Psychiatric Technician

The Position

Incumbent works under the direction of a Psychiatric Registered Nurse or designee, performing basic nursing care duties and providing needs and comfort of patients in accordance with established policies and procedures of the Douglas County Community Mental Health Center (CMHC).

Essential Functions

• Perform clinical activities based on patient treatment plan.
• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with clients, supervisors, County employees, elected officials, attorneys, law enforcement, judges, other agencies, and the public.
• Comply with Civil Service policies and regulations, collective bargaining agreements, County policies, department policies and laws to create a cooperative, safe, respectful and quality work environment.
• Attend shift report meetings exchanging information and providing continuity of care.
• Obtain, document, and chart patients' vital signs and other data (e.g. height, weight, BMI).
• Observe psychosocial interactions, reporting changes/abnormal behavior to Supervisor.
• Perform housekeeping activities.
• Engage individuals in an empathetic/accepting manner to develop therapeutic relationships.
• Deescalate situations with patients.
• Actively participate in patient activities, fostering conducive therapies and healing (e.g. goal setting, goal review, 1 to 1, groups, therapeutic, recreational activities).
• Supervise patients' personal care routines, providing assistance and obtaining specimens.
• Monitor patient nutrition, recording all caloric intake and output.
• Adhere to department procedures, protocols, and methods (e.g. hand washing, isolation procedures, universal precautions, handling chemicals and biohazards).
• Participate in patient admissions (e.g. completing paperwork, obtaining photo, documenting/storing patient belongings, orienting patient and family).
• Monitor closed-circuit television (CCT) panel.
• Assist with transferring patients using proper body mechanics/transfer techniques.
• Develop therapeutic relationships with patients, maintaining a professional attitude toward clients and treating them with empathy and respect.
• Safely operate a motor vehicle when required to travel on County business.
• Report to work with regular, consistent attendance.
• Perform other duties as directed and assigned.

Education and Work Experience and Other Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required.*
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) training within 6 months of hire required.
• Completion of a pre-employment criminal record check, conditional offer drug screen and physical assessment required.
• *Equivalent combination of education and work experience may be substituted for requirements on a year-for-year basis.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Work is performed in a secure psychiatric facility. Noise level is usually moderate and at times loud. Work hours are assigned shift hours; however, schedule may vary (e.g. days, shifts, weekends, holidays, overtime/extra hours, emergency call-in). Work involves potential exposure to biohazards, and potential risk of injury from assaultive/abusive patients. Work may be stressful when dealing with time constraints, multiple/changing priorities, irate/abusive individuals and emergency situations.
• Work requires some physical activity including extended periods of standing, walking, frequent bending, reaching, and occasional sitting, kneeling, climbing, stooping, crouching, and balancing. Work also requires the ability to frequently lift/carry objects weighing up to 50 pounds, push 35 pounds, and occasionally pull 75 pounds of load over seven (7) feet. Additionally, incumbents must have the ability to exert 65 pounds of grip strength while quickly changing position from kneeling to standing.
• Required sensory abilities include vision, hearing and touch. Visual abilities, correctable to normal ranges, include close, distance, peripheral, and color vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. Incumbent must possess the hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate computers and other equipment.

Benefits

• Insurance including health, dental, vision, and life
• Pension
• Sick Leave
• Vacation Leave
• 13 Holidays
• Flex Spending Accounts
• Deferred Income plans (457 plan)
• EAP
• Health Savings Accounts

Douglas County is an EOE - Disability/Veterans