driving record acceptable to Permia Care's insurance requirements.
  • Required to pass criminal history and background checks as well as pre-employment drug screen.
  • Must obtain QMHP certification within 6 months.

• Respond, by phone, to all crisis calls within 10 minutes.
• Make face-to-face responses, when indicated, within 1 hour.
• Provide intervention that ensures least restrictive setting.
• File Emergency Detention applications appropriately.
• Exercise clinical judgment in crisis situations.
• Serve as a fill-in for nighttime crisis workers when needed.
• Provide follow-up for individuals who were treated for crisis.
• Complete all crisis logs and service documentation before ending shift.
• Remain compliant with Medicaid and State documentation standards.
• Complete documentation necessary to assign contact or registered status (as indicated) to all non-Permia Care clients.
• Scan and upload documentation into EHR.
• Maintain utilization data on services provided as assigned by supervisor.
• Apply the Medicaid covered services for this position, the proper application of these services, and the codes used to describe these services.
• Work with all members of the Crisis Services team to ensure quality and appropriate use of services for persons in crisis.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with law enforcement.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with judiciary.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with hospital personnel.
• Report to Crisis Response Specialist (Night) before end of shift, as needed.
• Participate in quality assurance and utilization review process.
• Discharge clients as needed.
• Provide PASRR assessments as needed.
• Provide high quality support for vulnerable individuals.
• Develop and maintain supportive relationships with patient.
• Identify and assess the risk of suicide or self‑harming behavior and provide appropriate intervention.
• Advocate and assist in accessing community resources.
• Develop intervention plans.
• Provide follow up and aftercare services.
• Fill‑in for daytime co‑respondent staff as needed.
• Meet unit performance measures or targets.
• Maintain assigned caseload of individuals with mental illness.
• Coordinate services to designated caseload.
• Enter accurate and appropriate documentation of services within timeframe required.
• Maintain…