MENTAL HEALTH WORKER

Code: 02498@ Local Non-Competitive

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction, conducts or assists in conducting group discussions; plans and/or conducts activity sessions and community trips for patients who are emotionally or mentally disabled in an adult or child patient care unit; observes and reports on patient program; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• Plans the therapeutic regimen for patients who are unable to leave the hospital due to debilitating effects of long term institutionalization and to prevent such situations from occurring in newly admitted patients.
• Plans program activities and coordinates them with other institutional programs and services.
• Conducts community living discussion groups that will be of practical value to the patient and tries to ensure that patients are prepared for successful adjustment to the community following discharge.
• Conducts grooming, personal sewing, cooking, and other household activity sessions concerned with daily living to facilitate the reentry of the patient into the community.
• Carries out therapeutic activity plans including but not limited to hygiene, music therapy, cooking, art therapy, and recreational therapy.
• Removes disruptive children and/or adults from activities and/or classroom.
• Takes injured patients or children to the emergency room.
• Writes weekly progress notes on patients observed and submits to supervisor.
• Plans and conducts community trips as another step in helping the patient adapt more easily to return to the community.
• Observes the behavior of patients in their activities and assesses their work performance, reliability, attentiveness, level of comprehension, and ability to function competitively as part of planning for the patients vocational entrance into the community.
• Participates in conducting in-service training for aides and volunteers working with the program.
• Participates in professional meetings and conferences.
• Maintains records and files.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Sociology, or Psychology.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Knowledge of sociological and psychological principles and practices. Knowledge of problems encountered in collecting and analyzing factual information needed in passing upon individual cases, drawing sound social conclusions therefrom, and basing appropriate action thereon. Knowledge of individual and group behavior. Ability to analyze, comprehend, and interpret data in the conducting of support groups, individual sessions, and adjunctive activity sessions. Ability to establish and maintain a professional relationship with patients and staff. Ability to be sympathetic but firm with patients. Ability to learn quickly significant facts of a situation and to weigh and evaluate such facts. Ability to plan and execute programs for social readjustment on the basis of findings. Ability to prepare reports on patients. Ability to maintain records and files. Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. This job specification is applicable to the following title code(s) which are different work week or work month and/or variants of the job class title: Job Spec Code State, Local or Common Class of Service Work Week State Class Code Local Class Code Salary Range

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. NOTE: Appointments may be made to positions requiring bilingual skills. Bilingual in Spanish and English. SPECIAL SKILL Applicants must be able to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in Spanish and English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. @LN N/A21-Bilingual In Spanish And EnglishLN N/A21- This job specification is for government use only. Salary range is only applicable to state government. Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions. 10/23/1997