Mental Health Worker (Per Diem)
Hackensack Meridian Health
North Bergen, NJ
Description Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community. Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change. The ER Mental Health Worker delivers Mental Health Services to patients in the emergency room, including the assessment, referral, and resource process to Outpatient services, CCIS, Voluntary hospitalization, or Involuntary Commitment. Responsibilties A day in the life of a Mental Health Worker at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:
- Provide support and assistance to patients, visitors, and team members within the Emergency Department, with a focus on safely and successfully containing situations involving patients dealing with mental health.
- Participate in interdisciplinary collaboration for planned patient care from ER admission through ER discharge. Interact with identified patients, based on physical, psychosocial, education, safety, and related criteria appropriate to the patient`s age. Document in the patient`s record.
- Utilizing techniques and regulations appropriate to the ages and conditions of the patients served, you will assess patients in the emergency room for treatment needs. This may include outpatient referral and resources, a psychiatric consultation, voluntary hospitalization, or involuntary commitment process for the patient.
- Communicate clearly and appropriately with the patients, their families, ER Nurse, ER Doctor, ER Charge Nurse, ER Manager, Psychiatrist, and other collaterals to gather information and respond promptly to any inquiries or requests. Communicates all pertinent patient information to oncoming shifts.
- Develop an effective and appropriate treatment/referral plan that directly corresponds with the patient needs as identified through the assessment.
- Make arrangements, communicate, and coordinate with providers to continue the patient's treatment or assists in admission, transfer and discharge of patients.
- Be competent in using, and managing, the hospital's telepsychiatry equipment in the emergency department.
- Assist in maintaining a clean and safe workplace. Use observational and critical thinking to identify potentially hazardous situations and persons and notify appropriate staff and intervene with patients and visitors whenever needed.
- Provide information and direction to patients, guests, and team members as needed. Act as an ambassador for the hospital by setting a positive tone and by solving problems, when they arise, through direct intervention or through engaging with others.
- Assists in admission, transfer and discharge of patients.
- Participate in emergency department huddles, staff meetings, and performance improvement initiatives.
- At the direction of the Director of Mental Health, or his designee, be available to assist in basic emergency department functions including, but not limited to, assisting upset/bereaved/impaired patients, visitors, and family members in the ED and its waiting area; assisting with crowd control and direction during any surge of patients/visitors to the emergency department; assist patient relations staff in the ED to resolve potential patient problems and complaints.
- Deliver excellent patient care and service, resulting in positive patient satisfaction scores for the hospital.
- Understand and enforce all hospital policies and procedures relevant to patient care in the emergency room setting. Practices safety by observing established hospital policies and procedures and assures the safety and security of patients and staff at all times.
- Demonstrates knowledge of Infection Control and Isolation Procedures and hand washing before, and after, each patient contact.
- Adheres to current HIPAA regulations regarding patient confidentiality.
- Maintains a neat and orderly space with all confidential material out of sight of all patients and members of the public.
- Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
- Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.
- Bachelor's degree in Social Work or related field. Minimum of two years of post-Bachelor's experience in mental health or State of New Jersey Division of Mental Health Services approved equivalent experience.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proficient computer skills that may include but are not limited to Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite platforms.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred
- Proficient computer skills that include but are not limited to Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite platforms.
- General office conditions.
- Extensive employee and outside contacts.
- High stress
- Willingness to work with the realization that errors and incompetency may have serious consequences to patients.
- Long periods of sitting with frequent standing or moving to other areas to retrieve or return documents, and make copies.
- Requires constant verbal communication in person or using the phone.
- Requires frequent reading or correspondence, reports, materials, etc.
- Requires ability to read and concentrate frequently to check accuracy of reports, correspondence, computer records, etc.
- Requires ability to read, understand, analyze and interpret policies and procedures.
- Requires ability to deal with stress of dealing with public, frequent interruptions, and working on more than one task concurrently.
- Requires flexibility in order to respond to changes in priorities, special project assignments, and emergency situations.
- Apply principals of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions in order to provide effective patient care.
- Manage time appropriately to meet patient and department needs.
- Labor Market Data: Compensation is benchmarked against market data to ensure competitiveness.
- Experience: Years of relevant work experience.
- Education and Certifications: Level of education attained, including specialized certifications, credentials, completed apprenticeship programs or advanced training.
- Skills: Demonstrated proficiency in relevant skills and competencies.
- Geographic Location: Cost of living and market rates for the specific location.
- Internal Equity: Compensation is determined in a manner consistent with compensation ranges for similar roles within the organization.
- Budget and Grant Funding: Departmental budgets and any grant funding associated with the job position may impact the pay that can be offered.
Posted 2026-02-14
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