Mental Health Technician - Crisis Intervention Center

Crawford County Mental Health Center•Girard, KS

12d

About The Position

The Mental Health Technician implements the daily operations of the Crisis Intervention Center, ensuring the safety, supervision, and well-being of patients experiencing mental health or substance use crises. The role provides direct interaction, behavioral support, crisis response, and therapeutic engagement in a structured environment. The position is primarily assigned to the Crisis Intervention Center and may provide cross-coverage in the Center’s residential addiction-treatment programs when assigned, trained, and deemed competent. The role includes supervising and monitoring patients, documenting their status and behavior, engaging them in supportive and recovery-oriented activities, assisting with daily living and unit routines, and implementing authorized crisis-intervention and safety measures. The technician helps maintain a secure, clean, and therapeutic environment, responds to emergencies, communicates with the interdisciplinary team, protects patient rights and confidentiality, and completes required records and training. When assigned to residential addiction-treatment coverage, the technician may support program routines and, when authorized and trained, transport clients and assist with or observe screening procedures. This position is funded through external grant funding. Continued employment is contingent on the availability and continuation of grant funds and is not guaranteed.

Requirements

Be at least 21 years old.
Have a high school diploma or equivalent (GED).
Be emotionally resilient, communicative, adaptable, and committed to trauma-informed, patient-centered care.
Demonstrate competency with computers, software applications, printers, scanners, telephones, and other technology, and a commitment to continuous improvement and applying technology.
Be physically capable of maintaining personal safety in potentially high-pressure or crisis situations and have the readiness and stamina to respond effectively to crisis calls.
Pass KBI, DCF Child Abuse Check, Adult Abuse Registry, and motor vehicle screens.
Successfully complete pre-employment drug screening; employees may also be included in a random drug-testing program after hire.
Meet applicable tuberculosis-screening requirements, including providing documentation of required TB testing or chest X-ray and completing additional screening following potential exposure.
Provide a statement from an authorized medical practitioner confirming no physical or mental impairment prevents performance of job duties, or detailing necessary accommodations.
Demonstrate interpersonal skills and the ability to work with people with serious mental illness, significant functional impairment, or risk related to mental illness, and to respond effectively in a wide variety of human-service situations.
Successfully complete Management of Aggressive Behavior (MOAB) training.
Complete First Aid and CPR training and maintain required certification.

Nice To Haves

Current Kansas certification as a Certified Medication Aide (CMA) in active status and good standing is preferred.

Responsibilities

Supervise and maintain accountability for patients according to staffing ratios, individualized supervision requirements, and CIC policies, including providing increased or 1:1 supervision when required.
Observe, monitor, and document patient status, behavior, treatment participation, interactions, and changes or concerns; promptly communicate significant observations and safety concerns.
Engage patients through active listening, supportive and trauma-informed communication, emotional support, therapeutic and recovery-oriented activities, conflict resolution, and de-escalation.
Assist patients with activities of daily living and unit routines, including hygiene, meals, personal care, group participation, and stabilization and treatment activities.
Implement established crisis-intervention and patient-safety measures within the employee’s training and role, including suicide and self-harm precautions, individualized safety plans, de-escalation, and response to behavioral emergencies.
Maintain a safe and secure treatment environment through patient observations, room and safety checks, contraband procedures, building-security activities, and control of prohibited or hazardous items.
Prevent and respond to elopement or unauthorized departure by following patient-accountability, security, and incident-response procedures.
Follow applicable restraint, seclusion, and safety-intervention requirements, using only approved interventions within the employee’s training and authority. Prohibited interventions, weapons, chemical restraints, mace, and pepper spray must not be used.
Complete accurate, timely, clear, and confidential documentation, including observations, interactions, interventions, incidents, logs, shift reports, and other required records.
Collaborate with nursing, clinical staff, case management, supervisors, and other team members; participate in shift briefings and staff meetings and support continuity of care and patient safety.
Protect patient rights by treating patients with dignity and respect, maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries, respecting cultural and religious differences, and exercising sound ethical judgment.
Follow infection-control, environmental-safety, and emergency-preparedness procedures, maintain a clean and safe environment, and respond appropriately to emergencies.
Use required electronic records, computer systems, and general office equipment to document, access patient information, and perform assigned duties.
Participate in orientation, training, continuing education, and emergency drills, and maintain required First Aid and CPR certification.
When assigned and competent, assist with the orientation and support of new staff, interns, and volunteers, including reinforcing safety and de-escalation practices.
Follow CIC and Center policies, KDADS requirements, patient-rights requirements, confidentiality standards, supervisory direction, and applicable state and federal requirements.
Perform routine housekeeping and environmental-maintenance duties, including cleaning and disinfecting rooms and common areas, changing linens, handling laundry and waste, stocking supplies, supervising resident cleaning assignments when applicable, and reporting maintenance, sanitation, pest-control, or safety concerns.
When assigned to residential addiction-treatment coverage, support the program’s daily structure, including recovery-oriented and therapeutic activities, house meetings, meals, curfews, resident accountability, chores, and unit routines.
When authorized, trained, and assigned, transport residential addiction-treatment clients; assist with or observe urine-specimen collection and other required screening procedures; and document related activities.