Registered Nurse - Behavioral Health

Salary: $39.58 - $50.52 Hourly
Location : Salem, OR
Job Type: Full-time Regular
Job Number:
Department: Health and Human Services
Division: HHS - BH - Adult Outpatient MH Svcs
Opening Date: 10/08/2026
Closing Date: 10/22/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit: 04

Marion County requires on-site work. Remote work is not available.

Marion County Adult Behavioral Health is seeking a skilled and compassionate RN to join our fast-paced outpatient team. This position is perfect for someone who is passionate about psychiatric nursing and wants to make a meaningful difference in their community. In this role, you'll provide direct nursing care to adults living with serious mental illness, some of whom also experience co-occurring substance use disorders. Key responsibilities include completing nursing assessments, monitoring vital signs, administering injections, coordinating medications, and supporting our team of psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. We're looking for a dependable, detail-oriented team player who thrives in a collaborative environment and is committed to providing person-centered care. This position is Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Come join our talented treatment team!
GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES
Provides nursing services in behavioral health programs; including assessment and care of clients as a part of the treatment plan; evaluates medication effectiveness and other health care needs.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Works under the supervision of a Health Clinical Supervisor or Medical Director; may work under the lead direction of a Behavioral Health Nurse Senior who assigns duties, establishes goals and reviews results.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED
Supervision of other employees is not a responsibility of positions in this classification.
Typical Duties - Duties include, but are not limited to the following

The incumbent in this position upholds confidentiality rules/regulations including HIPAA. The incumbent performs all of the following using a person-centered, strengths-based, recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive, and ethically-guided approach. Population served includes adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and children/adolescents with serious emotional disturbances (SED).

Provider Level 3 Comprehensive Medication Services
Completing nursing assessments (using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale), taking vitals, and administration of intramuscular medications. Assisting with day-to-day management of a patient's medication regime; education of a patient regarding compliance with the prescribed regime; filling pill boxes; locating pharmacy services; and assisting in managing symptoms that do not require a prescriber's immediate attention. RN-delivered comprehensive medication services are separate and distinct from the medication performed by physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practitioners of nursing who have prescriptive authority. Provides emotional support, compassion, and de-escalation (when necessary) to patients/guardians/relatives.

Telephonic Triage (Advice Nurse)
Establish a working relationship; collect/confirm brief demographic information; obtain brief past medical history; document brief description of the patient's illness; identify the chief complaint and most serious symptom; select the correct protocol; triage the patient into an appropriate disposition; provide care advice based on their symptoms; give call-back instructions; reassure the patient that you are there to help. Perform telephonic triage and respond appropriately to callers who may present with emergencies, varying levels of risk of harm to self/others, varying levels of distress, diverse presenting problems; administer brief mental status exams.

Medication training and support (in person or via telephone/video)
Instruct, prompt, guide, remind, and/or educate patients, families, and/or significant others, based on an understanding of the nature of an adult patient's SMI or a child/adolescent's serious emotional disturbance (SED), including understanding the role of specific prescribed medication(s), reducing symptoms, identifying potential side effects and contraindications, self-administration training, and overdose precautions.

Case management
Linking patients to the direct delivery of services to assist and support a patient to gain access to needed medical, social, educational, or other services. Includes:

• Assessing service needs (patient history, identifying patient needs, completing required documents, gathering information from other sources);
• Treatment/Service Planning (specifying goals and actions to address patient needs, ensuring patient participation, identifying a course of action;
• Referral and Related Activities to obtain needed services (arranging initial appointments for patient with service providers/informing patients of available services; providing addresses and telephone numbers of agencies providing services; working with a patient/service provider to secure access to services, contacting agencies for appointments/services after initial referral process); and
• Monitoring and Follow-up (contacting patients/others to ensure patient is following the agreed upon treatment/service plan and monitoring progress and impact of plan).

MISCELLANEOUS

• Create and maintain timely documentation that is clear, accurate, professional, and complete.
• Prepare, organize, and manage information/data/records pertinent to nursing and related services.
• Perform other duties as assigned such as cross train in the Medication Assisted Treatment dispensary and provide occasional back up coverage as needed.

Response Level 2: In the event of an emergency, employee makes a reasonable effort to report to work. Employee may be required to perform duties outside of their regularly assigned duties. Employee may be requested to work an extended or flexible schedule. Staff at this response level must complete Incident Command System 100 and 700 on-line or in-person training..
Requirements for the Position

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

1. Bachelor's degree in nursing or a related field (e.g., health education, psychology, or social work); AND
2. One year of behavioral health nursing, or other related experience; OR
3. Any satisfactory combination of work, education, training, or experience relevant to the position, as determined by Marion County.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Possession of a license to practice as a registered nurse in the State of Oregon at the time of appointment.
• The finalist for this position will be required to pass a criminal history background check; however, conviction of a crime may not necessarily disqualify an individual for this position.
• This is a Safety Sensitive/Special Needs position. Must pass a post offer drug screen, including testing for marijuana. The Marion County Drug and Alcohol Use and Testing Policy #518 is located at:
• This position may be subject to the following: Must not be excluded from participation in the federal health care programs (Medicaid, Medicare and other federally funded programs that provide health benefits); AND must not be excluded from participating in federal procurement (Federal Acquisition Regulation) and non-procurement activities (Executive Order No. 12549).
• This assignment is represented by a union.
• This is a full-time position, which is eligible for overtime.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of behavioral health nursing practices and community behavioral health services; ability to function independently with limited supervision and cooperate with others in the assigned service area.
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing; recognize consumers' behavioral health and health care needs and concerns; maintain constructive relationships with consumers; accept and utilize administrative direction, supervision, and consultation.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Stands; sits; moves about the work area; bends forward; stoops; lifts, pushes, and pulls up to 10 lbs.; moves carts weighing up to 10 lbs.; carries up to 5 lbs.; operates a keyboard; speaks with a clear and audible voice; reads a 12-pt. font; distinguishes colors and shades; and hears a normal level of speech.

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS
Marion County is a qualifying public employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, full-time employees working at the County may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance on Direct Student Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan. Questions about your student loan eligibility should be directed to your loan servicer or the US Department of Education.

VISA SPONSORSHIP
Marion County does not offer VISA sponsorship. Within three days of hire, you will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security's I-9 form confirming authorization to work in the United States. Marion County is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE
Applicants are eligible to use Veterans' Preference when applying with Marion County in accordance with ORS 408.225, 408.230, and 408.235 and OAR 105-040-0010 and 105-040-0015. Preference will be awarded only if the applicant meets the minimum requirements of the position and attaches the required documentation at the time of application.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR VETERANS' PREFERENCE

• One of the following:
  • MEMBER COPY 4 of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214 or 215); OR
  • Letter from the US Department of Veterans Affairs indicating receipt of a non-service connected pension; OR
  • Certification that discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions will take place not later than 120 days after the submission of the certificate.

• In addition to one of the above documents, Disabled Veterans must also submit one of the following:
  • A copy of their Veterans disability preference letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs; OR
  • Certification that medical separation from active duty under honorable conditions will take place not later than 120 days after the submission of the certificate.

You can request copies of your military service record through the National Archives website at