Behavioral Health Technician - Behavioral Emergency Response Team

UNC Health; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 26,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

UNC Health is seeking staff for the Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) to provide safe, supportive care for psychiatric patients across inpatient and outpatient settings. The team operates 24/7 with RN and BHT members, including night shifts and collaboration with nursing and security to deliver timely medical and psychiatric attention.

The role emphasizes direct patient care, plan-of-care development with input from the RN, and patient/family orientation to the unit, with a focus on

Qualifications

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients and hospital staff.
• Fluent in verbal and written English; able to keep calm in stressful situations.
• Ability to work with groups or individuals in didactic or recreational groups.
• Capable of developing computer skills if not already proficient.

Responsibilities

• Aids patients in reality orientation and participates in behavior modification plans.
• Interviews patients and families for routine admission data.
• Interacts with patients individually and in groups to maximize participation.
• Observes and reports significant changes in patient condition to RN/physician.
• Provides direct personal care as outlined in care plan for daily living activities.
• Restraint and seclusion management as needed to ensure safety; promotes patient education.

Skills

Communication skills

Fluent English

Group facilitation

Computer skills

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Description

Join our Behavioral Emergency Response Team!

The Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) provides a prompt response to situations where patients, visitors, or staff who exhibit acute behavioral changes with at-risk behavior. To contain the situation, protect the patient, visitor, staff member, or others in the vicinity, BERT team members collaborate with healthcare providers, hospital security, and nursing teams and obtain necessary medical and/or psychiatric attention for the affected individual. The BERT team consists of a Registered Nurse (RN) and Behavioral Health Technician (BHT), available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. These team members respond to incidents in all inpatient areas, emergency department, lobbies, and hospital-based outpatient clinics.

Schedule: Nightshift 7pm-7am, 3 shifts/week.

Summary:
Under close supervision, responsible for providing a safe, supportive and therapeutic environment for psychiatric patients. Provides direct patient care and may conduct therapeutic group sessions under the direction and supervision of the RN. Provides input to the RN to help develop the plan of care and assists in carrying out the plan of care for assigned patients. Assists with the admission of new patients and orients new patients and families to the unit.

Responsibilities

1. 1. Aids patients in reality orientation, participates in behavior modification plans/therapy, provides informal support therapy to patients/families, provides verbal de-escalation of potentially aggressive patients, aids in the physical management of aggressive/out-of-control patients, facilitates age appropriate play for children, and monitors the therapeutic milieu activities on assigned unit to ensure that emotional and safety needs of patients are met.
2. 2. Assists in interviewing patients and their families for routine admission data. Orients patients and families to the facility. Provides data input during team discussions and meetings to assist in developing therapeutic plans and objectives.
3. 3. Interacts with patients on a one to one as well as small group basis. Facilitates assigned groups in ways which encourage and require maximum patient participation and interaction, appropriate to functional level of group members.
4. 4. Observes, collects, and documents patient information obtained while providing care and promptly report significant changes in the patient's condition to a registered nurse or physician.
5. 5. Provides direct personal care to patients as outlined in plan of care for routine activities of daily living including bathing, personal hygiene, feeding and dressing. Assists patients with position changes, range of motion exercises, transfers and walking. Obtains and records vital signs, intake and output amounts or other measures as delegated. Observes patients and assesses progress on daily basis and reports significant changes in patients' condition and/or behavior to supervising RN.
6. 6. Provides protection and control for patients as required to ensure patient safety in the facility. Participates in restraining combative patients as necessary. Provides care and monitoring of patients in seclusion and/or restraint.
7. 7. Reinforce routine teaching given to patients by the registered nurse or physician and document patient understanding of instructions. Distributes patient education materials at the request of patients and/or health care providers

Other Information

Education Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required; higher-level degree may satisfy this requirement.

Licensure/Certification Requirements

• Listed as a Nursing Assistant I by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
• Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) certification within 60 days from date of hire
• Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification

Professional Experience Requirements

• Requires one (1) year of relevant experience in a behavioral health environment.

Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients and hospital staff. Ability to work with, express sensitivity and understanding, and secure the cooperation of patients, including maintaining empathetic attitude towards patients.
• Ability to work with groups of patients or individuals in didactic or recreational groups.
• Ability to keep calm in stressful situations. Must be fluent in verbal and written English language. Capability to develop computer skills if not competent.

Job Details

Legal Employer: NCHEALTH

Entity: UNC REX Healthcare

Organization Unit: Rex ED Behavioral Health

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 36.00

Salary Range:$19.12 - $27.17 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Night Job

Location of Job: US:NC:Raleigh

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.