Mental Health Associate

Description Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine.
Working for this leading academic medical center means collaboration with top clinical, technical and business professionals across all disciplines.
Today at Penn Medicine, someone will make a breakthrough.
Someone will heal a heart, deliver hopeful news, and give comfort and reassurance.
Our employees shape our future each day.
Are you living your life's work? Summary: Provides milieu management and clinical support as a member of an interdisciplinary treatment team in general hospital setting, with inpatients and partial hospital patients with a primary diagnosis of an eating disorder from childhood and adolescence and through adulthood.
Responsibilities: Provides milieu management Maintains a safe and therapeutic milieu by enforcing program rules, regulations and limits.
Assists in monitoring and maintaining the environmental standards for the physical environment, by ensuring the safety and organization of public patient spaces on the unit (including but not limited to group rooms/lounges, partial hospitalization patient lockers and partial hospitalization patient socialization areas).
Performs behavioral observations, completes unit rounds, checks and monitors patients as assigned.
Assists staff in ensuring that patients get to scheduled program activities, including groups and meals, in a timely manner.
Conducts room searches as ordered by physician and in accordance with established protocols.
Assists in emergencies and codes according to established protocols.
Offers support and guidance to patients as needed.
Identifies significant changes in patients' clinical status and communicates to appropriate member(s) of the treatment team.
Obtains vital signs every shift Assists in processing new admissions, transfers, and discharges.
• Provides orientation to unit for new patients, including completing patient searches at admission.
• Conducts tours of the unit for families of prospective patients.
• Conducts weekly new patient orientation group.
• Ensures that appropriate discharge information is communicated to the next provider of care.
Plans and leads program activities appropriate to educational level, as assigned.
Plans and leads a group activity four to five times per week, including recreational therapy, recovery tools, therapeutic board games, and journaling groups and other appropriate activity groups.
Conducts community meetings.
Assists therapists and nutritionists with psychoeducational and nutrition groups as assigned.
Documents each treatment session in accordance with documentation policies.
Coordinates daily patient walks.
Orders supplies needed for patient activities.
Assist in nursing and behavioral health administrative functions.
Maintains supply of forms and packets required by the program.
Assist in the maintenance and auditing of inpatient and outpatient charts by completing filing in charts and audits as assigned.
Orient and mentor undergraduate interns.
Provide feedback to supervising psychologist on the interns’ performance.
Checks meal trays for accuracy and monitors meals.
• Takes a leadership role in the dining room.
• Ensures completion of all post-meal documentation.
Attends treatment rounds as scheduled, providing input to and being receptive to input from other members of the treatment team.
Obtains blood glucose as ordered Assists with physical care of the patients including assisting physicians with physical exams and weights of patients.
Demonstrates competency in the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to meet patients’ physical, psychological and social needs with those growth and development levels/patient populations served within the department.
Maintains all standards of confidentiality.
Interacts professionally, respectfully and flexibly with patients, families and staff in performance of daily duties.
Supports customer service and performance improvement goals of the department; collaborates with clinical members of the team, within and outside the department, to enhance patient care and service.
Performs other duties and projects as assigned.
Credentials: Driver's License (Required) Valid driver’s license in employee's state of residence with a record in good standing with the State of NJ Department of Motor Vehicles.
Basic Cardiac Life Support (Required) Basic Life Support (BLS) for health care providers certification from American Heart Association (AHA) required Education or Equivalent Experience: Bachelor of Arts or Science (Required) A minimum of a bachelors degree, in a Social Science preferred We believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees.
Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region.
Penn Medicine employees are actively engaged and committed to our mission.
Together we will continue to make medical advances that help people live longer, healthier lives.
Live Your Life's Work We are an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer.
Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status, citizenship status, military status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.