Psychiatry RN - Walk in and FEP (First Episode Psychosis) Clinic - Asheville, NC

JOB SUMMARY:

The Psychiatric RN works collaboratively as an active member of the specialty behavioral health and psychiatry team to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care across the continuum. This role serves as a clinical resource and coordination support for patients and providers within specialty teams, including Psychiatry, First Episode Psychosis (FEP), and behavioral health triage. Care is delivered primarily through walk-in clinical encounters, with additional support provided via telephone triage and Electronic Health Record (EHR) message management.

The Psychiatric RN plays a critical role in connecting patients to the right level of care, supporting provider workflows, and partnering with the Population Health team to address care gaps and ensure continuity of services.

• Provides dedicated clinical support across the walk-in behavioral health triage service and the First Episode Psychosis (FEP) patient panel, with the understanding that the scope of this role will continue to evolve in alignment with the growth and needs of the department
• Participates in telephone triage and management of EHR messages across the care continuum, utilizing evidence-based protocols for symptom-based management and clinical decision-making
• Assists with the management of urgent and emergent patient care situations, including psychiatric crises, and escalates appropriately
• Works closely with psychiatry and specialty behavioral health providers to support patient flow, clinical coordination, and care continuity within specialty programs including Psychiatry and FEP
• Participates in team huddles and team meetings; collaborates with behavioral health providers, peer support specialists, care navigators, nursing services, and other clinical and community services
• In coordination with a provider, assesses, interprets, support plan of care, provides patient education, coordinates follow-up, and communicates relevant clinical information including lab results; reviews and triages medication refill requests per established protocols
• Provides care management support in coordination with the Population Health team, including transitions of care outreach, care gap identification, referrals, and patient education
• Participates in pre-visit planning, process improvement, and annual competency training of clinical staff
• Participates in the ordering and administration of long-acting injectable in collaboration with the Department of Pharmacy
• Facilitates referrals to outside agencies as needed in collaboration with Health Information Department
• Participate in the ongoing design and implementation of nurse-led protocols and co-visits with direction from the Director of Nursing
• Actively embraces and supports divisional and organizational initiatives
• Maintain up to date clinical process guidelines relevant to the clinical program
• Ensure compliance with NCDHHS standards, Medicaid tailored care management, HRSA standards, and value-based care contracts.
• Partner in building relationships with hospitals, community agencies, and regional partners to enhance care coordination and access.

This role description is a general description of the essential job functions. It is not intended to describe all the duties the RN may perform.

Effectively and respectably communicate with other individuals, whether it be a colleague, patient, or patient’s family member and appropriately enumerate information in a manner easily understood by all parties. We do this to foster a culture of understanding between all parties, especially in complex and difficult situations, to ultimately provide the best care possible to our patients and their families.

Ability to make the most appropriate decision in a given situation and then taking the next steps to ensure appropriate and timely completion. This requires conflict resolution skills, critical thinking skills, confidence in your ability to make the right decision in most situations. This also includes ability to prioritize your workday appropriately to ensure the most important tasks are completed on time.

Having the drive to keep yourself abreast and up to date on the new breakthroughs in your area of expertise and communicating them to the rest of the team, as appropriate. This also includes keeping up with your licensure and yearly training requirements within your area expertise along with MAHEC’s organizational training. Finally, the ability to apply the depth of knowledge maintained and gained through this process in real life scenarios as appropriate.

Showing the ability to meet difficult situations with grace, professionalism, and understanding. Within your area of expertise, showing respect and showing empathy where appropriate with your colleagues, patients, and their family at all times, even when its most difficult to do so. This is done, in part, by effective listening, being your authentic self,…