This position is exempt from Career Service under the CCH Personnel Rules.

Job Summary
The Trauma Intervention Specialist (TIS) provides primary assessment and care to trauma patients and families regarding health, mental health, and spiritual needs post traumatic injury. Supports patients and families to cope with the aftermath of traumatic injury in terms of emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact. Completes assessments regarding the impact of trauma, performs mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screening, assesses emotional health and safety risks (re-injury and/or retaliation), and identifies strengths and resiliencies that support recovery. Provides trauma-informed supportive mental health counseling to patients and families to address post-traumatic stress symptoms in both inpatient, outpatient, and/or community-based settings. Offers palliative care, risk reduction, and bereavement interventions as appropriate.

Typical Duties
- Responds in real-time to patients admitted to trauma resuscitation offering crisis intervention and Psychological First Aid to patients and their support systems
- Performs as a higher-level professional within Healing Hurt People Chicago's (HHPC).
- Supervises and mentor's interns and junior staff.
- Participates in leadership activities and participating in program development functions, staff training/development (program fidelity/standards of care), etc. as developed, assigned, and approved by program leadership.
- Addresses patient care needs utilizing basic case management to in-house and community resources, as necessary.
- Assesses patients and families in the Department related to the psycho-social impact of trauma (particularly PTSD), spiritual and emotional health, and safety risk.
- Conducts psychosocial/spiritual assessments and orientation with Trauma patients and families, including conversations about advance directives
- Offers strengths-based psychoeducation regarding the impact of traumatic injury for patients and their support systems.
- Provides trauma-informed mental health counseling utilizing evidence-based practices such as Psychological First Aid and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques.
- Coordinates support services to families throughout the dying process, including morgue/unit viewing, organ donation and bereavement support and follow-up with family members after a patient death.
- Coordinates family meetings and interdisciplinary planning for patients/families
- Makes referrals to in-house and community providers as appropriate and available.

- Performs outreach activities, i.e., well-being checks and recruitment to intervention programs Participates in development and implementation of research protocols related to Department projects.
- Maintains documentation and reporting mechanisms for patient/family interventions.
- Follows up with patients in clinic to provide short- and long-term mental health counseling and basic case management.
- Provides emotional support to staff in times of crisis and debrief after critical events.
- Collaborates with hospital and community-based services (such as community violence or domestic violence intervention programs) to provide continuity of care.
- Develops educational materials for Trauma residents, nurses, and Departmental staff, and participates in quality improvement projects designed to improve trauma-informed care within the Department.
- Participates in team meetings and trainings related to Departmental projects
- Performs other duties as assigned.

Additional typical duties for Community-based setting
- Provide intensive case management (ICM) services within the Safety, Emotions, Loss, and Future (SELF) framework. The model is best characterized as low volume (10-15 clients); long-term (ideally six months with weekly sessions); and high intensity due to violent injury and exposure to community violence.
- Fosters healing and community through co-facilitation of SELF groups.
- Screens and assesses patients for common mental health concerns (depression, anxiety, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), and PTSD symptoms), as well as psychosocial assessments including family, housing, education, medical, substance use, criminal justice involvement, mental status, violence exposure.
- Provides brief interventions using evidence-based techniques such as Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) or other treatments appropriate for trauma-focused care.
- Develops plans of care, in consultation with clients and families, to address safety and symptoms of trauma by increasing connection to school, family, social supports, and social services. Serves as a mentor and partner assisting clients as they develop skills to navigate systems of care, i.e., medical, academic, employment, housing, social service, and mental health.
-Supports and closely coordinates mental health care with the patients' primary care provider and other treating mental health providers.
- Documents clinical assessments, care plans, and interventions utilizing Healing Hurt People Chicago's (HHPC) electronic case management tool and other electronic medical records as appropriate.
- Performs other duties as assigned.