Mental Health Technician

Job Title: Mental Health Technician

Location: Monmouth Medical Center

Department Name: Crisis Receiving Stabilization

Req #: 0000248766

Status: Hourly

Shift: Day

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.

The Crisis Receiving Stabilization Center CRSC is located in Millstone Twp, NJ.

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.
• Reviewing and following the patient's care plan to ascertain and support specific patient goals.
• 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, refilling water pitchers, and delivering supplemental or bedtime snacks.
• Following explicit directions for specific patients, including adherence to individual dietary requirements and constraints.
• 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.
• Accurately 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 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 laboratory and 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.
• Observation skills are exceptional, and you have the ability to remain alert at all times and appropriately manage aggressive, violent, or confused behaviors.
• A high bar is set regarding patient confidentiality, strict adherence to Monmouth Medical Center hand hygiene protocols (washing hands prior to and after contact with patients), and national patient safety goals.
• You easily refer questionable issues or conflicts to the RN, Charge Nurse, or a designee for quick and safe resolution.
• Communication is effective with multidisciplinary teams, providing clear, detailed handoffs to incoming staff before leaving an assigned station.
• 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.
• There is a belief that patient stabilization is optimized and strengthened through kindness, empathy, and constant therapeutic support.

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 clinical experience performing phlebotomy and/or EKG testing in a healthcare background required.
• 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.
• Full-Time Day Shift: 40 hours per week (7:00 AM - 7:00 PM).
• Must be available Sunday-Saturday; actual scheduled workdays are flexible.
• Rotating holiday coverage is required.
• The Crisis Receiving Stabilization Center CRSC is located in Millstone Twp, NJ.