Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner - PMHNP

PMHNP - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

The Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) established the Healthy Horizons Program which includes the Healthy Horizons Assessment Center (HHAC) and the Nurse Care Management Program (NCMP). These programs are housed in the Office of Well Being's Health Service Administration. The Healthy Horizons Assessment Center is staffed by licensed certified nurse practitioners and certified medical assistants, that provide health screenings for children and youth (birth-21 years) entering, re-entering, exiting and changing placements while in foster care. The goal is to provide health screenings in one location by experienced child welfare clinicians in a timely manner in alignment with best practice standards. The HHAC monthly mean for pre-placement screenings is 25 which are defined as an unclothed physical exam before entering a new placement; monthly mean for comprehensive physical examinations is 17 defined as an Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis Treatment based examination.

Requirements

• Obtain a mental health and developmental history from the patient or family member and record these findings in the patient record.
• Assesses the mental health and developmental history to develop a treatment plan that provides relief and functionality to all patients.
• Perform or request special mental health screenings and assessments, developmental screenings, order diagnostic and laboratory tests, and interpret the results.
• Distinguish between normal and abnormal findings to recognize early stages of serious physical, emotional or mental health problems.
• Make independent decisions concerning the mental health care needs of clients.
• Identify psychiatric diagnosis, prescribes psychotropic medications when appropriate and recommends or administers mental health therapy.
• Gives direct mental health care in the presence of illness or disability in order to maintain life, provide comfort, reduce distress and enhance coping ability.
• Identify components of a therapeutic treatment regimen that may be delegated to the mental health therapy team.
• Provide surveillance of adherence to the mental health treatment plan to stabilize acute and chronic mental health conditions.
• Adjust mental health treatment plans within established protocols recognizing when to refer to a Psychiatrist or other treatment team member.
• Work collaboratively with the mental health treatment team in the management of selected complex mental health conditions.
• Plan and coordinate treatment with other professionals, and agencies involved in providing services to families, and where appropriate, coordinate the health care given.
• Provide a full range of emergency services or crises intervention. Including mental health destabilization and/or lifesaving emergency procedures in order to stabilize the patient for transport to a hospital facility.
• Functions as a member of a multi-disciplinary treatment team, providing medically necessary psychiatric services to patients in foster care.
• Assist in performing medical screenings as needed.

Qualifications

• Must possess a current, permanent, full and unrestricted District of Columbia license.
• Board Certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).
• Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification.
• A minimum of two years pediatric practice experience.
• Bilingual - English/Spanish Preferred.
• Experienced in serving the urban/underserved population and be culturally sensitive
• Experienced in assessing the current medical, psychiatric, psychological, cognitive, emotional and behavioral status and patterns of the patient.
• Ability to identify components of a therapeutic treatment regimen that may be delegated to the mental health therapy team.
• Knowledge of community resources in order to provide continuity of patient care.
• Knowledge of Medicaid documentation requirements for the claiming of federal reimbursement.

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