Mental Health Technician

Rocky Top Behavioral Health•Lake City, TN

About The Position

The Mental Health Technician (MHT) supports nursing staff in maintaining a therapeutic setting by performing routinely assigned tasks and patient care activities within the scope of the MHT’s training and experience. The MHT maintains safe and professional patient care in accordance with federal and state regulations, organizational policies and procedures, and accreditation and quality standards.

Requirements

High school graduate or equivalent.
Valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

Certified Nursing Assistant certification.
At least one year of experience working with psychiatric patients in an inpatient setting.
Crisis intervention experience.

Responsibilities

Continually monitor and enforce compliance with unit rules.
Apply supportive behavior when assisting in the control of patients who exhibit unacceptable behavior.
Use de-escalation, crisis intervention, and therapeutic interventions as needed.
Complete unit safety checks.
Accurately inventory patient belongings and secure contraband as needed.
Comply with standard/universal precautions and infection-control policies, and attend required in-services.
Implement patient care activities under the direction and supervision of licensed nursing personnel.
Perform vital signs, weights, activities of daily living (ADL) monitoring, and nutritional monitoring, and communicate findings to the nurse.
Assist patients with laundry, meals, bathroom functions, and maintaining their belongings as needed.
Assist at-risk or physically challenged patients with mobility needs as needed.
Individualize patient care activities to meet patients’ age-specific, disability-related, and cultural-sensitivity needs.
Effectively communicate and document patient observations and related data.
Document patients’ departure from the unit accurately and within defined timelines.
Accurately and promptly document significant occurrences, observed behavior, vital signs, nutritional intake, and patient observation findings for assigned patients, as requested by the registered nurse.
Communicate the outcomes of assigned tasks to nursing staff in a timely manner.
Communicate follow-up on patient care responsibilities, incomplete assignments, ongoing activities, and current patient needs to relevant staff to assure continuity of care.
Escort patients to and from weekly Treatment Team meetings and visits with practitioners and therapists.
Conduct goals and activity groups to engage patients outside of required therapy groups and report findings to clinical services.
Perform other duties and projects as assigned.