UPMC Altoona is seeking a dedicated Associate Clinical Program Development Specialist to join our team. This is a full-time role with the schedule, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Purpose:
The Clinical Program Development Specialist, Associate, is responsible for developing and evaluating inpatient program strategies for the unit. In addition, this individual takes an active role in behavioral supervision, clinical education, and the development of the direct care staff’s skills to provide effective behavioral and cognitive treatment. 

Responsibilities:
 

• Develops, conducts, and evaluates staff education and training in the area of therapeutic communications, interactions, and consumer satisfaction. Provides role modeling and feedback to the direct care staff on behavioral management and cognitive techniques. Develops, implements, evaluates, and revises the milieu management program in collaboration with the unit leadership and under direct supervision. Coordinates behavior management training for parents and families. Assigns cases to the milieu therapists and monitors progress. Coordinate, consult, and collaborate with the outpatient treatment team and the multidisciplinary treatment team to provide follow-through of the behavioral management treatment plan. This includes schools, wrap-around services, partial programs, RTFs, mobile crisis and any other applicable outpatient services. Develops and coordinates individual behavior and group therapies, and provides supervision to milieu therapists. Participates in diagnostic, discharge, treatment evaluation, and other conferences on an as-needed basis. Will assume clinical care responsibilities of four hours a shift. Provides individual patient assessments, develops special treatment plans, and coordinates the implementation of the plan. Evaluates effectiveness and reports to the multidisciplinary treatment team.
• Participates in specific program leadership meetings and coordinates the implementation of administrative, clinical, training, and educational decisions in the daily functioning of the program. Demonstrates and has advanced knowledge of structured clinical assessment tools, including specific measures of psychiatric symptomatology, functional behavior assessments, family functioning, and academic achievement within ability to communicate results of evaluations to families and referral agencies/professionals. Assumes routine administrative responsibilities as indicated, and assists in the development and implementation of the hospital and unit policies and procedures. Maintains relevant case records, departmental statistics, and direct clinical contact commensurate with caseload. Completes the responsibilities of the position accurately and efficiently. Demonstrates extensive knowledge and understanding of the symptomatic display of behavioral dysfunction accompanying DSM-IV disorders. Demonstrates an understanding of behavioral management principles and can formulate, implement, and evaluate behavioral treatment plans.
• Demonstrates the ability to provide behavioral supervision for the direct care staff. Demonstrates the ability to communicate both verbally and in writing with a multidisciplinary staff. Attends unit meetings, actively participates in the identification of areas for improvement, and works in collaboration with the unit leadership to implement programmatic revisions. Participates with the nursing management in evaluating patient satisfaction and assists in developing and implementing recommended actions. Assumes other responsibilities as directed.