Mental Health Technician -Behavioral Health - Adolescent Unit -Carrier Clinic- F/T Nights

Mental Health Technician, Admissions

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.

Responsibilities

The Mental Health Technician, Admissions, functions as a caregiver for a specific patient population in order to achieve desired outcomes. This position focuses on expanding knowledge and skills and on 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. The incumbent assists with a variety of patient, unit, and environment-related tasks and participates in patient safety initiatives. May be assigned and floated to Communication Specialists during the shift. The Mental Health Technician's primary location will be at a Carrier Clinic facility.

• Provide patient care, based on physical, psychosocial, educational, safety, and related criteria, appropriate to the age of the guests/patients served in the assigned service.
• Provide for effective and safe guest/patient outcomes through practice, judgment, and critical actions.
• Ongoing communication with patients, nursing colleagues, and other members of the health care team regarding the patient's status and rendered care.
• Take 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
• Participate in interdisciplinary collaboration of our patients' plan of care from admission to ensure safe transitioning and continuum of care
• Participate in Unit/Department Performance Improvement [PI] activities

Specific Job Functions may include, but not limited to:

• Welcomes patients and completes initial triage in collaboration with the admissions triage nurse coordinator and/or admissions specialist. Participates in the orientation of patients to the unit/area and develops rapport with patients, family members, and significant others.
• Prepares the patient for assessment/admission, physical examination, and procedures.
• Participates in patient search at admission, upon return from pass, or as clinically indicated, under the direction of a Registered Nurse consistent with network policy.
• Recognizes and responds to opportunities to enhance patient satisfaction.
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of patients on the unit.
• Observes and reports patients' conditions, behavior, reaction to treatment, and complaints to the nurse, psychiatrist, and/or other advanced practice professional.
• As needed, obtains clinical data, temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, O2 saturation, and documents findings in the patient record and notifies the RN immediately of abnormal results.
• Draws 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.
• Performs venipuncture for laboratory tests as needed.
• Performs EKG for patients as needed and directed.
• Assures the presence, functionality, and cleanliness of all necessary equipment.
• Applies bandages, slings, compression boots, and hypothermia blankets according to standard, as needed and directed by the RN.
• Where applicable, provides support to the psychiatry consultation liaison service by organizing the setup of equipment and direct observation of the patient and equipment during the consultation via telehealth.
• Assists in the transport of patients to departments or units upon request.
• Provides 1:1 direct observation as needed to monitor safety.
• Assists in the seclusion, restraint, and monitoring of agitated patients under the direction of the RN.
• Documents data on seclusion, restraint, precaution, and 15-minute check sheets in line with the network restraint policy.
• Performs 15-minute safety checks and documents data.
• Assists with preparation as necessary assuring the patient is assisted with meals/ or fed as needed.
• Checks inventory of assigned area and restocks as directed by RN.
• Ensures the room environment is prepared for admission, specifically for behavioral health patients.
• Provides direct hygiene and comfort care to patients, including bathing, toileting, oral hygiene, incontinent care, and bed making.
• Assists the patients with dressing/undressing as needed and placing patient belongings in the appropriate bag labeled with the completed property checklist and handled consistently with hospital policy. Assists with inspecting all clothing/property brought to patients during visiting hours. Ensures that prohibited material is not brought into the hospital by patients or visitors. Monitors the return of clothing to the patient's family.
• Performs and documents glucose finger sticks and collects other specimens as needed and directed.
• Provides post-mortem care as directed.
• Facilitates group clinical treatment activities, as directed.
• Obtains and documents patient weights and observes and documents the patient's intake and output.
• Provides a safe patient environment by answering call lights promptly and communicating with the RN immediately for any change in the patient's condition.
• Identifies the needs of the patient population served and modifies and delivers 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.)
• Ensures that paperwork and electronic records are completed accurately and within procedural time limits.
• Answers incoming calls promptly and courteously, determining the appropriate destination and routing calls efficiently. This includes handling main hospital lines, emergency lines, physician answering services, and various hotlines.
• Responds to and manages emergency codes (e.g., Traumas, Fires, Disasters, Life Safety, Medical Alerts, Facility Alerts, Security Alerts, and alarms according to established procedures, including notifying appropriate personnel and departments, documenting events, and initiating necessary actions as needed. Provides information regarding patient location, visiting hours, hospital departments and services, on-call schedules, and directory assistance.
• Operates the paging system upon request for overhead on-ground and off-ground.
• Operates and maintains communication systems and computer-based databases. This includes troubleshooting issues, reporting malfunctions, and coordinating with technical staff. Keeps all console log books and manuals updated.
• Maintains accurate records and documentation, including call logs, emergency reports, and database updates, and provides timely responses to inquiries.
• Responsible for monitoring Zero Eyes hardware and calling emergency alerts as necessary.
• Responsible for managing fleet vehicle logs and completing sign-out of vehicles.
• Stays informed about hospital events, procedures, and on-call schedules.
• Greets visitors, registers their arrival, and provides visitor credentials.
• Provides directions to destinations and orientation to the overall facility and grounds layout.
• Notifies units of families or significant others who have arrived to pick up discharging patients.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres 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.
• 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 preferred
• At least one (1) year PCT, MHT, CNA or other behavioral health experience in a hospital setting is strongly preferred.
• Experience with behavioral health patients.