Staffing
Laurel Oaks utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to patient care that emphasizes
team decision making and a high level of coordination between health care providers.
A multidisciplinary team of professionals are responsible for the provision
of care to our patients. The roles and responsibilities for some of the more
common team members are delineated as follows:
1. Psychiatrist - Attending M.D. responsible
for directing the medical plan of care for the individual patient. Psychiatrists
conduct an initial history and physical on each patient as well as psychiatric
evaluation to include mental status exam, and prescribes medications and other
treatment interventions as deemed appropriate based on the comprehensive evaluation.
2. Nurse (R.N., L.P.N.) - Carries out
physicians orders; directs the nursing care provided to the individual patient
including nursing assessment, medication administration, and coordination of
care with other internal and external care providers; provides health and/or
medical education as indicated to the patient and/or significant others.
3. Lead Therapist/ Therapist - The Lead
Therapist on each unit provides clinical education and supervision to other
unit staff. All therapists are responsible for: conducting an initial psycho-social
assessment with each patient, including obtaining detailed history from the
patient and significant others and integrating this with other assessment information;
facilitating multidisciplinary treatment planning process; coordinates care
with other internal and external treatment providers; ensures that discharge
planning and necessary aftercare services are coordinated efficiently and appropriately.
Therapists provide individual, group, and/or family psychotherapy and other
treatment interventions as directed by the psychiatrist.
4. Clinical Psychologist - provides psychological
testing to clarify diagnoses when necessary, offers treatment recommendations
based on psychological evaluation, carries out physician orders for psychological
services.
5. Teacher/Educator - provides academic/educational
instruction to all patients within the Residential Treatment Center programs
based on curricula specified by the Alabama Department of Education. Teachers
ensure appropriate development and implementation of the Individualized Education
Plan (IEP) for youth who are identified/classified as qualifying for special
educational services.
6. Unit Director - supervises unit staff,
coordinates unit schedule, organizes activities, ensures delivery of some psycho-educational
groups, daily goal setting and goal review groups with training in basic living
skills.
7. Mental Health Technician - provides
direct care, support and supervision of patients under the direction of the
Unit Director and Lead Therapist.
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