Behavioral Health Technician

Advocate Health • Milwaukee, WI

9d • $22 - $33

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Technician supports patient care in an adult behavioral health unit at Aurora Psychiatric Hospital. The role assists with activities of daily living, patient orientation, escorts, vital signs, observation and documentation, crisis response, and maintaining a safe and therapeutic environment. The technician works under the direction of an RN and follows established safety and risk-management procedures.

This is a part-time position of 12 hours per week on an 8-hour night-shift schedule. The patterned schedule is Monday and Saturday in Week 1 and Sunday in Week 2, including every other weekend and every other holiday. New teammates are expected to remain on their current shift and patterned schedule for up to six months or longer. The position requires the ability to meet specified physical demands, including assisting with patient transfers and restraining or controlling combative patients. No prior experience is required.

Requirements

• Nurse Aide in good standing on the State Registry for the state in which the team member practices.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA).
• Advanced training beyond high school, including completion of an accredited or approved Nursing Assistant program.
• Successfully complete CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention with Advanced Physical Skills within 90 days.
• Good verbal and written skills for safe and effective patient care.
• Positive and effective interpersonal skills.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, lift, squat, bend, twist, and reach above the shoulders frequently throughout the workday.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds from floor to waist, lift up to 20 pounds overhead, and carry up to 40 pounds a reasonable distance.
• Ability to push or pull with 30 pounds of force and perform a sliding transfer of 150 pounds with a second person present.
• Physical ability to restrain and control patients who are outwardly psychotic or physically combative.
• Functional use of senses to allow effective communication.
• Use personal protective equipment as necessary when exposed to mechanical, electrical, chemical, or radiation hazards, blood, or body fluids.

Responsibilities

• Assist, monitor, and maintain patients’ activities of daily living.
• Orient patients and their families or significant others to the unit and hospital.
• Escort patients to locations such as tests, meals, and activities, supervising and managing behavior as required.
• Perform vital signs on patients.
• Receive direction from the RN and communicate significant or unusual occurrences in patient behavior.
• Document pertinent observations and occurrences in patient medical records according to policy.
• Defuse and report crisis situations, intervening when appropriate and using proper procedures.
• Maintain a safe and therapeutic environment by assisting with groups, setting limits on patients, and following established safety and risk-management policies and procedures.
• Perform patient rounds at designated intervals and document them appropriately.
• Operate equipment necessary to perform the job.
• Maintain annual educational requirements for hospital-based certifications.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off programs.
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability benefits.
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.
• Adoption assistance and paid parental leave.
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs.
• Educational Assistance Program.
• Competitive compensation, premium pay such as shift and on-call pay, incentive pay for select positions, and the opportunity for annual performance-based increases.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED