This is an exciting front line clinical service position in an innovative, strengths based, dynamic mental health system.

The Mental Health Division of the Department of Health Services is seeking to fill extra-help (intermittent) vacancies in Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) and in the Adult Recovery Team. 

Psychiatric Emergency Services:
The extra-help position in PES is scheduled to work as needed including nights, weekends, and holidays. PES, which is in the Mental Health Division of the Department of Health Services, is a 24 hour, 7 day/week service and is located at Norton Center, 3322 Chanate Rd., Santa Rosa, California. The Psychiatric Nurse in PES performs crisis intervention including: clinical assessment, diagnosis, screening medical problems requiring clearance at hospital emergency room, and presenting cases needing medication to staff psychiatrists; administering meds as prescribed and monitoring consumers as needed, and following established safety protocols; and accounting for controlled drugs and rectifying count discrepancies at the end of each shift. The position is a member of the PES multidisciplinary team in treatment planning and liaison with outpatient and residential treatment providers as well as acute care providers. The Psychiatric Nurse also participates in physical containment of clients displaying out-of-control behaviors and employs contemporary crisis deescalation techniques whenever possible to avoid hands on intervention when possible. 

Adult Recovery Team:
The extra-help position in the Adult RecoveryTeam provides outpatient services to about three hundred clients with severe and persistent mental illness. The Psychiatric Nurse in the Adult Recovery Team is part of a multi-disciplinary staff of psychiatrists, case managers and nurses. The Psychiatric Nurses see clients individually for medication support and education. The team follows a Recovery philosophy and strives to support clients to achieve their highest possible level of independence.

The positions qualify for the following salary premiums:

Night shift premium = 17% above hourly salary.
Evening shift premium = 5% above hourly salary.
Charge Nurse differential = 5% above hourly salary.

This recruitment is being conducted to fill extra-help (intermittent) vacancies in the Department of Health Services. This employment list may also be used to fill future extra-help vacancies as they occur during the active status of this list.

EXTRA-HELP EMPLOYMENT
Extra-help employees relieve or augment permanent staff.  Intermittent, extra-help employees are not in the classified civil service and do not have property rights to permanently allocated positions. In addition, they do not receive most regular employee benefits such as: long-term disability insurance coverage; accrual of vacation and sick leave; participation in the County retirement program; or eligibility to take promotional examinations.  Intermittent, extra-help employees are limited in their employment to a maximum of 1,380 hours within any twelve month consecutive period.  Extra-help employees who meet the eligibility requirements (generally worked 13 consecutive pay periods with a minimum of 440 hours and are scheduled at least 40 hours per pay period) qualify for a 50% County contribution toward employee-only Kaiser Health Plan. Dependent coverage is also available at employee's cost. 

Working knowledge of:  principles, techniques and trends of mental health with particular reference to normal and disordered behaviors, human development, motivation, personality, learning, individual differences, adaption, and social interaction; modern methods, techniques and procedures used in general and professional psychiatric nursing; medical and psychiatric terminology, hospital routine, procedures, equipment and facilities; the uses of medical and psychiatric terminology, hospital routine, procedures, equipment and facilities.
 
Knowledge of:  the uses and affects of medicines and narcotics; laws governing treatment of involuntary patients; rehabilitation and counseling techniques; and skill in observing and recording patient behavior; the principles and techniques of psychiatric and social assessment and evaluation; the methods and techniques of physical and chemical restraints; community agencies, resources and services.
 
Ability to:  provide effective psychiatric nursing care to mentally ill and emotionally disturbed patients; exercise patience and judgement in recognizing symptoms indicative of adverse patient reactions; follow oral and written directions of a technical and professional nature in exact detail; develop and maintain the confidence and cooperation of mentally and emotionally disturbed patients; deal effectively with emergency situations; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with other departmental staff and representatives of other agencies; administer treatment plans and medicines and narcotics as prescribed; deal with patients and their families sympathetically and tactfully; prepare, interpret and maintain accurate nursing records and reports; apply a reasonable degree of exertion occasionally in restraining overactive patients; stand and walk for long periods, to work under psychological and physical strain and to lift or move heavy objects on a regular basis.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

The information contained in the application and responses to the supplemental questions will be evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the employment process. Applicants should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application and be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions. You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, please list each position separately. Failure to comply with these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE MANDATORY
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

A background investigation may be required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy.  Reference information will not be made available to applicants.