Comprehensive Care Nurse Practitioner I

Comprehensive Care Nurse Practitioner I (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) Correctional Health Services

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization. Premium pay may be available for eligible applicants. This recruitment will establish an open eligible list that will be used to fill current and future Comprehensive Care Nurse Practitioner I (CCNP I) positions. The eligible list established may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County.

This recruitment will remain open for a minimum of five (5) business days. It will remain open on a continuous basis and will close at 11:59 PM (PST) on the day the County's needs are met. Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.

The County of Orange, Health Care Agency (HCA) is a dynamic organization dedicated to creating and supporting an environment that promotes the achievement of optimal individual, family, and community health. Under the leadership of the Agency Director, a dynamic executive team with an organizational structure comprised of five (5) service areas - Administrative Services, Behavioral Health Services, Correctional Health Services, Specialized Medical Services and Public Health Services - is committed to meeting the health needs of the diverse Orange County community.

Correctional Health Services (CHS) is comprised of two separate entities. Adult Correctional Health Services (ACHS) provides medical, dental, nursing, infection control, health education and pharmaceutical services at a community standard of care and provides mental health services, including 24-hour emergency triage and crisis intervention, suicide prevention, treatment beds, individual and group therapy, substance use counseling, medication assessment and discharge planning to all adult inmates in the County's five (5) correctional facilities.

Juvenile Health Services (JHS) provides medical, nursing, dental and pharmaceutical services at a community standard of care for youth who reside in the County's four (4) residential facilities operated by OC Probation and Social Services Agency (SSA).

The Comprehensive Care Nurse Practitioner I (CCNP I) - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) position provides psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment, medication management, crisis intervention, and ongoing mental health care to incarcerated adults within the Orange County Jail system. Services are delivered in collaboration with psychiatrists, nursing staff, psychologists, therapists, social workers, and custody personnel.

Under clinical supervision and mentorship, the CCNP I - PMHNP will:

• Conduct psychiatric evaluations and mental status examinations.
• Assess and treat inmates with acute and chronic mental illness, including serious mental illness (SMI), co-occurring disorders, and substance use disorders.
• Prescribe, monitor, and adjust psychotropic medications pursuant to established protocols and scope of practice.
• Respond to urgent psychiatric concerns, including suicide risk, self-harm behaviors, decompensation, and psychiatric emergencies.
• Provide patient education regarding diagnoses, medications, and treatment recommendations.
• Participate in multidisciplinary treatment planning and case conferences.
• Coordinate care with psychiatrists, nursing staff, behavioral health clinicians, and custody personnel.
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation within the electronic health record.
• Rotate through assigned correctional facilities and specialty housing units as needed.
• Participate in quality improvement, peer review, and ongoing professional development activities.

The CCNP I - PMHNP incumbents are required to pass a comprehensive background investigation prior to offer and acceptance of employment. Desirable qualifications and core competencies include six (6) or more months of nursing experience in a psychiatric or correctional health setting. The ideal candidate will demonstrate extensive knowledge and experience in the following core competencies:

• Technical Knowledge:
  Performing psychiatric assessments, including interviewing patients to obtain complete medical histories as well as ordering, interpreting and evaluating diagnostic tests and examinations
• Establishing and documenting treatment plans and prognosis, maintaining records of each case that are detailed and complete for any psychiatrist/physician reviewing to evaluate the plan's effectiveness
• Following standardized protocol in initiating drug therapy, taking responsibility for appropriate dosage, indications, contradictions and side effects
• Assuming preceptorship and other supervision responsibilities for Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health nursing students as needed

• Service Oriented:
  Creating a climate of patient-centered care to include confidentiality, privacy, comfort, emotional support, mutual trust, and respect
• Providing genuine…