Shift: 40 hours per week, Monday – Thursday 1000-2030, some weekend coverage depending on needs of the department.
Department: Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT)
Compensation:
ABOUT THE JOB
We are expanding our Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT)! These new members will play a vital role in managing patients experiencing acute behavioral crises within our hospital. In this position, you will utilize your expertise in behavioral health management and de-escalation to ensure safe, efficient, and professional responses during emergencies. We will contribute to staff education, program development, crisis management, and team building.
As part of a dynamic and expanding team, you will respond throughout our hospital system, gaining valuable opportunities to learn across all service lines and network within the organization. Our Behavioral Health Response Team is excited to extend its services to bedside support while actively working to mitigate risks.
As a BERT member, you will be responsible for providing immediate behavioral intervention to patients in crisis. You will collaborate closely with clinical teams, security personnel, and other hospital departments to manage potentially escalating situations, ensuring the safety of both patients and staff. Your ability to promote effective communication and utilize de-escalation techniques will be essential in maintaining a calm and supportive environment during high-pressure situations.
This role demands strong interpersonal skills, quick thinking, and a commitment to upholding a secure and supportive environment for both patients and staff. We are eager to expand our team and continue growing our capabilities to prevent, mitigate, and effectively respond to escalations throughout our hospital system.
ABOUT MU HEALTH CARE
At MU Health Care, we have an inspired, hard-working and collaborative environment driven by our mission to save and improve lives. We believe anything is possible and rally around solutions. We celebrate innovation and offer opportunities to be a part of something bigger — to have a voice and role in the work that is serving our community and changing the field of medicine.
Our academic health system — the only in mid-Missouri — is home to multiple hospitals, including the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and region’s only Children’s Hospital as well as over 90 specialty clinics. Here, you can define your career among our many clinical and nonclinical positions — with growth, opportunity and support every step of the way.
Learn more about MU Health Care.
Learn more about living in mid-Missouri.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
DETAILED JOB DESCRIPTION
Collaborates with behavioral response program team members and stakeholders across the health system to develop, evaluate, and continuously improve behavioral response programs, including early identification of at-risk patients.
Responds to behavioral emergency activations, performs rapid scene safety assessments, and leads interdisciplinary efforts to de-escalate behavioral crises in alignment with therapeutic goals and best practices for behavioral health interventions.
Provides trauma-informed psychiatric care to patients experiencing mental health or substance use crises, supporting safe, structured, and therapeutic environments.
Assesses patients by reviewing admission records and integrating behavioral risk factors into care planning and clinical workflows.
Delivers direct nursing care including crisis de-escalation, medication administration, and behavioral interventions, while maintaining accurate documentation of assessments, interventions, and outcomes.
Coordinates the development and implementation of individualized behavioral and safety plans in collaboration with healthcare teams and within regulatory standards.
Attends daily behavioral health rounding, monitoring patients’ mood, behavior, and orientation, and identifying changes that require intervention or escalation.
Monitors the progression of high-risk patients from admission to discharge and supports staff with care planning, discharge coordination, and aftercare education.
Provides bedside education to staff and patients regarding behavioral care plans, safety protocols, and coping strategies.
Collaborates with physicians, nursing staff, Care Coordination, and payers to support high-quality care and efficient transitions, including coordination of transfers to behavioral health units.
Assists in protocol development for managing patients at risk of harm to self or others and provides training to behavioral response team members and unit staff on appropriate responses.
Supports behavioral response training by educating staff on trauma-informed care, medical crisis management, safety protocols, de-escalation techniques, and documentation standards.
Assists with medication education, monitoring, and chart audits, including review of safety plans, restraint usage, and opportunities for staff support and quality improvement.
Provides testimony in legal settings regarding a patient’s mental and physical condition when necessary for care planning or discharge decisions.
Participates in quality assurance activities, incident debriefings, and assigned committees or workgroups.
May complete unit/department-specific duties as outlined in department documents.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Missouri Board of Nursing RN or Nurse Licensure Compact multi-state RN. When primary state of residency changes, compact state RNs must apply under new state of residency within thirty (30) days.
Two (2) years of nursing experience.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Two (2) years of experience with patients needing behavioral health interventions.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met with or without reasonable accommodation. The performance of these physical demands is an essential function of the job. This position is very active and requires ambulating, reaching, demonstration of physical hold techniques, and moving objects weighing up to and over 20 lbs.
This role also routinely comes into contact with patients who may have contagious illnesses. This position is in a health care facility open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Occasional evenings and weekends required.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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