Crisis Services Technician - Crisis Services Unit

Glens Falls Hospital • Glens Falls, NY

2d • Onsite

About The Position

As a Behavioral Health Services (BHS) Technician or Crisis Services Technician, you will provide vital, hands-on care to individuals navigating acute mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities. This role involves blending essential medical support with empathetic, trauma-informed advocacy in the secure Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit and the Crisis Stabilization Unit. The Crisis Center operates in a fast-paced environment as an outpatient unit located in the Emergency Department, supporting intake processes, safety procedures, and patient flow. Care is immediate and triage-based, with patients receiving initial treatment and stabilization while awaiting a full crisis evaluation. Nursing staff collaborate closely with Emergency Department (ED) providers to obtain medication orders and manage patient needs in real time.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED required
• 1–2 years of healthcare, patient care, or mental health experience is preferred
• Excellent communication skills
• Strong conflict de-escalation abilities
• Dedicated comfort level working with diverse populations in high-acuity medical environments

Nice To Haves

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, Psychology, Sociology, or a related behavioral field is strongly preferred
• OPWDD experience or training highly desired

Responsibilities

• Build trusting relationships with patients that emphasize personal recovery, resilience, and emotional regulation.
• Deliver trauma-informed care that minimizes restrictive measures and empowers patients to participate in their treatment plans.
• Assist and teach patients with daily living activities, personal hygiene, and nutritional tracking.
• Facilitate therapeutic group activities, holiday celebrations, and movie nights in partnership with programming directors.
• Perform core medical tasks, including taking vital signs, blood glucose checks, lab specimen collection, 12-lead EKGs, and phlebotomy (blood draws).
• Manage patient intake workflows, including charting, inventorying personal belongings, and orienting new patients to the unit.
• Observe and document patient behaviors, providing clear, timely written and verbal updates promptly to the Registered Nurse regarding any status changes.
• Support the unit by completing basic clerical tasks and escorting patients to off-unit activities.
• Maintain unit safety and security by conducting safety rounds, room checks, video monitoring, and contraband searches.
• Provide direct visual observation for high-risk patients to ensure the safety of both patients and staff.
• De-escalate tense situations, patient aggression, or behavioral crises using hospital-approved verbal and physical techniques.
• Apply, monitor, and remove patient restraints only when necessary, strictly adhering to physician protocols and safety guidelines.

Benefits

• Paid Specialized Training
• Fully compensated, gold-standard crisis prevention and clinical orientation certifications (including CIT and BLS) upon hire.
• Gain highly coveted, hands-on patient care hours perfect for individuals pursuing advanced degrees in Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, or Nursing.
• Gain diverse skills by cross-training in both acute inpatient care and emergency psychiatric crisis settings, working with all age groups from pediatric to adult populations.
• Gain invaluable skills working with both voluntarily admitted and acute patients across all age groups, including pediatric populations.
• Benefit from structured on-the-job training, mentorship from licensed professionals, and a clear pathway for internal career growth.

What This Job Offers

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