Program Specialist, AM - AltaPointe Health

The Children's Residential Services Program serves children and adolescents ages 5 to 18 years of age who are experiencing severe emotional or behavioral disturbance. These children have failed to respond successfully to multiple less restrictive treatment interventions. BayPointe offers a caring, structured environment and developmentally appropriate therapeutic services for each child 24 hours a day.

The program provides support to families or caregivers that helps maintain, enhance, or develop attachment with their child/adolescent during treatment and throughout the discharge process. Children and adolescents diagnosed with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders receive care in a special mental illness-substance abuse service track. The consumers, families, caregivers, school system personnel, DHR workers, and others as appropriate, are directly involved in the consumer’s treatment and discharge planning.

The goal is to improve each child’s or adolescent’s level of functioning and to discharge to a less restrictive treatment setting. The program primarily serves residents of south Alabama; however, the program considers referrals from across the state.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Provides ongoing monitoring of consumers and completes documentation related to monitoring/observations appropriately and in a timely manner in accordance with MD orders
• Engages consumers to ensure their safety, needs are met, and participation in planned activities is occurring (list is not all inclusive)
• Assists consumer with personal hygiene issues (bathing, toileting, and other personal care), medical appointments, chores, recreational activities and safety issues
• Provides support to teachers during class time which may include assisting consumers with class assignments, keeping consumers on task, and intervening when necessary.
• Ensures unit schedules are followed and encourages consumers to actively participate in planned activities
• Performs hand-off communication at shift change
• Provides training on Basic Living Skills (BLS) according to the consumer’s’ treatment goals as identified by the treatment team and completes the related documentation.
• Leads the program groups and activities to actively engage consumers in treatment.
• Completes Environment of Care (EOC) unit checklists and reports findings to supervisor
• Ensures consumers receive meals and confirms information on the meal count sheet
• Works collaboratively with the nursing staff, therapy staff, recreation therapy staff to ensure effective milieu management.
• Responds to crisis situations throughout facility using proper interventions
• Ensures units, rooms, and common areas remain neat, tidy and in good operation condition. Encourages consumer to support the effort
• Effectively collaborates and accurately communicates with treatment team members regarding consumers’ progress, regression interactions, moods, attitudes, issues, crisis, etc
• Shows discretion when discussing consumers’ information with others
• Responsible for reporting consumer/staff problems to supervisor in a timely manner
• Demonstrates willingness to work on any unit at BayPointe based on facility needs as directed
• Effectively models appropriate behavior including, but not limited to, good communication skills, grooming habits, manners, emotional maturity, etc.
• If a driving position, transports consumer to prescribed locations or goes on unit errands as directed.
• Follows curriculum as outlined by supervisor.
• Conducts groups and all consumer engagement in a timely manner and consistently follows outlined schedule.
• Manage assigned unit to ensure that consumers are in groups, meals and completing hygiene as scheduled
• Follows the program schedule to maximize consumer engagement and quality of care.
• Demonstrates the ability to recognize the elements of a crisis state and knows how to deescalate or resolve the situation.
• Applies seclusion and restraint according to Policy and Procedures.
• Effectively collaborates with the treatment team members and outside sources in the delivery of clinical services
• Effectively demonstrates the application of child/adolescent specific competencies
• Meets Altapointe productivity standards

Clinical Record Keeping

• Documents in a timely fashion per AltaPointe Policy
• Documents appropriate, complete and comprehensive notes.
• Documents legibly with attention to spelling, grammar and content.  

Supervision and consultation

• Seeks clinical supervision and consultation as needed
• Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement
• Actively works to enhance clinical and leadership skills

Courteous and respectful attitudes towards consumers, visitors and co-workers

• Treats consumers with care, dignity and compassion
• Respects consumer’s privacy and confidentiality
• Is pleasant and cooperative with others
• Assists consumers and visitors as needed
• Personal values don’t inhibit ability to relate and care for others
• Is sensitive to the consumer’s needs, expectations and individual differences
• Is gentle and calm to consumers and families

Administrative and Other Related Duties as assigned:

• Actively participates in Performance Improvement activities
• Completes all task in a timely manner
• Follows policies and procedures

High School Diploma or GED required. Bachelor’s degree in a mental health discipline or Social Work preferred.  Training will be provided in lieu of a degree.  Knowledge in child and adolescent specialty, outlined below, to be attained within six (6) months of employment:

• Knowledge of psychiatric disorders in child and adolescent populations
• Knowledge of growth and development of child/adolescent consumers as related to all intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of their development
• Knowledge of principles of play therapy
• Knowledge of behavior management, crisis intervention and interventions common to acute psychotic consumers, as well as, to non-violent crisis intervention practices
• Knowledge of family dynamics and parenting issues
• Knowledge of effects and treatment of physical/sexual/emotional abuse and neglect issues
• Knowledge of community resources as applied to the child/adolescent
• Knowledge of cultural diversity      
• Knowledge of educational methods appropriate to child/adolescent population
• Knowledge of basic interventions for child and adolescent mental and behavioral health disorders.