Psychiatric Technician- HCPC Unit 1D- Day Shift

UTHealth Houston•, TX

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Join the HCPC 1D team, a 20-bed adult psychiatric unit dedicated to providing compassionate, recovery-focused care for adult patients experiencing psychosis and those participating in the Restoration of Opportunity and Treatment Program (ROTP). In this role, you will work closely with an interdisciplinary team to promote patient safety, engagement, and service excellence while supporting therapeutic activities and daily patient care needs. This position is ideal for individuals who are passionate about behavioral health, enjoy working directly with patients, and thrive in a collaborative healthcare setting. The Day Shift schedule is 7:00 AM to 7:30 PM and follows a matrix scheduling pattern with alternating weekends. To support patient care and operational needs across the hospital, team members may also be required to float to other behavioral health units based on staffing needs and patient census.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent required
1 year of experience as a Mental Health Technician/Psychiatric Technician or successful completion of the Psychiatric Technician Internship program required
Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) by American Red Cross or American Heart Association (AHA) required
Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.

Nice To Haves

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) by Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) preferred
Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (MA) by National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) preferred
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) by National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) preferred

Responsibilities

Conducting safety rounds
Obtaining vital signs
Documenting patient information
Assisting with patient groups
Providing one-to-one observation when needed
Utilizing verbal de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques
Supporting a safe therapeutic environment
Provides inpatient and outpatient non-skilled nursing for psychiatric patients.
Provides supervision of patients on suicide or other critical precautions, 1:1 or 2:1, which requires a staff member to be within continuous arm 's length of a patient.
Responsible for operating equipment such as IVAC, Sphygmomanometer and Scale.
Assists patients with activities of daily living i.e. bathing, shaving, hygiene, toileting, and grooming, while respecting the patient 's privacy, to the extent possible.
Interacts and engages with patients in a therapeutic manner using Trauma informed care and therapeutic communication strategies.
Participates in implementing and formulating patients' treatment plan based on experience and close observation of patients.
Helps maintain a therapeutic milieu. Assists with milieu management and uses crisis de-escalation and trauma informed care strategies to reduce destructive and disruptive patient behavior and ensures the safety of patient, self, and others. Recognizes early warning signs of worsening patient behaviors and intervenes appropriately.
Facilitates patients' groups and participation in therapeutic activities (i.e. community meeting, transition, and wrap-up groups etc.).
Implements crisis management skills (de-escalation skills) as directed by licensed staff, including situations where the patient could be in danger, suffer self-inflicted harm, or harm others.
Must be able to restrain an adult, adolescent, or pediatric patient within the guidelines currently in use at HCPC, including circumstances where the patient is violent or aggressive towards staff and others, including other patients.
In certain circumstances, must be able to maintain initial physical control of an adult, adolescent or pediatric patient individually until assistance from other team members arrive.
Escorts patients on and off campus for medical emergencies and diagnostic procedures when required.
Conducts patient Q15 and Q30 minutes observation rounds with appropriate documentation, and one to one observation. Observes patient condition for signs/symptoms consistent with illness or mental status change; reports observations about patient condition to the nurse.
Conducts environmental rounds on unit for safety.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees
Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year)
The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!
Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service)
Retirement/pension plan
Free financial and legal counseling
Free mental health counseling services
Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
Resources for child and elder care