Overview:
Crisis Intervention Specialist sees to the total spectrum of needs of residents including but not limited to de-escalations, training, coping, assessments, and programming to enable individuals to achieve long term success.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Assists individuals in crisis with the de-escalation process.
- Provides therapeutic services to individuals specific to their needs and illness.
- Assists Care Coordinators with assessments and treatment plans.
- Aid individuals served in meeting their social and emotional needs including assistance with contacting families and friends.
- Provide behavior support to individuals having difficulty so that they can maintain appropriate social interaction with others, and refrain from infringing on their rights.
- Accurately administer and document medications and medical treatment according to documented procedures.
- Assist and support those served in the attainment and implementation of their treatment plan.
- Always maintain safe and sanitary conditions within the facility.
- Complete documentation during each shift according to Inside Out Wellness and Advocacy standards.
- Always interact with those served in a manner that denotes respect for personal integrity.
- Implement agency and home policies and procedures and maintain compliance with all laws, codes, regulations, and standards at all times in the performance of duties.
- Assist those served with the basic activities of daily living.
- Complete and maintain required training. This includes attending all mandatory meetings and in-services.
- Follow all of Inside Out Wellness and Advocacy policies and procedures.
- Be awake and on duty for the duration of all shifts.
- Be available for assisting law enforcement when dispatch calls for mobile crisis response.
- Additional duties as assigned.
Requirements:
Requires mobility and physical activity; Having an adequate range of body motion and mobility to work in a residential or outdoor environment including standing and walking (even and uneven surfaces), sitting for extended periods of time, bending, twisting, reaching, balancing, occasional lifting and carrying of up to 20 pounds. Use of computers and telephones is required which includes coordination of eye and hand, and fine manipulation by the hands (typing and writing).
Requires talking, hearing, and seeing; Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken and written word. Ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly. Ability to observe client behavior and activities and complete paperwork.
Requires the ability to collect and analyze complex numerical and written data and verbal information to reach logical conclusions. Requires the ability to work and cooperate with individuals served, co-workers, employees, and the public at all levels to exchange ideas, information, instructions, and opinions. Requires the ability to work under stress and in emotionally charged settings.
Staff providing crisis response services must meet one or more of the following qualifications:
- A mental health professional as defined in Iowa Code section 228.1.
- A bachelor’s degree with 30 semester hours or equivalent in a human services field (including, but not limited to, psychology, social work, nursing, education) and a minimum of one year of experience in behavioral or mental health services.
- A law enforcement officer with a minimum of two years of experience in the law enforcement officer’s field.
- An emergency medical technician (EMT) with a minimum of two years of experience in the EMT’s field.
- A peer support specialist with a minimum of one year of experience in behavioral or mental health services.
- A family support peer specialist with a minimum of one year of experience in behavioral or mental health services.
- A registered nurse with a minimum of one year of experience in behavioral or mental health services.
- A bachelor’s degree in a non-human services-related field, associate degree, or high school diploma (or equivalency) with a minimum of two years of experience in behavioral or mental health services, and 30 hours of crisis and mental health in-service training (in addition to the required 30 hours of Department-approved training).
