Psychiatric Nurse - Regular & Extra-Help



Job Details

Psychiatric Nurse - Regular & Extra-Help
Employer

County of Sonoma (CA)

Salary

$81,022.00 - $98,491.19 Annually

Location

Santa Rosa, CA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

18/04-2091-OC

Department

Department of Health Services

Opening Date

04/18/2018

Closing Date

Continuous

Position Information

The Department of Health Services seeks motivated, experienced, Behavioral Health Registered Nurses
 
This recruitment is being conducted to fill one regular and multiple Intermittent, Extra-Help positions in the Behavioral Health Division's Crisis Stabilization Unit.
 
What Makes Sonoma County a Great Choice

We offer expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment that provides continuous training and education, and the satisfaction of knowing that you are working to better our communities. You can also look forward to some excellent benefits*, including:

  • A cash allowance of approximately $600 per month
  • Eligibility for a 5% salary increase after 1040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a 5% salary increase every year thereafter for good work performance, until reaching the top of the salary range
  • An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance up to $600
  • Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, plus 11 holidays per year
  • County paid premium contribution to several health plan options
  • Defined benefit retirement plan fully integrated with Social Security
  • County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
  • Psychiatric Nurses may be eligible for premium pay for specific additional degrees and/or facilities assignments as listed in the SEIU Memorandum of Understanding.
*Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Psychiatric Nurses work on multi-disciplinary teams, providing medication education and adherence support services, mental status examinations, treatment planning, crisis intervention, and medical case management. These services are provided in close collaboration with psychiatrists, case managers, primary care doctors, pharmacies, and laboratory services.

The ideal candidates will possess:
  • Experience providing medication management services and psycho-education to clients in a recovery-oriented, public health setting
  • The ability to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced environment
  • Knowledge of best practices in psychiatric nursing
  • Familiarity with the recovery model
  • A strong desire to work in the public behavioral health system of care
  • The ability to work evenings, weekends, and holiday shifts
About the Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU)

The CSU's dedicated team of licensed mental health clinicians, psychiatric nurses, and psychiatrists provide crisis intervention, medication assessment, stabilization, and information and referral services 24-hours a day, 7 days a week for adults, children, and families experiencing a mental health crisis.

The CSU provides up to 23-hours of supportive care, including medications for individuals in an acute mental health crisis. For those needing a higher level of care, voluntary crisis residential services or inpatient hospitalization are arranged.

EXTRA-HELP EMPLOYMENT

Extra-help employees relieve or augment permanent staff. Intermittent, extra-help employees are not in the classified civil service and do not have property rights to permanently allocated positions. In addition, they do not receive most regular employee benefits such as: long-term disability insurance coverage; accrual of vacation; participation in the County retirement program; or eligibility to take promotional examinations. Intermittent, extra-help employees are limited in their employment to a maximum of 1,380 hours within any twelve month consecutive period. Extra-help employees who meet the eligibility requirements may qualify for a County contribution toward medical coverage.

This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, and extra-help positions as they occur during the active status of this list.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Any combination of training and experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, graduation from an accredited school of nursing would provide such opportunity.

Experience: Any combination of training and experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, one year of professional psychiatric nursing experience working with mentally and emotionally disturbed patients would provide such opportunity.

License: Possession of a current California license as a Registered Nurse. Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including necessary special endorsements, as required by the State of California to perform the essential job functions of the position may be required for some assignments.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Working knowledge of: principles, techniques and trends of mental health with particular reference to normal and disordered behaviors, human development, motivation, personality, learning, individual differences, adaption, and social interaction; modern methods, techniques and procedures used in general and professional psychiatric nursing; medical and psychiatric terminology, hospital routine, procedures, equipment and facilities; the uses of medical and psychiatric terminology, hospital routine, procedures, equipment and facilities.

Knowledge of: the uses and affects of medicines and narcotics; laws governing treatment of involuntary patients; rehabilitation and counseling techniques; and skill in observing and recording patient behavior; the principles and techniques of psychiatric and social assessment and evaluation; the methods and techniques of physical and chemical restraints; community agencies, resources and services. Ability to: provide effective psychiatric nursing care to mentally ill and emotionally disturbed patients; exercise patience and judgement in recognizing symptoms indicative of adverse patient reactions; follow oral and written directions of a technical and professional nature in exact detail; develop and maintain the confidence and cooperation of mentally and emotionally disturbed patients; deal effectively with emergency situations; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with other departmental staff and representatives of other agencies; administer treatment plans and medicines and narcotics as prescribed; deal with patients and their families sympathetically and tactfully; prepare, interpret and maintain accurate nursing records and reports; apply a reasonable degree of exertion occasionally in restraining overactive patients; stand and walk for long periods, to work under psychological and physical strain and to lift or move heavy objects on a regular basis.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

  • Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
  • You should list all your employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application and should be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
  • You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
  • Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.
Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the application, examination, and department selection processes.
 
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Responses to supplemental questions will be in assessing minimum qualifications. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses which state "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient.

 
The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:
 
An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%). Each application and supplemental questionnaire will be thoroughly evaluated for satisfaction of minimum qualifications and relevance of educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities that relate to this position. Candidates possessing the most appropriate job-related qualifications will be placed on an employment list and referred to the department for selection interviews.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer are contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are accepted on-line at: www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Continuous recruitments may close without notice at any time that a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma prioritizes and is committed to continuously providing a workplace where equal employment opportunity is afforded to all people. Please view the County's Equal Employment Opportunity Policy for further information.

HR Analyst: TF
HR Technician: KW

IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: GENERAL*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:
 
Paid Time Off:  Competitive vacation accrual; 11 holidays per year and generous sick leave accruals.
 
Health Plan:  Choice of five health plans (a PPO, EPO, HMO, and two deductible HMOs) with a County contribution toward the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit.  For specific details, please refer to the applicable MOU).  A County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement is available for some bargaining units.

Cash Allowance: A cash allowance of approximately $600 per month, in addition to monthly salary.
 
Retirement:  Defined benefit plan fully integrated with Social Security.
 
IRS 457 Plan:  Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.
 
Retiree Medical:  County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.
 
Plus excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development and more.
 
For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process, more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331.  Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located here: http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/HR/Employee-Relations/Labor/.  For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Departments-Agencies/Human-Resources/ or, contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-2900.
 
*IMPORTANT NOTES:  Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

01
How did you first learn about this opportunity?
  • CalJobs
  • College or University
  • Craigslist
  • Employee of Sonoma County
  • Facebook
  • GovernmentJobs.com
  • Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County
  • Indeed
  • Job Fair
  • La Voz
  • Latino Service Providers
  • Los Cien
  • Minority Organization or Group
  • Monster
  • Press Democrat
  • sonoma-county.org/www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org
  • Sonoma County Human Resources Office
  • Sonoma County Job Line
  • Twitter
  • Veterans Services Office
  • Women's Organization or Group
  • Other Internet Site
  • Other Publication
02
Please indicate which type of position you are interested in. Check all that apply.
  • I would also like to be considered for future part-time positions.
  • I would also like to be considered for extra-help positions.
  • I am only interested in full-time positions.
03
Do you possess a current, valid California Registered Nurse (RN) license?
  • Yes
  • No
04
If you answered "yes" to question 3, please provide your California RN license number.
05
Are you willing to work evening, weekend, and holiday shifts?
  • Yes
  • No
06
Please describe your professional psychiatric nursing experience.
07
Please describe your experience providing medication management and psycho-education to clients with behavioral health disorders in a recovery-oriented healthcare setting.
08
Please describe your experience collaborating with other behavioral and primary healthcare practitioners to achieve positive outcomes.
09
Please describe your experience working in a fast-paced environment. Detail the setting, your roles and responsibilities, and the length of time you worked in this type of environment.

* Required Question

Employer
County of Sonoma (CA)
Address
575 Administration Drive, Suite 116B

Santa Rosa, California, 95403
Phone
(707) 565-2331

Apply

OnlineApplication

Warning! You are using Internet Explorer 8. Some features of the Online Application are not fully supported in this version. Please upgrade to a later version of Internet Explorer for optimal performance.

Loading ...