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Form of workJob Title: Mental Health Technician
Reports to: Nursing Director
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Classification: Clinical
Supervises: Not Applicable
Position Summary: A Mental Health Technician (MHT) performs selected patient care activities under the supervision of the Nursing Director. Primary duties include observing and recording patient information pertinent to the treatment plan and reporting this information to the Staff Registered Nurse. This position is also responsible for escorting and monitoring patient activities and attending to their personal needs. The MHT must be capable of physically assisting patients, dealing with patient emergencies, and working as a member of the clinical team.
Qualifications:
- Education, Certification/Licensure, and/or Experience
- High School diploma or GED
- Certification
- Crisis prevention certification as required
- CPR certification
- Minimum one year experience preferred with appropriate education
- Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required
- Ability to manage anger, fear, hostility, and violence of others appropriately
- Ability to make decisions under pressure
- Ability to manage stress appropriately
- Proficient in applicable software applications
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines
- Comfortable working in confined or crowded areas
- Comfortable working alone or in a team environment
- Language Skills
- Proficient written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to read and comprehend instructions and correspondence moderate in complexity
- Ability to communicate the needs of the patients
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
- Restores and promotes patient health by assisting in their individual therapeutic treatment plan
- Conducts activities in accordance with patient diagnosis and needs
- Attends to patient personal needs (oral hygiene, toileting, bathing, dressing, transferring, etc.) as required
- Escorts and monitors patients during admissions, transfers, and discharges; and provides line-of-sight or one-to-one support to patients as ordered by the physician
- Checks and documents luggage and personal belongings upon admission; maintains patient property list
- Regularly observes and records patients’ behaviors, temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and weight
- Monitors and documents patient food and fluid intake; feeding patients as required
- Completes and documents 15-minute (or less) visual checks on patients per hospital policy
- Ensures patient dignity and respects patient values
- Establishes a compassionate environment by providing emotional and psychological support to patients, families, and friends
- Maintains patient privacy and confidentiality; and protects operations by keeping patient and hospital information confidential
- Operates within ethical standards
- Collaborates with physicians, nurses, and multidisciplinary team members
- Assures quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and regulatory standards
- Coordinates and supervises therapeutic activities for individual patients and for groups in accordance with patient care treatment plans
- Helps maintain hospital cleanliness and neatness for patient comfort
- Assists in orientation for patients and families
- Per RN direction, and using approved methods, assists in safely placing patients in seclusion or restraints; observes suicide/seclusion precautions
- Monitors visitors and supervises visitation
- Intervenes with patients who disregard, violate, or ignore safety rules. Reports any signs of increasing aggression, suicidal behavior, danger of elopement, violation of smoking rules, or violation of any other facility safety rules
- Assists in emergency care if necessary
- Maintains continuity among peers by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs
- Protects patients and employees by adhering to safety standards, infection-control policies and protocols, storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations
- Uses hygienic practices and teaches patient hygienic practices
- Attends and contributes to therapeutic groups, community meetings, and activities
- Attends appropriate facility in-service training programs
- Completes all required educational settings, including staff meetings and competencies per hospital policy
- Ensures operations of equipment by completing preventative maintenance requirements, calling for repairs, and evaluating new equipment and techniques
- Assists with tele-psych equipment as required
- Provides feedback to supervisor on an ongoing basis regarding concerns, improvements, changes, etc.
- Other duties as required and assigned
Work Environment and Physical Demands:
This role periodically uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.
MHTs work in close contact with patients who have moderate to severe psychiatric concerns and/or behavioral issues. There is the possibility MHTs could be exposed to violent behavior from patients and/or infectious diseases as part of their daily duties.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must be able to physically perform the requirements of the crisis prevention model utilized in order to provide safe physical holding of patients and transport techniques. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Physical Demands
Continuous
(Over 70%)
Frequent
(40%-69%)
Occasional
(15%-39%)
Rarely
(Up to 15%)
Standing
X
Sitting
X
Walking
X
Twisting at Waist
X
Climbing
X
Bending
X
Crouching
X
Kneeling
X
Pushing/Pulling
X
Carrying
X
Up to 15 lbs.
X
15-30 lbs.
X
30-50 lbs.
X
Over 50 lbs.
X
Reaching Above Head
X
Reaching At or Above Shoulder
X
Lifting/Lowering
X
1-15 lbs.
X
15-30 lbs.
X
30-50 lbs.
X
Over 50 lbs.
X
Fine Hand/Eye Coordination
X
Color Discrimination
X
Hearing Acuity
X
Visual Acuity
X
Exposure to Communicable Diseases
X
Exposure to Toxic/Caustic/Chemicals/Detergents
X
Body Fluid Exposure
X
Mental Demands
Continuous
(Over 70%)
Frequent
(40%-69%)
Occasional
(15%-39%)
Rarely
(Up to 15%)
Concentration on Detail
X
Attention Span of 1+ hours on a task
X
Ability to remember multiple tasks
X
Verbal communication
X
Written communication
X
General Sign-off: The employee is expected to adhere to all company policies and procedures while employed.
Jobs are always changing to some degree and the existence of the approved job description is not intended to limit normal change and growth. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
