Mental Health Technician Job Description
Mental health technician
provides psychosocial care of the patient, to meet the age specific needs for body image, relationships and communication styles; as well as, physiologic and developmental norms for patients age groups.
Mental Health Technician Duties & Responsibilities
To write an effective mental health technician job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included mental health technician job description templates that you can modify and use.
Sample responsibilities for this position include:
Knowledge of Gulf Coast Treatment Center's philosophy and techniques
Knowledge of the physical and emotional needs of serious patients with emotional problems
Demonstrates appropriate age related nursing skills
Demonstrates accountability for specifically assigned duties, such as patient observation rounds, suicide risk observation, monitoring vital signs, and inventory of patient’s belongings
Maintains patient record and documentation according to policy
Demonstrates the knowledge and skill to provide nursing care to the psychiatric patient under the direction of the RN
Works as a member of a team to assist with milieu management and performs job tasks to ensure personal, patient and departmental safety
Encourages patient participation in groups and provides emotional support and comfort measures to them
Orients patients and families to the unit and milieu program
Assists patients in activities of daily living appropriate to patient's condition
Mental Health Technician Qualifications
Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.
Licensing or Certifications for Mental Health Technician
List any licenses or certifications required by the position: BLS, CPI, SAMA, CPR, AHA, HS
Education for Mental Health Technician
Typically a job would require a certain level of education.
Employers hiring for the mental health technician job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as High School and Bachelor's Degree in Associates, Psychology, Education, Graduate, Social Work, Health, Therapy, Nursing, Counseling, Human Services
Skills for Mental Health Technician
Desired skills for mental health technician include:
Medical terminology
Growth and development and communication appropriate to the age of the patient treated
Caring for patients according to their age-specific needs
Principles of growth and development and proficiency in assessing
Treating
Compliance with all current hospital and departmental policies
Preventive management of aggressive behavior
Group dynamics in participating in therapeutic groups and maintaining the milieu
Body substance isolation
Occurrence reporting system
Desired experience for mental health technician includes:
Provides basic medical treatments including monitoring of vital signs, recognition of life threatening conditions with initial response and reporting, emptying and measuring drainage equipment and documentation in the patient care record
Performs other duties as assigned and needed
Accurately obtains and records patient vital signs and I & O
Maintains clinical records of all patient contact according to hospital policy and other regulatory guidelines (i.e., Department of Health, Department of Public Welfare, and the Joint Commission)
Participate in both the planning and implementing of individual patient treatment plans
Help patients with personal grooming and participation in educational, recreational, and therapeutic activities
Mental Health Technician Examples
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Mental Health Technician Job Description
Job Description Example
Our innovative and growing company is hiring for a mental health technician. Please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications. While this is our ideal list, we will consider candidates that do not necessarily have all of the qualifications, but have sufficient experience and talent.
Responsibilities for mental health technician
- This role collaborates with the RN, Psychiatrist, and Therapist on the unit to deliver care to patients with mental, physical, emotional, and substance dependence related issues
- Role does require some basic medical training
- An appropriate candidate will have strong interpersonal, communication, and time management skills
- Experience in direct patient care or leading groups is favored, but not required
- Monitor unit patients and complete rounds as assigned and within departmental guidelines
- Participate in treatment planning by helping to identify patients’ problems, needs and strengths
- Plan, prepare, and deliver group therapy programs for patients
- Manage the unit milieu to maintain a therapeutic and safe environment
- Implements (under the supervision of a nurse) and provides guidance to others on the effective and timely use of milieu tools (such as decreased stimulation, room changes, Time Out’s, staff check-ins, Reflection Room, Shift Report, Use of North Hall, Collaborative Problem solving Basket approach to intervention.)
- Works closely and productively with all staff to assure overall coordinated and therapeutic functioning of unit
Qualifications for mental health technician
- Prepare and maintain attendance rosters and statistical data for all civilians or family members who attend Behavioral Health workshops/classes/seminars
- Prepare bi-annual update to Social Work/Behavioral Health PowerPoint slide presentation
- Makes comparison reviews, to include office time sheets, to ensure program operations are managed within budget
- Incumbent is responsible for the development and implementation of appointment templates for clinical providers
- Incumbent also places physical maintenance work orders and maintains hand receipts for physical property and inventory
- Duties also involve assisting or independently gathering data for various presentations such as process improvements initiatives, longitudinal statistical tracking, hospitalizations, and discharges
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Mental Health Technician Job Description
Job Description Example
Our growing company is looking to fill the role of mental health technician. To join our growing team, please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications.
Responsibilities for mental health technician
- Assist with providing a safe, quiet, clean, organized, environment for nursing care delivery
- Recognize and respond to care for patients and families in each age category
- Demonstrates and maintains knowledge and skills necessary to care for the patient group of Adult and Geriatric
- Takes vital signs, assists patients with activities and transports patients as required
- Reports observation regarding patient needs to the nurse
- Supports and maintains patient rights
- Displays a supportive and caring attitude with patients
- Confronts, redirects or consequences patients in a nonreactive, nonjudgmental manner
- Provides activities within the guidelines of the patient’s treatment plan
- Establishes and maintains therapeutic relationships with patients
Qualifications for mental health technician
- A high school diploma or equivalency and 12 semester credit hours in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology or other social science and 2 years of experience in public or private human services with 1 year of mental health direct care experience
- A high school diploma or equivalency and 3 years of mental health direct care experience in public or private human services with employment as a mental health staff person prior to January 1, 1992
- Must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, impeccable judgment and professionalism, and the ability to maintain composure in a crisis situation
- 2 years of behavioral health experience required
- Certified Nurse Assistant (C.N.A) license required
- BLS –American Heart Association authorized required
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Mental Health Technician Job Description
Job Description Example
Our innovative and growing company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of mental health technician. If you are looking for an exciting place to work, please take a look at the list of qualifications below.
Responsibilities for mental health technician
- Establishes rapport and utilizes therapeutic communication skills and appropriate boundaries with all residents, with special focus on primary residents
- Effectively facilitates and documents BLS groups, community meetings and other groups as needed
- Understands impact of mental illness, developmental delays and trauma on resident behavior and provides care accordingly
- Assists therapist with group management and behavioral interventions
- Observes patients and reports behaviors or treatment concerns to the therapist, Nurse Practitioner or Team Lead/Manager
- Assists with cleaning and organizing the programming rooms
- Assist patients with activities of daily living and establishing and maintaining good health by using effective, therapeutic communication techniques
- Conduct environmental rounds on unit for safety and document observations
- Facilitate patients’ participation in therapeutic activities and groups
- Collects and documents patient admission and shift behavioral and physical clinical data and observations
Qualifications for mental health technician
- Total body motor coordination and dexterity required to facilitate the performance of assigned responsibilities
- Bachelors degree in psychology, social work or related field preferred
- Prior experience in psychiatric, substance abuse, or hospital setting preferred
- Flexibility, ability to work on several cases simultaneously
- Ability to organize and perform multiple responsibilities and tasks
- Ability to hear alarms, BP’s, call bells, phones, intercoms
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Mental Health Technician Job Description
Job Description Example
Our growing company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of mental health technician. To join our growing team, please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications.
Responsibilities for mental health technician
- Provides safe transport for patients to and from Behavioral Health Services for any necessary diagnostic test that may be required for their care
- Reports abnormal vital signs to Unit Leader, timely
- Assists and reviews multidisciplinary treatment plan with treatment team and patient
- Provide direct youth care & supervision to an assigned population which includes but not limited to the maintenance of the therapeutic environment using the Psycho Educational Model of Treatment (PEM)
- The MHT provides and documents on patient care and observes patient behaviors based on the nursing process, established hospital policies and procedures, unit specific policies and procedures, and/or Standards of Care/Practice
- Functions as a Safety Champion and Milieu Manager, serves on MHT Council
- Participate in patient care using unit and hospital based policies and procedures and works within the scope of practice
- Reportsall significant behavioral and physical issues to licensed personnel
- Demonstrate consistent ability to communicate effectively with patients, families and other work team members
- Perform basic computer-related tasks
Qualifications for mental health technician
- Minimum one year healthcare experience, preferred experience in a psychiatric setting
- Certified Behavioral Health Tech or Mental Health Tech preferred
- Knowledge of the Baker Act Law
- High school of diploma (or equivalent) required
- The incumbent must maintain current competencies and certifications
- Ability to read, speak and write English to perform the duties of the position required
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Mental Health Technician Job Description
Job Description Example
Our company is looking for a mental health technician. To join our growing team, please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications.
Responsibilities for mental health technician
- NCPI trained (on job training, while in orientation status)
- 20 inpatient rehabilitation patient rooms/ beds
- 80 adult and geriatric behavioral health patient rooms /beds
- Outdoor healing garden
- Design elements focus on natural lighting and open floor plan in common areas
- 20 inpatient rehabilitation patient rooms
- 80 adult and geriatric behavioral health patient rooms
- Provides routine patient care services to our patients under the direction of a professional nurse
- Assists patients with daily living activities
- Conducts patient search at admission, upon return from pass, or as clinically indicated under the direction of a Registered Nurse
Qualifications for mental health technician
- Two years’ experience in dealing with substance abuse clients preferred
- 1-3 years of experience in a psychiatric setting preferred
- Basic Life Support issued by the American Heart Association is required
- Mental Health Tech certification preferred
- C.N.A certification or a minimum of 1 year working as patient care technician required
- One (1) or more years direct care experience in a mental health setting and/or a certificate in a mental health program preferred