Mental Health Specialist

About Children’s Minnesota

Children’s Minnesota is one of the largest pediatric health systems in the United States and the only health system in Minnesota to provide care exclusively to children, from before birth through young adulthood. An independent and not-for-profit system since 1924, Children’s Minnesota is one system serving kids throughout the Upper Midwest at two free-standing hospitals, nine primary care clinics, multiple specialty clinics and seven rehabilitation sites. As The Kids Experts™ in our region, Children’s Minnesota is regularly ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a top children’s hospital. Find us on Facebook @childrensminnesota or on Twitter and Instagram @childrensmn. Please visit childrensMN.org.

Children’s Minnesota is proud to be recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of 2023’s Top Diversity Leaders. The national honor recognizes the top diverse healthcare executives and organizations influencing public policy, care delivery, and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in their organizations and the industry.

Department Overview

The pediatric emergency department at Children’s Minnesota St. Paul hospital is a 32-bed, Level IV trauma center that specializes in the assessment and stabilization of acute pediatric illness, injury and trauma. Our multidisciplinary care team of more than 150 pediatric professionals cares for over 45,000 patients a year, and can treat just about anything. The St. Paul emergency department offers 24-hour access and has some of the shortest wait times in the country. The emergency department has all private rooms, two resuscitation rooms, and is staffed with board-certified, pediatric emergency medicine physicians, pediatric nurse practitioners, and certified pediatric emergency registered nurses. Our care team has access to cutting-edge technology, intensive and medical-surgical units, and specialists to provide the best care and outcomes for our patients possible, all in a child-focused, emergency environment. . We value teamwork, open communication, safety and respect. We embrace an environment that encourages learning and professional growth. Our amazing team is committed to providing excellent care to our patients and families. We incorporate the Comfort Promise into our care — ensuring that procedural pain is minimized whenever possible. Our family-centered focus strives to consider social, economic and cultural diversity — living our core value of putting “Kids First.”


Position Summary

The Mental Health Specialist is responsible for providing direct patient care to children and adolescents with behavioral challenges or a mental health diagnosis based on the individual treatment plan. Under the direction of a Registered Nurse, they assist with collecting data regarding a patient's physical, psychological, or safety status on an ongoing basis. The Mental Health Specialist may assist patients in establishing daily therapeutic goals or participate in facilitation of therapeutic patient groups. They are responsible for continually monitoring the department milieu and patient spaces to assess for any potential hazards or personal patient safety concerns. Utilizing a therapeutic approach, the Mental Health Specialist may assist with de-escalation or implementing behavioral modification and management when appropriate. This role may float to provide care and support for all mental health patients throughout the mental health care continuum including outside the inpatient mental health unit within the Children's MN system