Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Job Description

Important Notices:

Arlington County requires all applicants to thoroughly complete each section of the application, including prior job responsibilities, duties, and supplemental questions. While you may attach a resume, it will not replace a completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

This position includes a signing bonus in the amount of $5,000 for full-time new hires in the classification of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who have not received a retention bonus previously. Eligible full-time new hires will receive $2,500 upon hire and an additional $2,500 upon completion of the probationary period. A prorated bonus will be earned for part-time positions.

The Arlington County Department of Human Services is seeking a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to join its Psychiatric Services Bureau in the Behavioral Healthcare Division. The organization is a recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, dynamic behavioral healthcare agency, providing critical services to Arlington County residents.

This position will be part of the Psychiatric Services outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse services team, including treatment of Opioid Use Disorders. Selected individual will participate on an inter-disciplinary team including psychiatrists, public health nurses, pharmacy, staff, and administrative staff to provide services, collaborate with external providers, and incorporate health and wellness needs into the overall plan of care of clients served.

Responsibilities

Specific duties include:

• Conducting psychiatric assessments of clients;
• Ongoing psychiatric management, including psycho-pharmacological treatment, psycho-therapeutic support, and crisis intervention in collaboration with the treatment team and clinical supervisors;
• Assuring comprehensive healthcare needs are identified and treated;
• Educating clients about their illness and providing health management information and techniques;
• Documenting clinical care and services provided; and
• Providing backup psychiatric provider coverage as needed, mainly consisting of after-hours telephone call responsibilities and back-up to crisis stabilization program.

The successful candidate will have the following:

• Proven experience with psycho-pharmacologic management of individuals who have chronic mental illness and/or dual diagnosis;
• Ability to work independently;
• Effective communication skills; and
• Be able to work well within an interdisciplinary team.

Arlington County DHS is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience including but not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs.

Qualifications

Minimum:

• A Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from a college or university program accredited by the American Nurses' Association;
• A Master's Degree in Psychiatric Nursing, which required a clinical mental health practicum prior to graduation involving diagnostic and treatment services; and
• Some experience as a certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner working with seriously mentally ill clients or in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit.

Substitution: A directly related higher level clinical degree (Doctorate) may substitute for the Master's Degree education requirement.

Desirables: Preference may be given to applicants with experience in one or more of the following:

• Clinical experience as a certified Advanced Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner that includes providing direct psychiatric treatment including prescribing psychiatric medication to individuals with serious mental illness in an inpatient or outpatient psychiatric treatment facility;
• Outpatient crisis services or crisis unit such as a hospital emergency department;
• Working in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit;
• Experience treating Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders; and
• Current healthcare provider CPR certification from the American Heart Association.

Special Requirements

Licenses/Certifications

Must be certified or eligible for certification as an Advanced Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The Board of Nursing and the Board of Medicine may issue certification by endorsement to an applicant who has been certified as a Nurse Practitioner by another state, the District of Columbia, or a United States possession or territory.

Must be licensed or eligible for license by endorsement to practice professional nursing as a Registered Nurse in Virginia. The Board of Nursing may issue a license by endorsement to an applicant who has been licensed as a professional nurse by another state, the District of Columbia, or a United States possession or territory.

Applicant must possess, or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license from the applicant's place of residence or the applicant must have the ability and willingness to use alternative methods of transportation to perform assigned duties and responsibilities at locations other than the primary worksite. If the applicant possesses or acquires a license, the applicant must provide or authorize Arlington County to obtain a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. Any offer of employment may be contingent on a favorable review of the applicant's driving record.

Must have DEA prescriptive authority.

Must complete pre-hire federal background check and State of Virginia Central Registry check.

Additional Information

Work hours: Normal work hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. with some flexibility.

Your responses to the supplemental questionnaire are considered part of the selection process. Please do not enter "see resume" as a response to the questions. Each section of the application must be completed. A resume may be attached; however, it will not substitute for the completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Employment restrictions: To ensure that dual relationships are avoided and that employees who are also clients do not relate to their service provider as co-professionals, employees will not be hired by the County to provide or support services to the team or program in which they are current clients:

• You cannot concurrently receive behavioral health services from Arlington County Community Service Board (CSB) programs while employed in an Arlington County CSB program (exception Crisis Intervention services).
• At least 24 months must have passed between receipt of CSB services from Arlington County and employment in an Arlington County CSB program.