Mental Health Technicians

Mental Health Techs work on our inpatient Adult Psychiatry unit, our Child/Adolescent Psychiatry unit, and the Behavioral Decision Unit in the Emergency Care Center.

Under the supervision and/or direction of a Unit Director, Assistant Director, Charge Nurse, Staff Nurse, or Team Leader, performs activity duties in the treatment and care of patients in accordance with the established policies and procedures of the hospital.  The Mental Health Technician will be required to float to AMHU/CAMHU/Behavioral Decision Unit during times of low census.

1. Provides or assists patients with all activities of daily living as assigned.
2. As directed, takes and records temperature, pulse, respiration, weight, height, intake/output measurements and blood pressure, and pulse oximetry.
3. Reports (and, when appropriate, records) any changes observed in condition or behavior of patient.
4. Assists in maintaining a safe and clean environment.
5. Provides care to patient on Fall Protocol.
6. Performs in crisis and emergency (e.g. cardiopulmonary arrest and the Heimlich maneuver) while maintaining a positive calm approach.
7. Provides care using infection control practices as outlined in Medical Center policies/procedures (e.g. Universal Standard Precautions and Isolation Techniques).
8. Develops, conducts and evaluates scheduled/planned comprehensive programs to meet individual patient needs in coordination with the Multidisciplinary Team members, functioning independently under the supervision of the RN.
9. Observes and reports the psychosocial status of the patient/family to the RN.
10. Adequately performs use of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention skills in maintaining therapeutic milieu/PMCS training.
11. Monitors patients as assigned by the RN (i.e., routine checks, seclusions, mechanical restraint, meal times, supervised visits, etc.)
12. Participates as a member of the multidisciplinary team.
13. Establishes therapeutic relationships with adults and children and adolescent mental health patients and their families while maintaining therapeutic distance.
14. Demonstrates an understanding of DSMTR4 diagnosis.
15. Provides for group activities for patients.
16. Floats when required identifying any aspects of care assigned for which competency is lacking.
17. Assists with faxing of patient information.
18. Other duties as assigned.

1. High school graduate or equivalent work experience, including ability to read, write and comprehend medical terminology.
2. Previous experience as a Mental Health Technician or Mental Health Worker will be considered first. Person with relevant mental health training/education will be considered second.  Person with nurse aide training will be considered third if no applicants from prior groups.
3. Meets the requirement of pre-employment screening and physical.
4. Provides documentation within the first 30 days of employment indicating no record of Child Abuse, Neglect and/or Maltreatment through the New York State Central Register. 
5. Internships that have skills related to child adolescent Behavioral Health can be considered as experience in the Mental Health field.
6. Must successfully complete Preventing and Managing Crisis Situations (PMCS) training in the first 30 days of employment.

As applicable, the individual has training/competency in attending to the special needs and/or behaviors appropriate to the age of the patients for which care is being provided.