PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN II/CORRECTIONAL HEALTH

Psychiatric Technician II

The County of Los Angeles is currently offering up to 20% bonus for full-time Psychiatric Technician II, Correctional Health positions hired by Correctional Health Services and working on-site in a designated facility to meet critical healthcare needs for the uniquely underserved jail population. This opportunity will remain open until the needs of the services are met and is subject to closure without prior notice. Los Angeles County is under a Department of Justice Consent Decree to improve conditions and mental health care in County jails, as well as supporting justice-involved populations post-release. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to help us in the mission of providing a range of services both in the jail and community. If you are looking for a new career that will directly benefit the justice-involved population of LA County, this may be the opportunity for you. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Psychiatric Technician II vacancies related to the DOJ Consent Decree. Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment. Before the end of your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%. Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Psychiatric Technician II.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second-largest municipal health system in the nation. Through its integrated system of 25 health centers, four acute hospitals, and an expanded network of community partner clinics DHS annually provides direct care for 600,000 unique patients, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual budget of over $6.9 billion. Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings to supportive housing.

The mission of DHS is to advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

Actively participates with professional staff members in the delivery of mental health services or the delivery of indirect and direct patient care to clients who are mentally ill or emotionally disturbed. Positions allocable to this journey-level class work in mental health facilities or special treatment programs of the Department of Mental Health or in hospitals and clinics of the Department of Health Services. Incumbents work under the supervision of a mental health clinical program manager, a psychiatrist or other licensed physician, a psychologist, or at the direction of a rehabilitation therapist, social worker, or registered nurse, and participate in the control, evaluation and treatment of clients.

Observes, evaluates, records and reports to professional staff changes in client's condition.

Provides direct and indirect patient care including helping clients with personal hygiene such as bathing and personal grooming.

Takes and records measures of the client's physical condition such as pulse, temperature, respiration, weight, and body mass index.

Prepares appropriate forms in connection with emergency calls, evaluation of the client's condition, and maintenance of the client's records.

Implements de-escalation procedures and techniques and aids or restrains clients to prevent injury to themselves or others.

Participates in planning, executing, and documenting interventions related to the client care plan.

Participates in multi-disciplinary team conferences to share pertinent client information and collaborate with other mental health staff to develop and manage an effective treatment plan.

Within scope-of-practice guidelines, provides direct client care, completes required documentation, updates treatment team regarding client progress, and provides client, family members and significant others with referrals and linkage to community resources.

Provides and documents mental health services to mentally ill or emotionally disturbed clients as a member of a Psychiatric Mobile Response Team, Clinical Behavioral Management Response Team, Homeless Outreach and Engagement Team, crisis intervention team, or therapeutic team at an outpatient or inpatient facility.

Administers, either orally or by injection, prescribed medications to clients in acute psychiatric settings.

Serves as mental health service gatekeeper at the mental health ACCESS and Telecommunication Center, performing triage on caller requests for service, referring caller to an appropriate treatment source, and/or dispatching a mobile response team or an ambulance.

Contacts ambulance companies when ambulance transport is requested through ACCESS Center or collaboration with directly operated clinics.

Prepares and signs the application for immediate 72-hour detention of disturbed psychiatric clients if Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) designated by the Office of Medical Director as needed.

Coordinates all activities of the Psychiatric Mobile Response Team and Clinical Behavioral Management Response Team, including staff coverage and coordination of team services with law enforcement agencies as needed.

Minimum requirements: One year of experience assisting mental health professionals in the delivery of preventative, therapeutic and rehabilitative psychiatric services to emotionally disturbed or mentally ill clients at the level of Psychiatric Technician I* -OR- One year of experience assisting medical professionals in the delivery of in-patient medical services to troubled, disruptive, or violence prone clients at the level of Psychiatric Technician I. Experience at the level of Psychiatric Technician I in the County of Los Angeles is defined as: Assisting professional staff members in the delivery of mental health services or the delivery of indirect and direct patient care to clients who are mentally ill or emotionally disturbed. You MUST meet the above requirement(s) in order to be appointed to fill any vacancy related to this recruitment. License: A valid California State License to practice as a Psychiatric Technician. Required license(s) and/or certification(s) must be active and unrestricted, or your application will not be accepted. A valid California Class C Driver License is required for appointment to some positions. Physical Class: 4 - Arduous: Involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds, often combined with bending, twisting, or working on irregular surfaces; and occasionally requires extraordinary physical activity. The current vacancies are to be filled within Correctional Health. Before the end of your initial work period, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.

Applications must be filed online only. Many important notifications will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add View email address on click.appcast.io, as well as View email address on click.appcast.io, and View email address on click.appcast.io to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail. You have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County. Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices. Plan to submit your online application in a timely manner, as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address. Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number. For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. All applicants must file their applications online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record. The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records that are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment