Mental Health Nurse (RN/RPN), Crisis Intervention/Acute Home Treatment

Provides client/family/caregiver with education and support, and creates care plan with other key members of the interdisciplinary team such as the primary care physician, psychiatrist, and/or mental health case manager.

Collaborates with others within community and acute care to facilitate the movement of clients.

About the Acute Home-Based Treatment (AHBT) Team: This program provides short term, crucial in-home acute psychiatric care for clients 17 & up, who require immediate and intensive support as an alternative to hospital.

The client will have to consent to treatment within their home environment.

Clinical staff will utilize their knowledge of the full spectrum of mental health disorders, connect and assist with navigation of Vancouver Community Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) services.

Staff will play a key role for the client and to healthcare providers in the system.

The team will support the client from hospital back home and will also provide treatment at home as an alternative to hospitalization when appropriate.

Qualifications

Education & Experience Current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse or Registered Psychiatric Nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). Three (3) years' recent, related experience working with the designated client population providing treatment services to individuals with mental health issues or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience. Valid BC Driver's License as local area travel will require the use of a personal vehicle. Knowledge & Abilities Knowledge of the principles of recovery in mental illness. Broad knowledge of nursing theory and practice within a client/family centred model of care. Broad knowledge of BCCNM's standards for practice for registered nurses or registered psychiatric nurses. Knowledge of emergency mental health and crisis stabilization. Broad knowledge of mental illness and treatment. Knowledge of substance use and addictions treatment. Knowledge of DSM-IVTR Diagnostic Classification System, mental status examination and case formulation. General of knowledge Trauma Informed Practice and Harm Reduction approaches and Strengths-based care. Demonstrated ability to promote Indigenous Cultural Safety. Demonstrated ability to provide competent and culturally safety care in a variety of settings and with diverse populations. Broad knowledge of relevant facilities and community resources. Comprehensive knowledge of psychopharmacology (indications and side effects). Knowledge of infectious and chronic disease management. Knowledge of legislation and government policies and procedures that relate to client care, including the BC Mental Health Act and REACT guidelines. Demonstrated ability to conduct mental health and addiction screening and/or assessments and provide treatment planning and crisis intervention/treatment. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with clients and their families and health care staff. Ability to conduct safety and risk assessments. Ability to prioritize, take initiative, be flexible, work both independently and collaboratively as a member of a interdisciplinary team. Demonstrated ability to assess and respond effectively to aggressive behaviour and/or self-harm. Ability to assess client responses to care, and to respond appropriately. Ability to adjust to new or unexpected events. Ability to work with a culturally diverse population. De-escalation, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills. Skilled in the use of equipment, and in the techniques appropriate for treatment. Physical ability to perform the duties of the position. Ability to operate a computerized client care information system and word processing, spreadsheet, Internet and e-mail software. Closing Statement The hours of work including days off and work area may be subject to change consistent with operational requirements and the provision of the Collective Agreement and applicable statutes.As per Ministry of Health policy, all health care workers working in publicly-funded health care facilities are required to report their past receipt of certain vaccines or history of certain infections. Collecting these records will allow for offering of any missing vaccines, and for appropriate actions to be taken in the event of any future exposure to a communicable disease or during outbreaks. For all new hires and appointments to Vancouver Coastal Health, you will be asked to provide this information as part of the onboarding process. WHY JOIN VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH? VCH is a world class innovator in medical care, research and teaching, delivering service to more than one million BC residents. At VCH, we embrace thinking boldly, taking smart risks, and "going first" when we believe it will lead to the best possible outcomes for patients and their families. We invite you to join us in creating healthy lives in healthy communities by showcasing our passion for care, connection to the communities we serve and our culture of teamwork that makes VCH a great place to work. Comprehensive health benefits package, including MSP, extended health and dental and municipal pension plan Grow your career with employer-paid training and leadership development opportunities Wellness supports, including counselling, critical incident and innovative wellness services are available to employees and their immediate families Award-winning recognition programs to honour staff, medical staff and volunteers Access to exclusive discount offers and deals for VCH staff At Vancouver Coastal Health, our vision of healthy lives in healthy communities inspires us and our values and pillars guide us. We support equitable practices, diverse teams and inclusive environments, which are vital to creating welcoming spaces where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and feel supported. We encourage applications from equity-deserving communities, including Indigenous Peoples and members of racialized groups, people with disabilities and people of all gender identities and expressions and sexual orientation.Vancouver Coastal Health is proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, BC’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and Canada's Top Employers for Young People in 2026.Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for this posting. ***Employees of VCH must apply online via the Internal Career Portal on CareerHub, you are currently viewing the External Career Portal. Refer to the https://my.vch.ca/working-here/job-postings site for instructions on how to view internal job postings and how to apply as an employee. Current VCH employees who apply to this posting using this external site will be considered as an external candidate. Seniority will not apply.***Thank you for your interest in Vancouver Coastal Health.