Mental Health Tech - ARCC

Mental Health Technician

Job Summary:

Performs nursing care responsibilities with supervision to ensure safe and consistent patient quality care.

Core Leadership Standards & Competencies

Exhibits essential working knowledge and assessment skills to recognize and report unusual symptoms and address special needs as they arise.

Meets the standards for documentation and communication to communicate necessary information about patients to treatment team. This includes Patient/Staff incident reports;
Hazard/Near Miss reports completed within 24 hours of incident.

Documents behaviors and treatment, writing progress notes and reporting newly identified clinical needs or changes to manager immediately.

Demonstrates the ability to intervene in crisis situations:

• Monitor the milieu, targets potential crisis situations and intervene in a calm, supportive manner.
• Utilizes appropriate degree of verbal intervention, which contributes to crisis resolution.
• Demonstrates ability to physically intervene in crisis utilizing appropriate techniques.
• May lead a show of support, directing others in their roles
• Appropriately documents the crisis situation.

Initiates 1:1 supportive interactions with patients around treatment issues and writes patient progress notes according to daily assignment in a format that demonstrates patient s progress (or lack thereof) on objectives

identified in patient s treatment plan.

Responds to ADL problems and needs as they arise, documents assessment, intervention and patient's response in the medical record.

Performs constant observations, intermittent observations, specializing, checks or other forms of patient safety procedure and documents assigned.

Performs body and routine contraband searches.

Documents the census and sharps counts within the specified time limits as assigned.

Leads or co-leads supportive, psycho-educational groups with patients as directed by manager.

Demonstrates the ability to take and record vital signs (Wts., BP, tprs, I&O) and as assigned.

Demonstrates knowledge of specimen collection, storage and delivery criteria for toxicology testing.

Ability to role model and orient new MHT s to the unit.

Able to ensure patient safety while escorting patients (appt s/groups).

Able to set limits and to follow through by teaching alternate behavior.

Able to facilitate patient participation in daily treatment plan.

Is responsible for care of patients property.

Consistently addresses issues of self-disclosure according to program guidelines.

Maintains appropriate demeanor as a representative of the program and is a role model for the patients as

evidenced by appearance, hygiene and behavior.

Able to assume Charge MHT role for a given shift.

Department Specific Competencies

Adult Units

Demonstrates understanding of Chemical Dependency and Recovery.

Supports patient through detox by explaining process; reports unexpected symptoms to RN.

Demonstrates understanding of ECT and assists in post ECT treatment.

Adult PHP

Demonstrates knowledge of admission/discharge process.

Demonstrates knowledge of unit group process.

Demonstrates knowledge of therapeutic and crisis intervention.

Ability to act as a milieu coordinator.

Ability to perform Unit Clerk duties.

Demonstrates strong organizational skills.

Demonstrates knowledge and skill of computer use on the unit.

Child/Adolescent Units

Demonstrates knowledge of behavior protocols utilized on the program, i.e. Eating disorders. Privilege level system and timeout.

Demonstrates skillful interactions with families and collateral contacts.

Ability to coordinate and lead patient activities in the community (movies, shopping, etc.) while ensuring adequate supervision of patient behaviors.

Demonstrates safe management of medications per unit policies.

Child/Adolescent PHP

Abilit…