Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner - Youth ACT Queens

The Child Center of NY strengthens children and families with skills, opportunities, and emotional support to build healthy, successful lives. Founded in 1953, The Child Center of NY has become a powerful community presence throughout the city. With 50 locations and 100 programs in NYC's most under-served communities, our 1,000+ results-oriented professionals make a difference for more than 40,000 children and their families each year.

Summary

The Child Center of NY is seeking a mission-driven and skilled Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) to join its Youth Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program.

The Youth ACT team provides intensive, community-based services to youth (ages 10-21) with serious emotional disturbance (SED) who are at risk of hospitalization or residential placement. The PMHNP plays a key role in delivering person-centered psychiatric services in the community, supporting youth and families through assessment, medication management, crisis intervention, and close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team.

This role involves providing services with Youth ACT in Queens and in our Behavioral Health Clinics

Essential Functions for Youth ACT

• Provide psychiatric assessments, diagnoses, and psychopharmacologic treatment to youth with complex mental health needs
• Conduct home and community-based visits to ensure access to care in the least restrictive setting
• Prescribe and monitor psychotropic medications, educate youth and families about treatment plans, and support adherence
• Collaborate with caregivers, ACT team members, schools, and other community providers to coordinate care
• Participate in daily team meetings and treatment planning to guide individualized, culturally responsive services
• Monitor for medication side effects and manage metabolic and safety monitoring requirements
• Support youth in crisis through rapid response, de-escalation, and short-term stabilization plans
• Document all services and maintain medical records in the electronic health record system in accordance with OMH standards
• Participate in quality assurance, audits, and utilization review activities
• Promote recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and youth- and family-centered approaches to care
• Conducts medical assessment reviews of all enrolled clients; coordinating and referring for specialized care when indicated

Essential Functions for Behavioral Health Clinics

• Identifies, evaluates, and addresses psychiatric and/or substance abuse behavioral health issues
• Conducts medical assessment reviews of all enrolled clients; coordinating and referring for specialized care when indicated
• Provides psychoeducation to clients and/or families about preventive care, substance abuse, psychiatric or medical issues, and use of prescribed medications with their possible side effects
• Documents all psychiatric and/or substance abuse evaluations, diagnoses, procedures, treatment, outcomes, education & referrals consistent with state and city regulatory standards
• Directs psychiatric appointments with corresponding documentation in the EMR
• Signs treatment plans in a timely manner
• Resolves off-shift issues with pharmacies or communications with outside facilities when needed (e.g. emergency room collateral, potential referrals, etc.)
• Attends meetings, including risk conferences, medical and program staff meetings, team meetings
• Provides coverage for other psychiatric providers as part of larger team
• Supports in onboarding and training of psychiatric staff
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure continuity of care and clinical best practices
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Current New York State licensure as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC)
• Registered as a Nurse Practitioner with the NYS Education Department and DEA license for prescribing
• Minimum of 1-2 years of psychiatric experience with children, adolescents, or transitional-age youth
• Strong understanding of serious emotional disturbance (SED), trauma, substance use, and co-occurring disorders
• Ability to work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team
• Commitment to providing services in community-based, family-centered, and recovery-focused models
• Proficient in using electronic health records and telehealth platforms
• Valid NYS driver's license and ability to conduct community-based visits

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience working with ACT, Health Home, Wraparound, or other intensive community treatment models
• Experience working with youth involved in child welfare, juvenile justice, or school-based mental health
• Bilingual skills (e.g., Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali, Haitian Creole) preferred based on population needs
• Knowledge of motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and family systems

Physical demands and work environment: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequent travel within the community; must be comfortable providing services in homes, schools, and public settings
• Occasional lifting (up to 20 lbs), walking, and use of laptop/tablet in the field
• Flexible schedule including early evenings or weekends as needed for client engagement

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only job duties to be performed by the incumbent. He or she will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other duties requested by his or her supervisor.