Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Open Until Filled

Priority Screening Date:
Friday, August 30, 2024

Exam # 24/52A94/08MH

Monterey County Health Department's Behavioral Health Bureau is seeking a psychiatric nurse practitioner to fill a vacancy for the position of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner that can see patients in our Adults or Access System of Care.

Psychiatric services include diagnostic evaluations, ongoing assessments, recommending treatments, being part of a multi‑disciplinary treatment team, promoting health and wellness, managing side effects of medications, and prescribing psychiatric medications.

The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner will work as an essential part of a multi‑disciplinary treatment team that is composed of psychiatrists, master’s level therapists, bachelor level social workers, and behavioral health aides. Service areas include assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, psycho‑educational groups, group therapy, rehabilitation services, psychiatric services, wrap‑around services. The program provides housing, residential care, inpatient care, community supports. The county promotes a recovery model that encourages increasing independence and community integration matching treatment interventions to the patient’s need and clinical complexity.

The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner will play an integral role in helping to manage each patient’s treatment course.

Candidates hired into regular positions for this classification may be eligible for a signing bonus up to $10,000. For more information regarding the Signing Bonus, refer to Admin Procedures

A.49.1 Employment Bonus.

The Eligible List established by this recruitment process will be used to fill current and future vacancies, both regular and temporary, as they arise.

• Furnishes psychotropic medications under the supervision of a staff psychiatrist and in accordance with standardized procedures; monitors individuals’ response(s) to medication, and educates individuals and members of their support system.
• Under the supervision of a psychiatrist, performs comprehensive psychiatric and physical evaluations including mental health status examinations, assesses current and past history of violence, suicidal, or self‑harm behavior, substance use/abuse, level of functioning, health behaviors, trauma, sexual behaviors, multigenerational family assessment, and social and developmental history to identify the nature of the individuals’ illness and establish diagnosis.
• Performs mental health services, including crisis intervention, and coordinates mental and physical health services for clients with serious mental illness and/or co‑occurring physical disorder.
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to deliver coordinated patient care.
• Reviews patient charts, records, documents, and maintains accurate records of assessments, evaluations, nursing/medical care administered, patient responses, and follow‑up accurately and timely; utilizes the electronic health record system according to protocol and procedures established by the appropriate agency.
• Plans a program of care, in collaboration with physicians, other medical professionals, clients and families; recommends and facilitates hospital admission of individuals, coordinates and facilitates referrals of patients to appropriate health care facilities, agencies, and resources; assumes ongoing responsibility for follow‑up care.
• Provides direct and indirect clinical services to patients.
• Analyzes the relationship between normal physiology and specific system alterations associated with mental health/psychiatric disorders.
• Teaches and counsels patients and families regarding matters pertaining to their physical and mental health; teaches individuals and families information and skills necessary to maintain or improve mental health; advocates for the promotion of good physical and mental health.
• Maintains confidentiality in accordance with legal standards and County regulations.
• Orders, evaluates, and interprets findings of a variety of mental health diagnostic and laboratory tests which may include blood counts, chemistry panels, lipid panels, liver function tests, medication levels, EKG, etc.
• C…