Nurse Practitioner

General Description

Under the supervision of the ACT Psychiatrist, the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner is responsible for providing psychiatric assessments, medical assessment and treatment to ACT recipients and participates on a multi-disciplinary team. Provides guidance and shares in the clinical oversight of recipient diagnosis, services and treatment and provides supervision of medication administration procedures.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsible for providing psychiatric assessment, medical assessment, and treatment to ACT recipients utilizing a recovery-oriented and person-centered approach.

Provides direct, face-to-face and/or collateral services to recipients in the community, office or as directed by the recipient.

Collaborates with the Team Leader and Nurse to monitor the ACT recipients' psychiatric conditions and delivery of medications and observes any non-psychiatric conditions.

Provides services and treatment to recipients from diverse backgrounds in the community (off-site) as needed based on recipients and/or family preferences.

• Performs initial and periodic (as needed) psychiatric evaluations.
• Assess the need for psychotropic medication and assumes responsibility for its prescription and regular monitoring.
• Prescribes, manages medications for recipients including reviewing lab work as required and as needed.
• Provides overall supervision of medication administration procedures.

Identifies behaviors that interfere with treatment and recovery and conducts suicide and violence risk assessments to decide if an increased level of care is needed by increased contacts by the ACT Team.

Participates with ACT recipients to inclusively develop, implement, evaluate, and/or modify person-centered goals to foster quality of care and achieve the best possible outcomes.

Frequently attends daily ACT team meetings and participates in regular treatment team meetings or case conferences to ensure the continuum of care for ACT recipients while they are on the road to recovery.

Acts as a role model, mentor and contributes to staff training and professional development by imparting expertise on assessment, diagnosis psychodynamics, medications, and the provisions of services.

Actively participates in the daily communication log.

Stays informed of changes in the clinical status of recipients or stressors involving recipients' life or/and their families/support systems.

Under the supervision of the ACT Psychiatrist, the PNP provides clinical oversight and collaborates with team members to assess recipient needs to determine best practices. Promotes positive relationships within the Agency and other providers including inpatient hospital staff, pharmacy, insurance companies, community partners or service organizations etc., to ensure continuity of care.

• Creates and fosters inclusive and diverse external partnerships to support ACT recipients.
• Works collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary team in the provisions of all job duties.

Fosters and models principles that underlie the ACT model (recovery, person-centered, cultural humility, continuous monitoring, and engagement efforts, accessible to a multi-disciplinary team)

Participates and follows treatment requirements mandated under Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program including completing necessary documentation/evaluations

Completes all required documentation including psychiatric evaluations, progress notes, prior authorizations, incident reports, disability applications, AOT Removal Requests, etc.

• Participates in agency Incident Management Program as needed (after normal business hours)
• Participates in Special Needs reviews as needed or directed by Quality Management.
• Provides guidance and ongoing education/training to staff member to foster an inclusive environment and demonstrates DEI concepts regarding individual cases.
• Recognizes emergency situations and takes appropriate action.
• Provides integrated treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to ACT recipients.
• Establishes evidence-based practices to reduce hospitalizations and homelessness.
• Serves as a liaison and attends meetings with external entities.

Successfully completes training modules in the Center for Practice Innovation's Learning Management System (CPI) for ACT Core trainings and demonstrates basic core competencies in specific areas of practice as outlines in the NYSOMH ACT Guidelines and SAILs online mandatory training modules.

• Observes the Rights of Recipients as defined in the ACT Program Guidelines
• Submits all required documentation and reports by due dates according to SAILs Policies and Procedures.
• Ensures that inter and intra-agency communication takes place.
• Completes heavy workload and all required documentation within established timeframes.
• Participants in supervision with the Team Leader and/or Program Director as requested.
• Accepts and follows through on any other task or duty as assigned or required.

Qualification and Competencies

Educated and licensed as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner by the New York State Education Department

At least three years post-license experience providing assessment and treatment to individuals with mental illness. Supervisory experience necessary. Experience as a treatment team member preferred.

Demonstrates organizational and communication skills which would enable effective interaction with agency staff, consumers/clients/families, and the community.

• Critical thinking and sound judgment skills are necessary.
• Computer/office equipment usage
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Physical Demand and Working Conditions

• Transports clients in personal or agency vehicle as needed.
• Travels to Client sites, Agency sites, offsite entities and/or other office locations as needed.
• Participates in a team approach and multi-disciplinary treatment.
• Availability during the hours of operations of 8am- 8pm
• May provides after normal business hours on-call assistance
• Requires direct in-person/face to face client interaction.