Clinic Nurse Supervisor

Job Type

Full-time

Description

Days Off: Saturday & Sunday

Shift: Day

Insurance Benefits: Dental, Life, Long-term Disability, Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage)

Other Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

About DESC:

DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization working to help people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and housing. Our vision is a community where no person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing homelessness.

As the region's leading provider of services to multiply disabled adults who have experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 3,000 people each day. Our integrated service model is designed to help people secure and maintain appropriate, safe, and affordable housing. DESC is recognized nationally and regionally as an innovator in developing solutions to homelessness.

JOB Definition:

DESC clinic teams provide a wide range of services for eligible individuals with mental health and/or chemical dependency disorders within King County, with responsibility for providing on-going case management, psychiatric services and medical services to mentally ill and/or chemically dependent adults. The Clinic Nurse (RN) Supervisor is a member of multiple multi-disciplinary teams within which medical staff work in close collaboration, to provide appropriate and comprehensive outpatient behavioral health treatment services. These teams provide a full range of mental health case management services to a clientele of largely or solely homeless and formerly homeless adults with severe mental health conditions. Nursing and medical staff focus to provide medication coordination/management, client education, health assessment, outreach and related services in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary teams.

The RN Supervisor works primarily with clients in need of psychiatric and other medical attention and will generally focus on direction of medical care across teams. Additionally, the RN Supervisor will provide direct clinical and administrative supervision and coordination of efforts to Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Medical assistants. The RN Supervisor will also be responsible for assuring compliance with all relevant Washington State Administrative Code (WAC), Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Department of Health, and King County contract and procedure requirements associated with the operation of a community mental health center. This position has administrative duties associated with planning, hiring, and quality assurance/improvement, and the RN supervisor will share responsibility for coordinating medical services with other team leadership. Work is done under the supervision of the Nurse Manager and in regular collaboration with other clinical supervisors.

Major Duties And Responsibilities

• Coordinate client care and intake with a multidisciplinary team of social workers/case managers, chemical dependency professionals, peer support specialists, psychiatric nurses, psychiatric providers (MD and ARNP), employment specialists and other mental health and housing staff.
• Under the guidance and direction of the Nursing Manager, coordinate medical aspects of care, including monitoring and administration of medications in a manner that meets unique client needs.
• Advocate for client needs on an individual, organization, and community level. Brings a strong social justice lens to the work place. Comfort with speaking with other organizations/people/police about the disparities of health experienced by the population we serve and elevate the needs and voices of our clients.
• Focus on care integration and continuity of medical program services across two outpatient clinics.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings that direct how mental health, medical services, and care coordinate will be provided in the future.
• Provide clinical and administrative supervision of medical staff. Establish and maintain practice standards and protocols. Assure compliance with all related licensing, DEA, and other regulations.
• Conduct performance evaluations on a scheduled basis and maintain supporting documentation in confidential supervisory and personnel files.
• Coordinate hiring, scheduling, and training/orientation of new and per diem staff.
• Provide education to clients regarding their treatment, medical and mental health condition.
• On-going assessment of mental status, and positive impacts and side effects of treatment, including processes of involuntary detainment referrals for clients in psychiatric crises.
• Provide specialized training and consult to other staff members on medical/mental health issues relating to clients and their care.
• Participate in psychiatric consultation, supervision, program meetings and in-service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences for clients.
• Participate in the development and implementation of psychiatric procedures to assure consistent and appropriate clinical care. Recommend changes to client care activities as needed.
• Oversee the physical needs of the clinic: ordering of supplies, sharps compliance, medication/hazardous waste disposal, and emergency response.
• Comply with the agency’s clinical accountability policies and procedures; maintain current and complete clinical records; participate in quality assurance reviews.
• Comply with applicable program research and evaluation procedures.
• Assure implementation of program elements in congruence with principles of recovery-based services.
• Maintain knowledge of DESC personnel policies, procedures and collective bargaining agreement. Assure compliance with same.
• Assess clients for the range of health care needs, and facilitate linkage and on-going connection to relevant urgent, primary and specialty health services.
• Advocate for clients’ access to community resources and services, especially primary health care services, ensuring that clients’ needs are met, and rights maintained; consult and collaborate with community providers to ensure continuity of care.
• Participate in planning, organizing and facilitating of group treatment services for consumers served by clinic programs.
• A strong understanding of how race, gender, sexual identity, class, and other identifying aspects of a person contribute to their ability to access client centered, whole person care.
• Participate in verbal de-escalation and physical interventions in emergent situations and be willing and able to assist other staff as needed to maintain a safe and secure environment.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Current or eligible Registered Nurse License in Washington state.
• Previous/current experience in at least one of the following specialty areas: ambulatory/outpatient clinic, psychiatric services, addiction medicine, community health, public health, wound care, and/or case management.
• Knowledge of psychiatric medications, side effects and methods of administration.
• Interest or experience in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain.
• Be able to pass a Washington State Criminal background check.
• Knowledge and endorsement of Harm Reduction strategies.
• Ability to relate to a wide range of people, demonstration of highly developed communication skills, and a desire to serve homeless, mentally ill clients.
• Ability and interest in providing case consultations with a multi-disciplinary staff.
• Ability to remain open and receptive to constructive feedback.
• Ability to communicate with and coordinate with staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
• Subscribe to the philosophy of cooperation and continuity across programs and of consideration and respect for clients.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Two or more RN experience; 1 year supervisory experience or 2 years charge nurse experience.
• Knowledge and skill in working with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders; with homeless or formerly homeless individuals; and crisis intervention and stabilization experience.
• Familiarity with Recovery Principles, Integrated Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders, Case Management, Illness Management, and relevant Evidenced based/Emerging best practices.
• Bachelor of Nursing degree.
• Secondary language skills.
  
  

Strong applicants can demonstrate the ability to be positive in their empathetic responses to all persons; understand the value of meaningful and deep client engagement; and value a non-judgmental response to sensitive issues. Candidates should be able to accept feedback and work in a highly collaborative and potentially stressful environment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required sit for long periods of time, communicate with other persons by talking and hearing, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.

Salary Description

$128,190.00 - $145,042.56