Mental Health Technician

Mental Health Technician

The Mental Health Technician supports the nursing staff in maintaining a therapeutic setting by performing routinely assigned tasks and carrying out patient care activities within the scope of the MHT's training and experience. The MHT will maintain a safe and professional standard for patient care in accordance with Federal and State regulations, policies and procedures and accreditation and quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Continually monitors and enforces compliance with unit rules.
• Effectively applies supportive behavior when assisting in the control of patients who exhibit unacceptable behavior.
• Demonstrates the ability to employ de-escalation, crisis intervention, and therapeutic interventions as needed.
• Completes unit safety checks.
• Inventories patient belongings accurately and secures contraband as needed.
• Complies with standard/universal precautions and infection control policies and attends required in-services to keep self-informed.
• Implements patient care activities under the direction and supervision of licensed nursing personnel.
• Performs vital signs, weights, ADL monitoring, nutritional monitoring, and communicates findings to the nurse.
• Assists patients with laundry, meals, bathroom functions and maintaining of belongings as needed.
• Assists at risk/physically challenged patients with mobility needs as needed.
• Individualizes all patient care activities to the age specific/disability/cultural sensitivity needs of the patient.
• Communicates and documents patient observation and date effectively.
• Documents patient's departure from unit with 100% accuracy and within defined timelines.
• Documents significant occurrences, observed behavior, vital signs, nutrition intake and patient observation findings on assigned patients and as requested by the registered nurse, with 100% accuracy and within defined timelines.
• Communicates outcome of assigned tasks to nursing staff in a timely manner.
• Communicates follow-up on patient care responsibilities, incomplete assignments, ongoing activities and current patient needs to relevant staff to assure continuity of care.
• Escorts patients in and out of weekly Treatment Team meetings and in and out of visits with practitioners and therapists.
• Performs goals and activity groups to keep patients engaged outside of required therapy groups and report findings to clinical services.
• Performs other duties and projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Certified Nursing Assistant preferred
• At least 1 year experience working with psychiatric patients in an inpatient setting preferred
• Valid driver's license
• Crisis intervention experience preferred