Mental Health Technician - PT Nights with Benefits

Mental Health Technician

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It's also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community. Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

The Mental Health Technician functions as a caregiver for a specific patient population in order to achieve desired outcomes. This position focuses on expanding knowledge and skills, providing effective direct and indirect care as part of the interdisciplinary team to a variety of complex patients. Under the direction of the registered nurse, promotes patient satisfaction, comfort and safety. Assists with a variety of patient, unit and environment-related tasks. Participates in patient safety initiatives. May be assigned and floated during shift to any inpatient unit, crisis unit or emergency room to meet patient care needs.

Responsibilities include:

• Providing patient care based on physical, psychosocial, education, safety, and related criteria, appropriate to the age of the guests/patients served in assigned service.
• Providing for effective and safe guest/patients outcomes through practice, judgment and critical actions.
• Ongoing communication with patients, nursing colleagues and other members of the health care team regarding patient's status and rendered care.
• Taking self-directed or self-motivated initiative to do more than is expected or required in the job, acting before being required to by events, improving job performance, and/or creating new opportunities.
• Participating in interdisciplinary collaboration of our patient's plan of care from admission to discharge to ensure safe transitioning and continuum of care.
• Participating in Unit/Department Performance Improvement [PI] activities.

Specific Job Functions may include but not limited to:

• Welcoming patients and checking for proper identification bracelets. Participating in the orientation of patients to the unit/area and developing rapport with patients, family members, and significant others.
• Preparing the patient for assessment/admission, physical examination and procedures.
• Participating in patient search at admission, upon return from pass, or as clinically indicated, under the direction of a Registered Nurse consistent with network policy.
• Recognizing and responding to opportunities to enhance patient satisfaction.
• Demonstrating the knowledge and skill necessary to provide care appropriate to age of patients on the unit.
• Observing and reporting patient's conditions, behavior, reaction to treatment and complaints to the nurse, psychiatrist and/or other advanced practice professional.
• As needed, obtaining clinical data, temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, O2 saturation and documenting findings in patient record and notifying RN immediately of abnormal results.
• Drawing intravenous or capillary blood as needed from newborn through geriatric aged patients using proper aseptic collection techniques, assure appropriate labeling and processing of specimens to expedite throughput of patients.
• Performing venipuncture for laboratory tests as needed.
• Demonstrating a reliable and dependable ability to follow through with designated responsibilities in the collecting, labeling, and transporting of specimens to the proper area at the appropriate time: always correctly labels type of specimen collected, including patients name and room number.
• Performing EKG for patients as needed and directed.
• Assurance of the presence, functionality and cleanliness of all necessary equipment.
• Applying bandages, slings, compression boots and hypothermia blankets according to standard as needed and directed by RN.
• Where applicable, providing support to psychiatry consultation liaison service by organizing setup of equipment and direct observation of patient and equipment during the consultation via telehealth.
• Assisting in the transport of patients to departments or units upon request.
• Providing 1:1 direct observation as needed to monitor safety.
• Assisting in seclusion, restraint and monitoring of agitated patients under the direction of the RN.
• Documenting data on seclusion, restraint, precaution, and 15 minute check sheets in line with the network restraint policy.
• Performing 5/15/30 minute safety checks and documenting data.
• Assisting with preparation as necessary assuring the patient is assisted with meals/ or fed as needed.
• Checking inventory of assigned area and restocking as directed by RN.
• Ensuring room environment is prepared for admission, specifically for behavioral health patients.
• Providing direct hygiene and comfort care to patients including bathing, toileting, oral hygiene, incontinent care, and bed making.
• Assisting the patients with dressing/undressing as needed and placing patient belongings in the appropriate bag labeled with completed property checklist and handled consistent with hospital policy. Assisting with inspection of all clothing/property brought to patients during visiting hours. Ensuring that prohibited material is not brought into the hospital by either the patient or visitors. Monitoring the return of clothing to the family of the patient.
• Receiving visitors during visiting hours, maintaining safety checks and direct observation during visiting hours.
• Performing and documenting glucose finger sticks and collecting other specimens as needed and directed.
• Providing post mortem care as directed.
• Facilitating group clinical treatment activities, as directed.
• Obtaining and documenting patient weights and observing and documenting patient's intake and output.
• Providing a safe patient environment by answering call lights promptly, communicating with the RN immediately for any change in the patient's condition.
• Identifying the needs of the patient population served and modifying and delivering care that is specific to those needs not limited to (i.e., age, culture, language, hearing and/or visually impaired, etc.). This process includes communicating with the patient, parent, and/or primary caregiver(s) at their level (developmental/age, educational, literacy, etc.).
• Ensuring that paperwork and electronic records are completed accurately and within procedural time limits.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adhering to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• High School diploma, general equivalency diploma (GED), and/or GED equivalent programs.
• Completion of one of the following: - Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant or Patient Care Technician program or - Fundamentals of Nursing program from an accredited school of nursing or - HMH PCT Apprenticeship Program - Or equivalent medical or behavioral health background experience, such as EMT, Home Health Aide, CMA, MA, PCT, Nursing Assistant. - Or actively pursuing an Associate's or Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/ university in social work, psychology, nursing or related field. Note: Candidates who apply to work in an Acute Care setting, that have not completed one of the programs but meet the other requirements will be considered for selection into the HMH PCT Apprentice Program. If selected, the candidate will be hired into the role of PCT Apprentice. Upon successful completion of the HMH PCT Apprenticeship Program, the candidate will be transferred to the Mental Health Technician role. Acute Care setting does not include Carrier Clinic.
• The ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing patient needs, a strong sense of accountability for improving the lives of our patients and their caregivers, an exceptional focus on teamwork, dedication to ongoing education and the ability and passion to deliver the highest quality of care and service based on a strong sense of patient focus are all required.

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred:

• Experienced or certified in phlebotomy and checking EKG, vital signs and blood sugar.
• Minimum of one (1) year PCT, MHT, CNA or other behavioral health experience in a hospital setting is strongly preferred.
• Experience with behavioral health patients.
• Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Medical Assistant, Mental Health Technician or Patient Care Technician who has successfully completed a PCT program which includes Phlebotomy, EKG and nursing assistant course both in the theoretical and clinical setting.

Licenses and Certifications Required:

• AHA Basic Health Care Life Support HCP Certification within 60 days of entering position.

Compensation Minimum rate of $20.68 Hourly HMH is committed to pay equity and transparency for our team members. The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act and does not reflect the full value of our market-competitive total rewards package.