JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: SENIOR MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATE
MISSION
To help adolescents and their families recover from the effects of mental illness, learn to care for
themselves and each other; and achieve effective quality health care, behavior health treatment and
residential services to children, adolescents and their families in a therapeutic milieu to enhance further
growth and community reintegration in the least restrictive setting possible.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
 In collaboration with the Shift Supervisor, provide supervision and direction to the Mental Health
Associate to ensure appropriate safety procedures are maintained, coordination of staff, schedules
followed and required documentation completed.
 Supervises patients’ activities and monitors behaviors to ensure safety and engagement in appropriate
instructional, leisure and daily living activities.
 Reduces the potential for the occurrence of aggressive, self-abuse, property destruction and
disruptions in programming by providing supervision, physical presence and support in patient
environments.
 Provides support to patients in performing a system of gradual and graded alternatives for deescalating patients and managing their behaviors.
 Coordinates and engages in emergency and crisis intervention responses to ensure adequate
coverage and incident management.
 Implements crisis intervention strategies, including physical interventions, as needed, ensuring proper
and trained techniques are practiced; ensures that all incidents are timely reported and correctly
documented before the end of shift.
 Monitors patients during the de-escalation stage and ensure stabilization through their re-entry to
normal routines.
 Assists in performing functional assessments of behaviors by gathering data relative to the conditions
under which target behaviors occur.
 Assists in developing intervention strategies that reinforce correct behaviors.
 Provides and/or accompanies transportation and supervision of patients, including “at risk” patients,
to appointments, meetings and site trips.
 Works with patients to assure that needs and schedules are met and behavioral plans are followed as
prescribed.
 Supports the Residential Director, supervisors and the inter-disciplinary teams (clinical, facilities,
dietary) in carrying out activities and behavioral interventions on the unit.
 Responsible for completing all required daily documentation and reporting of incidents by end of shift.
 Ability to work and effectively communicate with other staff to ensure a patient is not left unattended
and without supervision.
 Ability to identify and provide appropriate corrective counseling to staff. In collaboration with the
Residential Director and Shift Supervisor, prepare documentation for discussion with staff member
detailing specific improvement required.
 Maintains current certification as required by policy.
 Attends job specific meetings and/or training as scheduled.
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REQUIRED TRAINING
All direct care staff must remain in compliance with regulatory trainings. Failure to remain compliant will
result in staff being removed for the work schedule.
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First Aid
CPR
Crisis Prevention Intervention
Client Rights
Abuse and Neglect
Minor Aversive Interventions
Major Aversive Interventions
Behavior Management Plan
Obtaining Medical and Psychiatric Assistance
Identification and Assessment of Contraindications
Assistance with Self-Administration of Medication
Non-Physical Intervention/De-escalation Techniques
Identification and Utilization of Less Restrictive Alternatives
Fire and Other Disaster Procedures
Human Resource Orientation
Annual Training
Other – Tuberculosis testing prior to employment and, thereafter, annually.
MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
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Minimum of high school diploma or GED equivalent. Previous experience or associates degree in
human services preferred.
Current, valid Ohio driver’s license.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Quality of Work: Maintains high standards of accuracy in performing duties and responsibilities. Ability to
communication clearly and concisely within the department, with co-workers and the general public.
Quantity of Work: Maintains effective and efficient output of all duties and responsibilities as described under
“Specific Duties and Responsibilities”.
Dependability: Assumes responsibility for completing assigned work and meeting deadlines. Completes assigned
tasks on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, policy, standards and prescribed procedures.
Attendance: Responsible for being punctual for scheduled shifts and adheres to policies and procedures regarding
absences and tardiness. Provides adequate notice to management for approved absences and paid time off.
Initiative and Enthusiasm: Maintains an enthusiastic, self-reliant and self-starting approach to accomplish job
responsibilities. Strives to anticipate work to be completed and initiates proper and acceptable direction for
completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.
Judgment: Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility. Identifies problems or situations as they occur
and assists in solutions to problems or situations.
Cooperation: Accepts supervisory instruction and strives to meet the goals and objectives of same. Questions such
instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences is justified, i.e., unclear communications,
variance with policy and procedures. Offers suggestions and recommendations to encourage and improve
cooperation between all staff within the department.
Relationships with Others: Shares knowledge with supervisors and staff for mutual and departmental benefit.
Contributes to maintaining high morale among all staff. Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous
relationships with all staff members, representatives from organizations and the general public.
Management of Time: Plans and organizes daily work schedule. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in
accordance with good time management. Avoids duplication of effort.
Safety and Housekeeping: Adheres to all safety and housekeeping standards established within the facility and the
various regulatory agencies. Maintains a clean and orderly workplace.
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MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS REQUIRED
TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Physical Requirements: Must be able to operate office equipment, office machines to include computers, calculators,
copier and facsimile. Must be able to operate and manipulate a variety of behavioral therapy resources, materials and
supplies. Must be able to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pound of force frequently and /or
negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. As needed, must be able to
physically assist in crisis interventions that involve physically managing a patient in order to prevent patient from
hurting self or another.
Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or
compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange
information. Includes receiving instructions from immediate supervisor.
Language Ability: Requires the ability to read policy manuals, behavioral assessments and therapeutic reference
materials; IEP goals and objectives; student reports and other program related documents. Requires the ability to
prepare cognitive and behavioral assessments, goals and objectives, therapy plans, consequence records and
communication logs, student progress reports, incident reports, memorandums, correspondence and other program
related documents using proper format.
Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data,
establish facts and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions furnished in
written, oral, diagrammatic or schedule form.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and
written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively using therapeutic and behavioral terminology.
Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract totals; to multiply and
divide; to determine percentages and decimals; and to compute interest and ratios.
Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.
Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately.
Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items, therapeutic instruments and supplies, office and
classroom equipment, control knobs, switches, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.
Color Discrimination: Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of colors.
Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instruction. Must
be adaptable to performing under considerable levels of stress.
Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by
means of spoken works. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear.) Must be able to communicate via telephone.
This job description is not intended to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities and
skills required for the job and is subject to review and revision in accordance with the needs of
Pomegranate Health Systems.
I have read and understand the responsibilities of the Senior Mental Health Associate position. I
agree to perform these duties and responsibilities and understand this job description will be
the formal basis for my performance evaluation. I also understand that failure to meet the duties
and responsibilities of this position will result in correction action up to and including
termination from Pomegranate Health Systems.
Signature
Print Name
Date
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12/21/15