Mental Health Technician

Job Title: Mental Health Technician

Location: Monmouth Medical Center

Department Name: Psych Service-Admin Ambulatory

Req #: 0000264055

Status: Hourly

Shift: Evening

Pay Range: $18.29 - $23.60 per hour

Pay Transparency:

The above reflects the anticipated hourly wage range for this position if hired to work in New Jersey.

The compensation offered to the candidate selected for the position will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills and professional experience.

Mental Health Technician - RWJBarnabas Health
Seeking to make a meaningful impact on the recovery and safety of psychiatric patients? At RWJBarnabas Health, our multidisciplinary patient care teams work collaboratively to provide high-quality, compassionate care to individuals facing diverse psychiatric illnesses. As a Mental Health Technician (MHT), work is performed under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse, serving as a vital visual anchor and supportive companion for patients requiring special safety precautions. Technicians are a critical component of the care plan, redefining the patient experience through vigilance, empathy, and excellence. This is an opportunity to join a dedicated team focused on maintaining a secure and therapeutic healing environment.

A typical day for a Mental Health Technician may include:

• Receiving a formal report before starting your assignment to thoroughly understand all pertinent information related to your assigned patients.
• Providing constant, alert observation and companionship to assigned patients, remaining attentive at all times to monitor patient safety, activity, and prevent injury or escape.
• Reviewing and following the patient's care plan to ascertain and support specific patient goals, following directions for specific patients, and completing assignments.
• Engaging patients in supportive conversation, therapeutic communication, and stimulating activities like board games, videos, or simple, repetitious tasks to develop rapport.
• Measuring and recording vital signs (T, P, R, B/P), height, weight, and accurate intake/output metrics, promptly reporting any values out of the normal range to the RN.
• Reporting all care rendered, as well as any observed physical, mental, emotional, behavioral, or social changes in the patient, directly to the Registered Nurse.
• Assisting patients with personal hygiene, grooming, perineal care, safe ambulation, and routine activities of daily living (ADLs).
• Supporting patient nutritional needs by serving prepared meals, providing feeding or mealtime setup assistance, supplying fluids, refilling water pitchers, and delivering supplemental or bedtime snacks.
• Performing essential clinical procedures under RN direction, including EKGs, venipuncture, capillary sampling, and blood glucose monitoring.
• Always using two patient identifiers to verify identity by name before any direct care, procedure, treatment, or diet, while ensuring the identification band is accurate and secure on the patient's wrist.
• Collecting specimens using appropriate collection techniques and precise specimen labeling.
• Documenting patient location, activity, behavior, thought content, and level of observation in the electronic Safety and Attendance record exactly every 15 minutes.
• Safely turning, moving, and positioning patients to relieve pressure, preserve skin integrity, and transport them out of bed, chairs, stretchers, or wheelchairs using proper body mechanics and demonstrating competency in the use of mechanical lifts.
• Accompanying and remaining with the patient at all times when transported to other departments for testing or procedures, unless explicitly relieved or directed otherwise by a caregiver.
• Maintaining a safe, clean, and secure unit environment by identifying and reporting safety issues, hazardous environments (e.g., damaged floors, walls, ceiling tiles, or unsecured areas), and medical errors.
• Recognizing emergent or potential emergent situations and responding immediately and appropriately.
• Reporting off-duty to the nurse before leaving the unit, ensuring that proper relief by a
• Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) is present so the patient is never left unattended.

This role might be for you if:

• There is a passion for providing a safe, compassionate, and welcoming healthcare experience for psychiatric and geriatric-psychiatric patients while providing a supportive environment with prompt and consistent service.
• Observation skills are exceptional, and you have the ability to remain alert at all times and appropriately manage aggressive, violent, or confused behaviors in an environment that can be physically and emotionally demanding.
• A high bar is set regarding patient rights, strict confidentiality of all communications and records, and strict adherence to Monmouth Medical Center hand hygiene protocols (washing hands prior to and after contact with patients).
• You easily refer to questionable issues or conflicts to the RN, Charge Nurse, or a designee for quick and safe resolution.
• Communication is effective with multidisciplinary teams, listening and communicating effectively to demonstrate professionalism with families, visitors, physicians, co-workers, and supervisors.
• You support teamwork by cooperative problem-solving through participation in meetings or projects, and utilize principles of continuous quality improvement to assess, measure, and improve department functions.
• You can organize work and set priorities with a minimum of supervision, make timely decisions consistent with objectives, demonstrate sound judgment, and benefit from constructive criticism.
• You understand and meet the requirements of the Corporate Compliance Program while complying with standards set by departmental policy, JCAHO, and other governing regulatory agencies, including a commitment to ongoing education.

To be considered for this Mental Health Technician opportunity:

• High School Diploma or equivalent is required.
• A minimum of three to five (3-5) years of related experience in a psychiatric or geriatric-psychiatric services setting required.
• One (1) year of experience as a Nurse Aide, Assistant, Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA), or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) OR satisfactory completion of an approved Aide training program required.
• At least one (1) year of experience as a phlebotomist and/or EKG technician with a healthcare background is preferred.
• Ability to correctly comply with all national patient safety goals, risk reduction procedures, and associated policies applicable to this scope of practice.
• Successful completion of the MMC clinical training orientation and annual BEST certification upon hire.
• Must meet the requirements of the ADA.
• Full-Time Evening Shift: 36 hours per week (Four 9-hour shifts, 2:00 PM - 11:00 PM).