BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TECHNICIAN

Excela Health; Greensburg (Westmoreland County); On-site; USD 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

An established healthcare organization is seeking a dedicated Behavioral Health Technician to join their team. In this vital role, you will provide compassionate care to psychiatric patients in an emergency room setting, delivering both one-on-one and group counseling services. You'll work closely with a multidisciplinary team to assess patient needs, develop care plans, and ensure compliance with healthcare standards. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on patients' lives while promoting a culture of continuous improvement and teamwork. If you are passionate about mental health and eager to support individuals in crisis, this role is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology or related field is required.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and critical thinking skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct patient care and perform evaluations in the emergency room.
• Conduct vitals, document patient care data, and assist with daily living activities.

Skills

Leadership Skills

Organizational Skills

Critical Thinking

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology

Tools

Basic Life Support (BLS)

Job description

Shift: Rotation of day and afternoon shifts, occasional weekends. Days and hours are subject to change.

Job Summary

Functions as a member of the treatment team under the clinical direction of a registered nurse by providing patient care and performing evaluations of psychiatric patients in the emergency room. The Behavioral Health Technician position provides direct one-on-one and group counseling services to mental health patients while participating in team assessments and care plan development.

Essential Job Functions

• Delivers direct and indirect patient care in accordance with hospital policies, procedures, protocols, and standards of care.
  • Performs and/or assists with patient care needs as directed.
  • Assists patients with activities of daily living if needed.
  • Conducts vitals on patients.
  • Conducts timed observation rounding of patients on the unit, based upon the patient’s identified level of risk.
  • Collects, documents, and reports ongoing patient care data as directed.
  • Interacts with assigned patients, makes pertinent observations of patients' behaviors, reports and records same.
  • Remains with and observes assigned patients in a one-to-one situation if necessary.
  • Demonstrates good interview techniques with phone contacts/patient/family/significant others and documents accordingly.
  • Accompany patients off the unit for testing as needed.
• Assists in developing an educational process for the provision and coordination of patient care activities that promote and maintain health, foster self-care, and improve outcomes.
  • Reports to R.N. information regarding the patient's readiness to learn.
  • Plans and initiates patients' activities.
  • Facilitates groups as requested.
  • Documents observations in group/activity sessions.
• Demonstrates leadership by utilizing the behaviors inherent to the role of Behavioral Health Technician.
  • Demonstrates an ability to solve problems utilizing critical thinking skills and seeks assistance from immediate supervisor when appropriate.
  • Demonstrates knowledge of chain of command; refers patient questions/requests information to appropriate supervisor.
  • Effectively functions as a resource person.
  • Acts as patient advocate.
• Assists in the department's compliance with state, JCAHO, OSHA, and other regulatory agencies.
  • Assists in preparation for inspection and surveys.
  • Conducts audits to ensure compliance and quality care as directed.
  • Adheres to the infection control process, including standard precautions, to reduce the risk of acquiring or transmitting infections.
  • Participates in preparation for inspections, surveys and audits.
  • Participates in ongoing unit performance improvement activities.
  • Completes and documents follow up phone calls to patients and/or their families who have been discharged from the Emergency Department.
• Provides and participates in educational activities.
  • Provides and documents patient/family education.
  • Participates in staff education, both as participant and presenter.
  • Makes recommendations for staff development.
  • Serves on hospital committees and participates in other related projects as directed.
  • Precept new Behavioral Health technician staff on the unit and in the Emergency Department.
• Process psychiatric emergencies.
  • Assesses the severity of guest’s presenting condition.
  • Completes Evidence Based Tools to screen and assess for patient’s risk of Suicide.
  • Utilizes clinical expertise in collaboration with Emergency Department and Psychiatric team members to assign patient’s levels of risk.
  • Works collaboratively with Nursing Staff to an effective comprehensive crisis resolution.
  • Works collaboratively with all Emergency Departments of Excela Health hospitals to facilitate effective resolution of behavioral health issues.
  • Obtains authorization/reauthorization/certifications as appropriate for ongoing treatment.
  • Demonstrates a working knowledge of the Mental Health Procedures Act.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology or related field.
• Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment, and knowledge of legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
• Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.

Preferred Qualifications

• One (1) year mental health experience in a similar setting.

License, Certification & Clearances

• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program.
• Act 33 with renewal
• Act 34 with renewal
• Act 73 FBI Clearance

Supervisory Responsibilities

• This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities, but does serve as a coach and mentor for other positions in the department.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Incumbent will be scheduled based on operational need (rotate shifts, standby, on-call, etc.).
• Travel may be expected locally between Excela Health locations.

LEAN

• Actively promotes a Lean work culture by performing team member duties to encourage consistent use of LEAN principles and processes, including continually seeking work process improvements. Recognizes the necessity of taking ownership of one’s own motivation, morale, performance and professional development. Strives for behavior consistent with being committed to Excela’s missions, vision and values.

AAP/EEO

• Excela Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of Excela Health to prohibit discrimination of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, non-job related disability, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other protected class. Excela Health will conform to the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.

About the company

Excela Health is a not-for-profit health organization that includes three licensed, acute care hospitals, two free-standing outpatient surgery centers, home care and hospice, physician practices, a durable medical equipment company and other facilities...