Certified Medical Assistant, PM

Overview

The Behavioral Health Crisis Center is strategically placed in Mobile County with easy access for the area with the highest need and the most frequent use, the midtown/downtown area of Mobile. This Crisis Center operates a 24/7/365 with a full complement of staff to provide crisis de-escalation and resolution no matter the time or the day.

A study of mental health related law enforcement calls shows that, as one of Alabama’s largest cities, Mobile has the highest demand for police and EMS within the I-65/I-165 corridor. Stationing the Diversion Center in this area will allow expeditious access from Baldwin, Washington, Clarke, Monroe, Conecuh, and Escambia Counties, which will also utilize the Diversion Center. Mobile Metro Jail is the second largest jail in Alabama. The annual number of individuals booked into the jail is just under 20,000. Since the Stepping Up Initiative began last year, all inmates are screened for mental illness and substance use disorders. Last year 6,828 individuals screened positive for serious mental illness. This is a serious over-representation of mentally ill individuals per capita when compared to statistics for the general population. Most individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders are arrested for petty crimes. These individuals could be diverted from arrest with the addition of more Mobile Crisis response and a Behavioral Health Crisis Center. Based on data collected from Crisis Response Team calls, Access to Care, law enforcement, local emergency departments, and a Community Health Needs Assessments, the size and structure of the Crisis Center must consist of a large living room model staffed by peer specialists, an 18 recliner temporary observation unit, and a 6 bed extended observation unit.

Responsibilities

General Responsibilities:

• Greets all patients in a professional and welcoming manner
• Assists with the completion of the assessment process of patients including but not limited to the following: height/weight, vital signs, and current medications for infoscriber
• Assists with meeting the requirements of the SAMHSA grant and UDS data
• Administers medical and psychiatric screening tools as appropriate (to include UNCOPE, PHQ-2 (9) GPRA service tool and others as needed
• Administers injections, observing the Seven Rights of medication administration
• Communicates effectively with all members of the treatment team regarding the consumer’s physical and mental condition
• Reports laboratory results to the physician/CRNP
• Responds to patient phone calls in a timely and appropriate manner
• Calls in prescriptions as directed by authorized prescribers
• Facilitate PA’s for prescriptions
• Updates patient medical records as needed
• Assists in arranging hospital admissions and laboratory services
• Schedules appointments to outside providers
• May assist collecting and preparing laboratory specimens
• May assist instructing patients about medication and special diets
• Draws blood as directed
• Provides emergency care as needed (CPR, MindSet,etc.), according to AltaPointe Policy & Procedures
• Demonstrates the ability to recognize the elements of a crisis state and knows how to deescalate or resolve the situation
• Effectively demonstrates the application of MA competencies
• Ensures all releases are obtained and scanned into P.O.S. timely and accurately.
• Verifies all insurance eligibility and enters accurate information in EHR as indicated
• Makes copies, faxes documents and performs other related clerical duties as needed.
• Adheres to professional code of ethics

Additional job duties depending on location may be as follows:

• Distributes prescriptions from the doctor/CRNP/PA to the consumer.
• Assists with the patient assistance pharmacy forms as needed, which includes communicating with the consumer regarding proof of income.
• Completes admissions, discharges, and transfers as needed.
• Coordinates appropriate services for consumers in crisis.
• Distributes Daily DSR reports.
• Performs relief for other staff members.
• Assists with and works with all organization personnel involved with any aspect of release of protected health information to ensure full coordination and cooperation under the organization’s policies and procedures and legal requirements

Supervision and Consultation:

• Seeks clinical supervision and consultation needs
• Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement
• Actively works to enhance clinical skills

Clinical Record Keeping:

• Documents in a timely fashion per AltaPointe policy
• Documentation shows that forms, notes, logs, and other applicable written information are completed promptly, accurately and updated when appropriate
• Documents legibly

Qualifications

Possesses and maintains current certification for a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant through AAMA or AMT and previous medical/health front desk experience preferred. Must have highly professional verbal and written communication skills, withstand continual deadlines, and concentrate and maintain accuracy in spite of frequent interruptions.

Knowledge in topics, outlined below, to be attained within (6) six months of employment:

• General knowledge of nursing care
• General knowledge of psychiatric disorders
• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Familiarity of pharmacology
• Demonstration of safe medication administration practices including IM injection
• Knowledge of crisis intervention
• Knowledge of utilizing electronic health record
• Knowledge of cultural diversity
• Knowledge of Trauma Informed Care Principles
• Basic clerical skills
• Use of standard office equipment including computers, photocopy and facsimile machines.
• Knowledge of administration of medical and behavioral health screening tools

Physical Requirements of the Job: 

Must be able to stand for long periods of time, continuously bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach and lift at least 10 pounds. Must have visual acuity in at least one eye and manual dexterity.

• There is frequent standing while getting files, paperwork, and handing out medication.
• Sitting is frequent by nature and up to 5-10 minutes; however, extended sitting could be up to 1.5 to 3 hours for documentation.
• Squatting and/or lunging frequently to stock supplies and retrieve needed material from file cabinets and book shelves.
• Fine manipulation for writing, handling paperwork, and dispensing medications to consumers.
• Pushing and/or pulling force up to 1-5 pounds force, horizontally, to open file cabinets and place binders on book shelves.
• Lifting various ranges from the floor to overhead with weights up to 1-5 pounds frequently.
• Any other duties as assigned by supervisor