Mental Health Technician - Nursing (Santa Rosa)

POSITION TITLE: Mental Health Technician
REPORTS TO (TITLE): Director of Nursing
DESCRIPTION OF POSITION:
The Mental Health Technician provides direct patient care to all patients with emotional or psychiatric disorders; supports therapeutic milieu; and ensures safety and well-being of patients. Carry out general nursing assistance necessary to treatment of adolescent, adult, or older adult patients as assigned.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Treatment Planning: Participate in treatment planning: (a) helps identify patients' problems, needs, and strengths; (b) suggests modifications to treatment plan based on observations of patients' behavior; (c) provides input into discharge planning.
Patient Care: Participate in implementing patients' treatment plans by: (a) monitoring patients' progress; (b) communicating information regarding patients' behavior to other members of treatment team; c) maintains communication with patient, family members, and referral sources in patients' interest; (d) co-facilitates didactic, educational, and community groups within the context of the adolescent treatment program; (e) encourages and facilitates patients' participation in therapeutic activities; (f) supervises patients to ensure their safety and their involvement in treatment; (g) provide input during shift report.
Hall Monitor: An important role in the care of the patient includes the assignment as Hall Monitor. The Hall Monitor is responsible for the safety and security of both staff and patients. The Hall Monitor observes the interaction between patients as well as the interactions between staff and patients that occur in the hallway. The Hall Monitor must report all suspicious activity to the appropriate nurse in charge of the unit as soon as possible and also notify unit staff of potential boundary violations.
Patient Attendant: Accompany and transport patients as assigned. Orient new patients to unit, program, and milieu. Assists patients in carrying out activities of daily living, when congruent with the patients' treatment plan and needs, age, and developmental level. Maintains a safe, orderly, and therapeutic physical environment for patients. Participate in maintaining the therapeutic milieu on the unit, enforces the level system or other methods of behavior management.
Patient Records: Maintain patient, program, department, and related documentation. Carry out clerical and administrative assignment to support patient care and department and organization operations.
Training Activities: Complete orientation and competency assessments as required for position. Participate in activities enhancing professional growth and development.
Other Duties: Upholds the Organization's ethics and customer service standards. Performs related duties, as requested.
Requirements
Education/Licensure
High school diploma, GED, or equivalent required.
Current CPR (or obtained within 30 days of hire).
Current CPI (or obtained within 30 days of hire).
Knowledge and Experience:
High school level reading and writing skills; legible handwriting
Current NCI equivalent as approved by the Chief Nursing Officer (or obtained within the first 30 days of hire)
Familiarity with medical and psychological terminology and human behavior principles preferred
Basic knowledge of human growth and development helpful
Experience with therapeutic limit-setting helpful or an understanding of level systems or other behavior management modalities helpful
Ability to maintain professional boundaries
Skills and Abilities:
Maintains confidentiality of patients at all times
Sensitivity to and willingness to interact with persons of various social, cultural, economic and educational backgrounds.
Skills in teaching or assisting with activities of daily living helpful
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Good judgment, problem solving and decision-making skills
Ability to work in a fast-paced, expanding environment
Physical Requirements:
Ability to exercise self-control in potentially volatile situations such as being verbally or physically confronted in a threatening or aggressive manner; must be able to work and concentrate amidst distractions such as noise, conversation and foot traffic; ability to handle interruptions often and be able to move from one task to another; must be flexible and not easily frustrated in dealing with differences of opinions.
Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, stand, walk, push, pull, lift, grasp, and be able to perceive the attributes of objects such as size, shape, temperature, and/or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of the fingertips. Ability to express and exchange ideas via spoken word during activities in which they must convey detail or important spoken instructions to others accurately, sometimes quickly and loudly. Hearing to perceive the nature of sound with no less than 40 db loss @ Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz with or without correction; ability to perceive detailed information through oral communication and to make fine discriminations in sound. Perform repetitive motions with wrists, hands, and fingers.
Individual must be able to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and to be able to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Work requires a minimum standard of visual acuity with or without correction that will enable people in the role to complete administrative and clerical tasks and visually observe patients on the unit and in therapeutic activities. While worker may possibly be subjected to temperature changes, the worker is generally not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions as the work is predominantly inside.
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Benefits
Medical
Vision
Dental
401(k)
3.5 Weeks Paid Time Off
$25,000 Life insurance policy is provided at no charge to the employee