Mobile Crisis Assessment Team (MCAT) Technician
Job Title: Mobile Crisis Assessment Team (MCAT) Services Technician
Reports to: Assessment & Stabilization Center Program Director
Job Purpose: To provide on-site, in-person intervention for individuals of all ages (adults and children) experiencing a mental health crisis. Intervention includes conducting mental health assessments to determine level of care needed for individual, making referrals for individual and/or family to appropriate medical, mental health, and/or community resources and transporting as appropriate to higher level of care.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Within parameters of safety protocol, have face-to-face contact with individuals in mental health crisis within the assigned areas of Rolling Hills and Sioux Rivers Regions.
- Collect medical and mental health histories for individuals in mental health crisis.
- Conduct initial crisis assessment screenings to determine risk and triage for appropriate level of care for individuals in mental health crisis.
- Develop action and safety plans for individuals in mental health crisis to reduce crisis and maintain stabilization.
- Coordinate and refer individuals in mental health crisis to other medical, mental health, and community resources as appropriate.
- Collect demographic data on each mobile crisis response call as required for Chapter 24 reporting.
- Complete follow-up contacts to ensure individuals are following through with recommendations and/or appointments and provide additional support as needed.
- Ability to effectively utilize office equipment to scan, fax, copy, and upload confidential information to electronic health record system.
- Ability to maintain a safe, clean, and sanitary environment by adhering to health and safety policies and guidelines.
- Maintain individual charts on each client in adherence to Iowa Code Chapter 24 and other policies and regulations established by the agency.
- Record timely, up-to-date progress notes for each contact with clients utilizing electronic health record system, in adherence to Iowa Code Chapter 24 and program requirements.
- Participate in a paid weekend on-call rotation with other team mates.
Additional Duties and Responsibilities:
- Accomplish all tasks as appropriately assigned or requested.
Competencies:
- Social Skills—the individual professionally interacts with employees and patients and models a positive teamwork attitude.
- Problem solving—the individual identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner and gathers and analyzes information skillfully.
- Leadership—the individual inspires and motivates others to perform well, accepts feedback from others.
- Quality management—the individual looks for ways to improve and promote quality and demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
- Judgment—the individual displays willingness to make decisions, exhibits sound, accurate, and ethical judgment and makes timely decisions.
- Planning/organizing—the individual prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently and develops realistic action plans.
- Safety and security—the individual observes safety and security procedures and uses equipment and materials properly.
- Interpersonal skills—the individual maintains confidentiality with an ability to create relationships with patients that balance support for the mental illness symptoms and functional disability with maximum individual independence.
- Oral communication—the individual speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations and demonstrates one-on-one and group presentation skills.
- Written communication—the individual edits work for spelling and grammar, presents data effectively and is able to read and interpret written information.
Experience and Education:
Required:
- A bachelor’s degree with 30 semester hours or equivalent in a human services field (including, but not limited to, psychology, social work, nursing, education) and a minimum of one year of experience in behavioral or mental health services (OR),
- A law enforcement officer with a minimum of two years of experience in the law enforcement officer’s field (OR),
- An emergency medical technician (EMT) with a minimum of two years of experience in the EMT’s field (OR),
- A peer support specialist with a minimum of one year of experience in behavioral or mental health services (OR),
- A family support peer specialist with a minimum of one year of experience in behavioral or mental health services (OR),
- A bachelor’s degree in a non-human services-related field, associate’s degree, or high school diploma (or equivalency) with a minimum of two years of experience in behavioral or mental health services, and 30 hours of crisis and mental health in-service training (in addition to the required 30 hours of department-approved training).
- Computer literacy and experience with electronic health records.
- A valid driver’s license.
Preferred:
- Certification in mental health first aid (child and adult), the Mandt System, and/or ASIST.