The Mental Health Specialist II/Activity Therapist (MHS II/AT)  is responsible for providing direct care to patients with psychiatric disorders, ensuring the safety and well-being of patients, and supporting the maintenance of the therapeutic milieu. The MHS II/AT also provides therapeutic recreational and expressive therapy services to patients as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team in support of the facility's treatment program and philosophy. The MHS II/T is also responsible for providing leadership and direction to new MHS staff based upon experience and special training in various areas of mental health service delivery, as well as supporting and actively participating with the Recreation Therapist in leading group activities for patients.

The MHS II/AT:

• Takes a proactive and productive role in problem solving and program development in unit meeting, and in informal and formal work groups.
• Helps identify patients’ problems, needs, and strengths; provides verbal input into the development of treatment plan goals and interventions.
• Communicates regularly with the Nurse/Nurse Mgr regarding patient care concerns and carries out corrective actions.
• Ensures that interventions are based on familiarity with patient history, assessment, and treatment plans.
• Observes patients for changes that require immediate intervention and take appropriate action; continually assess behaviors that indicate changes in the patient behavior; adheres to guidelines for patients on special status i.e. suicide, sexual, assaultive behaviors, or AWOL precautions.
• Assists patients with activities of daily living (such as room cleaning, grooming, etc.) and assists with preparation for discharge.
• Displays professional boundaries in relationships with patients at all times.
• Assists patients in following community rules and guidelines and in forming positive peer relationships.
• Communicates with patients and families in a manner which projects empathy, helpfulness and desire to positively impact patient’s treatment.
• Provides accurate information on shift-to-shift report and remains on the unit while incoming shift is in report.
• Maintains patient, program, department and related documentations ensuring that documentation is timely, accurate and legible.
• Completes relevant flow sheets and other medical records forms legibly, accurately, and in a timely manner.
• Ensures patient location log, 1:1, and status based check sheets are completed on a continuous basis.
• Ensures documentations requiring patient and/or family/guardians signatures are completed in a timely manner.
• Understands and implements appropriate action to avoid power struggles with patients; works as an effective team member to establish a milieu which minimizes the occurrence of aggressive behavior.
• Maintains a safe, orderly, and therapeutic physical environment for patients.
• Attends mandatory monthly staff meetings.
• Completes Activity Therapy assessment on patients, ensuring each assessment is thorough and addresses all required fields.
• Participates in development of Master Treatment Plan and recommends effective alternatives or modification to treatment plans based on patient progress and response to treatment program.
• Provides therapeutic recreation and activity therapy groups; able to provide a variety of appropriate therapeutic interventions depending on client needs and abilities.
• Establishes a positive rapport and minimizes resistance with a wide variety of patients.
• Manages group process to maximize therapeutic benefit to patients.
• Documents patients’ response, progress, and behavior in the group in a complete and timely manner.
• Maintains a safe, orderly, and therapeutic physical environment for patients and staff members; maintains a clean and organized activity therapy area.
• Demonstrates and/or explains the correct use of equipment and safety involved in various recreational or experimental activities.
• Demonstrates a thorough understanding of behavioral concepts applicable to the treatment of psychiatric patient population.
• Communicates with the Nurse/Nurse Manager regarding planned activities for the day, patient acuity, expected group participants, schedule changes, etc.
• Demonstrates proper belay, knots, and Challenge by Choiceâ€� techniques in facilitating ropes course.
• Maintains supplies and equipment necessary for the safe and effective operation of the ropes course.
• Coordinates with the Ropes Course Manager to schedule any further training for staff annually.
• Acts individually or in concert with another certified individual in the operation of the ropes course.
• Transports patients via company vehicle when providing a community integration outing.
• Floats to other units as necessary.
• Performs other duties as assigned.