Lead, Patient Support bei Ashley Treatment Center

 Lead Patient Support 

THE ORGANIZATION 

Ashley Treatment Center was founded in 1983 by two visionaries who knew the treatment of drug or alcohol addiction could be designed and effectively delivered in a holistic manner that compassionately considers the whole person and not just the disease.  Innovative then, and innovative now, Ashley passionately continues its core mission “To transform and save human lives by integrating the science of medicine, the art of therapy, and the compassion of spirituality.”  Organizationally strong, the organization rigorously adheres to its guiding principles, ethics, and a culture of excellence.   

POSITION SUMMARY

The Patient Support Lead (PSL) role assists the Patient Support Supervisors by providing training, mentorship, and ensuring competency with Patient Support Associate (PSA) staff during the workday. Patient Support Leads also operate as a primary point of contact for administrative issues and patient programming during their assigned weekends. Patient Support Leads will serve as a point of contact between the PSA staff and other departments within Ashley’s system of care, ensuring clear communication regarding patient care issues and programming.  Patient Support Leads will carry out and delegate the duties of the PSA position as needed, but will act as mentors and leaders within the department to ensure these duties are carried out proficiently. Patient Support Leads will provide Peer Recovery Support services to patients and will provide follow up information to the treatment team.  Patient Support Leads may be required to provide or delegate patient transportation whenever necessary.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Leadership

• Provides training and support to newly hired PSA staff
• Participates in rounds as a representative of the PSA team
• Assists PSS management in the development and implementation of on-going PSA training
• Delegates daily tasks throughout members of the department during each shift
• Provides one-on-one mentorship and coaching for the other members of the PSA department
• Relays any concerns and staff issues mentioned in mentorship sessions to Patient Support Supervisors
• Communicates with other departments on behalf of the PSA team to ensure patient and program needs are met
• Assists in leading responses to emergency situations to ensure patient safety
• Coordinates patient and program needs with weekend staff

 Documentation/Communication

• Ensures that PSA staff follow the proper procedures for taking accurate attendance at scheduled activities.
• Documents and communicates behavioral concerns to the patient’s assigned program treatment team
• Actively participates in treatment/behavioral interventions as a representative of the PSA department
• Proficient in documenting incident reports and assists in training PSA staff to utilize RL6 reporting software
• Proficiently documents PSA notes
• Documents group notes following facilitation of programming
• Provides PSS Management with end-of-shift email reports that capture the most critical events throughout the day
• Collaborates with PSS Management to develop effective and accurate SOP’s for the PSA department

 Intake

• Excels in carrying out procedures for safely searching new patient luggage
• Proficient in following the “Items to be Held” policy and ensures competency with PSA staff
• Proficient in completing and training staff in logging confiscated items into the Personal Effects Form in TIER
• Coordinates with intake staff to arrange and facilitate transportation for new admissions when necessary
• Identifies cases when the basic needs of new admissions are not adequately met. This can include possession of adequate clothing, hygiene products, etc. This is then communicated to PSS Management so the necessary items for patients can be obtained.
• Facilitates “Welcome Tours” for new admissions and obtains proper consent forms in TIER
• Reviews the Patient Handbook and develops competencies in answering questions regarding the content of the Patient Handbook

Peer Recovery Support

• Ensures PSA staff understand and implement behavioral expectations of the patient community as outlined in the Patient Handbook.
• Acts as the model for addressing behavioral issues in a professional, compassionate manner
• Provides and documents Peer Recovery Support to patients when appropriate and/or requested by the treatment team
• Provides on-going follow up Peer Recovery Support sessions to individual patients as assigned
• Participates in any ACA/AMA blocks when appropriate
• Documents and reports on behavioral concerns and observations in the Change of Shift report in objective, appropriate language
• Collaborates with Behavioral Health Tech to address and report on any behavioral, psychiatric, and/or suicidal patient information to medical and clinical team

  Patient Programming

• Develops, implements, and facilitates scheduled community topic groups, mutual support groups, discussion groups.
• Co-facilitates programming with counseling or other staff as needed
• Proficient in operating A/V equipment in all lecture halls
• Develops and provides proposals for additions/revisions to the patient program

Safety and Security

• Practices and trains PSA staff on proper radio etiquette
• Responds to emergency and crisis events
• Takes lead on taking patient attendance during emergency drills
• Internalizes the department’s role during Code Red, Code Blue, Dr. Armstrong, Active Shooter, Code White, and/or any other emergency

• Safely Utilizes golf carts for patient transport
•  Follows Standard Operating Procedures of the department as outlined in the PSA Manual
• Participates in the planning and facilitation of monthly in-services and any additional trainings/educational sessions as outlined in the PSS Training Program

 In addition to role responsibilities, each staff member of Ashley, Inc. has the following responsibilities as a part of their employment:

• Models and reinforces Ashley’s mission and core values
• Performs other duties on an as-needed basis
• Reinforces Ashley’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion 
• Protects the privacy of our patient’s protected health information by maintaining compliance with HIPAA and other relevant Ashley related IT security regulations

 DESIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• CPR/BLS certification required
• 1-year experience as a PSA required; 2-3 years’ experience preferred
• Demonstrates leadership qualities within the department through knowledge of the program, resource-brokering, mentorship of new employees, and critical thinking skills
• Prior experience working in SUD or behavioral health setting required
• High School diploma or GED required; College degree preferred
• Valid driver’s license required
• Recovery Coach Academy (CCAR) certification required
• Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) certification or Recovery Coach Professional (RCP) designation strongly preferred
• CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention) certification or equivalent required

• Maintains calm within the patient community during any emergency or drill

• Working knowledge and acceptance of multiple pathways to recovery (12-step, Peer Recovery, SMART, etc.)
• Demonstrates current, accurate knowledge of trends and issues related to recovery and wellness

• Sets clear boundaries with patients
• Speaks and acts in an ethical manner

• Excellent customer service skills
• Knowledge of SUD treatment language and documentation expectations

Ashley, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer