Behavioral Health Technician - Behavioral Health Emergency Department

UNC Health•Chapel Hill, NC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Technician works under close supervision to provide a safe, supportive, and therapeutic environment for psychiatric patients in the UNC Hospitals Behavioral Health Emergency Department. The role provides direct patient care and may conduct therapeutic group sessions under the direction and supervision of a registered nurse (RN). The technician provides input to the RN in developing plans of care and assists with carrying them out for assigned patients. Duties also include assisting with admissions and orienting patients and families to the unit. The Behavioral Health Emergency Department serves approximately 5,000 patients annually and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its Emergency Department Transitional Unit can accommodate up to 42 beds. Staff partner with Emergency Medicine to provide compassionate mental health care tailored to patients and families, including people experiencing mental illness and/or substance use disorders. This is a full-time, onsite position in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with variable shifts, three 12-hour shifts per week, and rotating weekends.

Requirements

Certified Nursing Assistant; listed as a Nursing Assistant I by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
At least one year of relevant experience in a behavioral health environment; the posting also specifies one year working in a behavioral health/neurosciences unit.
High school diploma or GED; a higher-level degree may satisfy this requirement.
Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) certification within 60 days of hire.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients and hospital staff.
Ability to work with patients sensitively and understandingly, secure their cooperation, and maintain an empathetic attitude.
Ability to work with individuals and groups in didactic or recreational groups.
Ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
Fluency in written and verbal English.
Ability to develop computer skills if not already competent.

Responsibilities

Help patients with reality orientation and behavior modification plans; provide informal support to patients and families; use verbal de-escalation; assist with physical management of aggressive or out-of-control patients; facilitate age-appropriate play for children; and monitor therapeutic milieu activities to help meet patients’ emotional and safety needs.
Assist with interviews of patients and families for routine admission information and orient them to the facility.
Provide data and input during team discussions and meetings to help develop therapeutic plans and objectives.
Interact with patients individually and in small groups; facilitate assigned groups to encourage participation and interaction appropriate to members’ functional levels.
Observe, collect, and document patient information, and promptly report significant changes in condition to a registered nurse or physician.
Provide personal care for activities of daily living, including bathing, hygiene, feeding, and dressing; assist with positioning, range-of-motion exercises, transfers, and walking; obtain and record vital signs, intake and output, and other delegated measures; and report significant changes in condition or behavior to the supervising RN.
Provide protection and control as needed for patient safety; participate in restraining combative patients when necessary; and provide care and monitoring for patients in seclusion or restraint.
Reinforce routine teaching provided by an RN or physician, document patient understanding, and distribute patient education materials at the request of patients or health care providers.