Registered nurse (rn) - host

Description

Days Off: Saturday, Sunday

Shift: Day (9:00am -5:00pm)

Insurance Benefits: Dental, Life, Long-term Disability, Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage)

Other Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

Union Representation: This position is a part of a union and is represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.

About DESC:

Recognized nationally as an innovator and leader in developing solutions to homelessness, DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider focused on meeting the needs of people experiencing long-term homelessness and living with complex behavioral health and other medical conditions. Approximately 3,000 people are actively receiving services from DESC at any given point in time. Our vision is a community where all people are shown compassion, treated with dignity, and everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

DESC operates five shelter/emergency housing programs, 19 permanent supportive housing facilities with over 1,750 units, several hundred additional scattered site apartments, and a range of behavioral health services including outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment, residential crisis stabilization, street outreach, mobile crisis response, and treatment for opioid use disorder.

Job Definition:

The HOST RN functions as part of the larger HOST team to provide integrated behavioral healthcare services with clients in need of psychiatric and other medical attention, medication coordination/management, client education, health assessment and related services. Services will be provided in clinic, on the streets, in shelters and other service centers as assigned. Interested individuals should possess a high degree of coordination and collaboration skills, interest in social justice, advocacy, and health integration. Work is done under the supervision of the Clinic RN supervisor and Outpatient Nurse Manager.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Case Management & Social Support:

• Participate as a member of a multi-disciplinary team providing some components of on-going case management services to homeless and formerly homeless adults.
• Assess clients for range of health care needs and facilitate linkage and on-going connection to relevant urgent, primary and specialty health services.
• Advocate for clients’ access to community resources and services, especially primary health care services, ensuring that clients’ needs are met, and rights maintained; consult and collaborate with community providers to ensure continuity of care.
• Provide outreach and engagement on the streets, shelters, encampments, and other community areas.
• Participate in the planning, organizing and facilitation of group psycho-educational treatment services for consumers served by the mental health program.
• Coordinate services closely with mental health program supervisors, case management staff, chemical dependency treatment staff and other DESC staff.
• Provide outreach to clients at various community sites providing homelessness services.

Medication, Medical Services, and Clinical Skills:

• Under the guidance and direction of the RN Supervisor, coordinate medical aspects of medication services for clients.
• Provide individualized medication management services and education as needed, and ongoing assessment of mental status and the impacts of current treatment.
• Provide specialized training and consultation to other staff members on medical issues relating to clients and their care.
• Perform initial history and physical of client; documenting any client identified concerns, vital signs, and mental health status exams/AIMs assessments.
• Reconcile medication and medical record with hospitals, other outpatient mental health clinics, and primary care facilities, including collecting appropriate Release of Information requests (ROIs). Ensure that client spaces and clinical spaces are clean, stocked, and appropriate medical equipment is in working order.
• Perform client assessments on a walk in and as needed basis utilizing pre-established guidelines and guidance of nursing supervisor.
• Administer oral medication, injections (both anti-psychotic injections and insulin), and wound care within scope of practice and plan of care.
• Coordinate communication between care team, outpatient case management, outpatient nursing care team, and providers regarding client medical needs and condition.
• Complete assessment and plan of care documentation as appropriate.

Other duties & responsibilities:

• Participate in psychiatric consultation, supervision, program meetings and in-service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences for clients on caseload.
• Comply with the agency's clinical accountability policies and procedures; maintain timely and complete clinical records; participate in quality assurance reviews when assigned.
• Comply with applicable program research and evaluation procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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 will be required to sit, communicate with other employees and vendors, is required to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Considerable stress may occur.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Registered Nurse, licensed in the State of Washington, in good standing. If licensed under the Nurse Licensure Compact Multistate License (NLC MSL), compliance with RCW 71.12.740 and NLC MSL Rule 402.2 is a condition of employment.
• Interest or experience in working with homeless, mentally ill and/or substance abusing population desired.
• Knowledge of psychiatric medications, side effects and methods of administration.
• Interest or experience in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain in traditional mental health programs.
• Prefer Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients.

PREFERED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in community health, behavioral health, case management, and/or resource referral.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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 will be required to sit for long periods of time, communicate with other employees by talking and hearing, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds and to operate computer systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.