Senior Mental Health Tech (Float)- Texas Behavioral Health Center

UT Southwestern Medical Center • Dallas, TX

15h • Onsite

About The Position

Provides experienced behavioral health patient care and support under the direction of nursing staff throughout assigned areas of the Behavioral Health Center. Serves as a patient care resource and is expected to work effectively across multiple units and patient populations through scheduled assignments and rotations while maintaining continuity of care and supporting unit operations. Responsibilities include patient observation and monitoring, assistance with activities of daily living, support of the therapeutic milieu, facilitation of patient activities, patient safety interventions, documentation, and patient transportation, including driving patients to scheduled clinic appointments.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• 2 years of behavioral health, psychiatric, or directly related patient-care experience required.
• (BLS) BASIC LIFE SUPPORT course accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross (ARC)
• (CPI) CRISIS PREVENTION INSTITUT CER - training must be completed within 30 days of hire date
• (DRIVERS) DRIVERS LICENSE Must have a valid State of Texas Driver’s License.
• Must be able to read, write, and communicate in English

Nice To Haves

• 1 year of acute care inpatient hospital experience
• Certified Nurses Aide certification with training from an accredited training program
• Training from an accredited Mental Health Technician Program
• Completed first semester of Nursing Clinicals from an accredited program

Responsibilities

• Provides support among Behavioral Health Center units and other designated patient care areas. Adapts to differing unit workflows, patient populations, care environments, and assignments while maintaining established standards of patient care and safety.
• Transports and drives patients to scheduled clinic appointments and other approved locations in accordance with organizational policies, patient safety requirements, and established transportation procedures.
• Uses prior behavioral health experience and knowledge of established procedures to effectively navigate varied patient care assignments and recognize situations requiring nursing or leadership intervention.
• Collects data to include: intake and output, weight, temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure. Performs skin assessments. Recognizes and immediately reports values outside normal parameters to the nurse. Demonstrates awareness of age-specific considerations in gathering these assessments (children, adolescents, adults, older adults). Assists in facilitating treatment milieu. Participates in codes to protect the patient from harming self or others.
• Reports any changes in a patient's condition or behavior immediately to the nurse. Seeks assistance and guidance as needed to ensure that patient care is delivered in a safe, high quality and effective manner at all times. Monitors patient sharps and valuables and labels-handles appropriately. Conducts walking/exercise and community groups. Continuously observe patients at arm's length proximity while patient is awake or asleep.
• Responds to patient requests for assistance in a respectful, positive, and timely manner using AIDET script.
• Performs basic hygiene care in accordance with the Department of Nursing Policies and Procedures. Checks skin carefully during the bath, reports anything other than normal immediately to the nurse.
• Documents patient information accurately and in appropriate place in a timely manner.
• Transfers, and transports patients safely and in accordance with the Department of Nursing Policies and Procedures, with concern for age-specific considerations. Ensures that patient is covered with robe and/or blankets and that slippers are on feet (even if Transporter is taking patient).
• Welcomes new patient/patient's family. Knocks before entering room. Smiles and introduces self. Wears name tag. Immediately alerts nurse if patient/patient's family seems or is unhappy and you have not resolved the issue.
• Provide patient care under the direction of nursing staff being certain to only perform tasks in which training and/or competency has been validated.
• Assess, identify, and monitor environmental, patient, and the patient's family needs in a respectful, positive, and timely manner to achieve satisfaction.
• Resolve patient concerns by initiating service recovery and immediately escalating patient, family, visitors and staff concerns through the chain of command.
• Prepare, update, and disseminate reports at the change of shift and when changes are noted in the patient's condition.
• Orients new staff and students to work areas. Collaborates with other nursing staff and hospital employees to create an environment that is conducive to the retention of qualified personnel.
• Build meaning and sustainable relationships of trust through open and interactive communication with members of the healthcare team.
• Maintain current compliance with ongoing annual education requirements (modules, classes and competencies). Attend at least 80%25 of scheduled staff meetings and 100%25 of mandatory educational sessions.
• Utilize downtime to assist others and/or to provide additional supportive measures to patients and/or patients’ families within the respective patient care environment.
• Assumes accountabilities for all actions in the workplace. Reports errors promptly.
• Performs in the role of sitter as needed, documents as required.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100%25 coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer

What This Job Offers

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