Mental Health Screener in Elizabeth, New Jersey at RWJBarnabas Health

Job Title: Mental Health Screener

Location: NEW POINT CAMPUS

Department Name: Emergency Screening

Req #: 0000271363

Status: Hourly

Shift: Night

Pay Range: $29.39 - $36.09 per hour

Pay Transparency:

The above reflects the anticipated hourly wage range for this position if hired to work in New Jersey.

The compensation offered to the candidate selected for the position will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills and professional experience.

Our Mental Health Screeners work collaboratively to deliver critical crisis assessments and compassionate support for children and adults across the developmental lifespan. We view our screeners as a fundamental pillar of our emergency psychiatric response and recognize the positive impact they have on the safety, stabilization, and recovery journeys of our patients and their families. We hope you are excited by the opportunity to deliver trauma-informed care that redefines the psychiatric emergency experience through teamwork, compassion, and excellence!

As a Mental Health Screener, a typical day might include the following:

• Providing comprehensive ER, hospital-based, and community-based psychiatric crisis assessments for children and adults.
• Determining appropriate, least restrictive levels of care based on NJ screening laws to build safe discharge plans.
• Developing safety, admission, and discharge plans via the RWJ Access Center alongside multidisciplinary medical teams.
• Collaborating with families, outpatient providers, and state mental health partners to build seamless continuums of care.
• Completing legal screening documentation for adults over 18 when involuntary psychiatric admission is clinically recommended.
• Conducting mobile crisis outreach across Union County and answering the dedicated 24-hour crisis hotline.
• Participating in alternate response initiatives, including the ARRIVE Together mobile outreach team, following training.

This role might be for you if:

• You are passionate about delivering a safe, differentiated healthcare experience for individuals navigating psychiatric crises.
• You excel in high-pressure acute environments and confidently leverage evidence-based assessment tools.
• You set a high bar for maintaining a therapeutic, welcoming, and secure environment for vulnerable patients.
• You respect the legal, ethical, and clinical impact of psychiatric screening decisions on a patient's journey.
• You believe crisis stabilization is optimized and strengthened through kindness, empathy, and collaboration.

To be considered, you must meet one of the following education and experience pathways:

• Master's Pathway: Master’s Degree in Social Work (with a mental health specialization) or related Mental Health discipline, plus 1 year of post-master's acute care experience in a psychiatric setting.
• Bachelor's Pathway: Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, plus 3 years of full-time, post-bachelor acute psychiatric care experience (with at least 1 year in a crisis/screening setting).

Additional requirements include:

• Certified or certification-eligible as a Mental Health Screener by the State of NJ Division of Mental Health and Hospitals (DMHAS temporary license required prior to hire).
• A valid, clean driver's license validated by the state Motor Vehicle Association (MVA).
• Flexibility to fulfill per diem shift requirements.