Mental Health Assistant

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler is a certified 815-bed nursing facility with a 5-Star CMS Quality Rating located on Roosevelt Island, nestled between Manhattan and Queens. Coler offers long term and subacute care, rehabilitation, and a dedicated memory care unit, comprised of 150 beds featuring an acclaimed music and memory program. The facility features a robust rehabilitation therapy program with expansive gym space for residents. Coler also offers full time physician staff, psychiatry, dental services, an onsite 8-chair dialysis den for hemodialysis, and on-site medical clinics to meet the clinical needs of its residents.


From more than 600 Nursing Homes in New York, Coler ranks #10 in Newsweek's Best Nursing Homes in New York 2026; earned a high-performance rating for Long-Term Care and Short-term Rehabilitation from U.S. News & World Report's Best Nursing Homes in America 2026; and received a 2024 Silver Beacon Award for Memory Care.

At NYC Health + Hospitals, our mission is to deliver high quality care health services, without exception. Every employee takes a person-centered approach that exemplifies the ICARE values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence) through empathic communication and partnerships between all persons.

Work Shifts

11:00 AM - 7:00 P.M

Monday - Friday. With one weekend per month required

OR

4:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M.

Monday - Friday. With one weekend per month required

Duties & Responsibilities

Purpose of Position:

As part of a Psychiatry team in a Long-Term Care setting and under the direction of a mental health clinician or RN or physician, and in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team, performs crisis and/or de-escalation interventions, therapeutic observations, therapeutic engagements in an individual or a group setting, client supervision and other behavioral health related duties. Acts in compliance with corporate, hospital and all relevant regulatory policies.

Examples of Typical Tasks:

1. Utilizes crisis and /or de-escalation interventions practices, when necessary and appropriate, with residents whose behavior cannot be otherwise supported without such interventions.
2. Assist the psychiatrists and other clinicians in tracking residents' behavioral patterns and obtain behavioral reports from the interdisciplinary team. Identifies resident characteristics and environmental variables that may trigger agitated behavior(s).
3. Monitors the behaviors of residents on assigned units for presence or emergence of any behavioral changes, psychological distress, unsafe behaviors such as wandering, aggression, altercation, hoarding. Assists the unit team members in managing these behaviors.
4. Be a member of Behavior Rapid Response Team (BRRT) to address calls in the facility or on the facility premises to for urgent behavior management situations.
5. Performs resident checks/rounds as required, and reports observations, interactions and resident activity to appropriate clinician/s.
6. May escort residents to required locations on and off facility premises such as to appointments or for a fresh-air experience on the facility premises.
7. Ongoing behavior management in collaboration with the primary unit team to manage for on- going management of chronic unsafe behaviors such as hoarding management and non-compliance with care plans.
8. Establish rapport with the residents and facilitate their compliance with their care plans, e.g. taking medications, maintain optimal hygiene, maintain optimal dressing.
9. Monitor residents for behaviors suggestive of alcohol or other substance possession or use. Participate in the ongoing behavior management care plan.
10. Provide social visits to the residents as identified by the team.
11. Communicates all clinical matters to a mental health clinician or the unit RN/physician.
12. Participates in staff, departmental and team/committee meetings. Participated in departmental quality assurance/performance improvement (QA/PI) activities. Participates in training activities as required.
13. Documents daily activities as required.
14. Assist the unit nursing team with resident's daily routine to help improve compliance with medication and care.
15. Assist in addressing some of resident's unmet needs that may include, but not limited to a phone call to family, fresh air, purchasing small personal items whether on-site or off-site, assistance with laundry and socialization.

Minimum Qualifications
1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Psychology, Sociology, Cognitive Science or a related behavioral science discipline; or
2.Thirty (30) college credits, including fifteen (15) credits in the behavioral sciences, as described in "1" above; and two (2) years of full-time experience performing supportive mental health services under the direct supervision of a professional staff member of a health care setting; or
3.High School diploma or its educational equivalent; and three (3) years of full-time experience as described in "2"above; and
4.Completion of the Mental Health First Aide training within three (3) months of appointment.

Benefits

NYC Health and Hospitals offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• Comprehensive Health Benefits for employees hired to work 20+ hrs. per week
• Retirement Savings and Pension Plans
• Paid Holidays and Vacation in accordance with employees' Collectively bargained contracts
• Loan Forgiveness Programs for eligible employees
• College tuition discounts and professional development opportunities
• College Savings Program
• Union Benefits for eligible titles
• Multiple employee discounts programs
• Commuter Benefits Programs

If you wish to apply for this position, please apply online by clicking the "Apply for Job" button.