Mental Health Technician, Psychiatric Acute, Day Shift, Full-time

Adventist Health•Saint Helena, CA

About The Position

The Mental Health Technician provides direct and indirect care to a patient or assigned group of patients under the direction of a registered nurse (RN). The role meets patient care needs through the nursing process and uses age-related interventions for patients of different age groups as assigned by the RN. The position supports patients in a psychiatric acute-care setting through psychosocial interventions, assistance with activities of daily living, patient monitoring, therapeutic activities and groups, and documentation. It also supports program operations and patient and family education within the scope of practice.

Requirements

High school education, GED, or equivalent is required.
Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI), Techniques for Effective Aggression Management (TEAM), or TEAM-A certification is required.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from an approved vendor per Adventist Health policy is required.
Receive all required vaccinations as a condition of employment and annually thereafter, where applicable; medical and religious exemptions may apply.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or technical degree, or equivalent combination of education and related experience.
Two years of experience in a behavioral healthcare setting.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification.
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI) certification.
Management of Assaultive Behavior certification.

Responsibilities

Implement psychosocial interventions and assist patients with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, oral hygiene, ambulating, transferring, elimination needs, and therapeutic program participation.
Assist in maintaining program function, including meal supervision and patient safety checks.
Assist with structured therapeutic activities and supportive interactions with patients.
Use seclusion and restraint interventions as needed.
Conduct therapeutic interventions with patients exhibiting significant disturbances in emotional, cognitive, and physical behaviors.
Facilitate or co-facilitate therapeutic group processes, including verbal process, patient education, and groups using nonverbal expression and communication.
Interpret patient behavior or physical symptoms, recognize abnormal behaviors, and report them to the RN so interventions can be implemented.
Collect data and perform physical examinations for patients; participate with the RN in planning care and implementing interventions.
Work with other team members to develop plans for meeting patients’ daily care needs, as determined by the care plan.
Conduct required patient monitoring according to policy.
Document individual patient care information.
Support patients and families through empathetic interaction and education within scope of practice.
Identify and reinforce patient and family teaching plans.
Encourage patient participation in the program environment and support patients in coping with immediate situations.
Assist nursing staff with clerical duties, including preparing new charts on admission, completing routine forms, and answering telephones.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned.