Mental Health Technician

Brightwell; Lansing (MI); Hybrid; USD 32,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Brightwell Behavioral Health in Garden City, Michigan, seeks a Mental Health Technician to provide routine patient care under the direct supervision of the Charge Nurse in an acute inpatient setting.

The role emphasizes safety, observation, documentation, admissions/discharges, and de-escalation; responsibilities include 15-minute checks, assisting with daily living activities, and reporting concerns to nursing staff.

Qualifications

• At least one year of experience in a psychiatric setting (preferred).
• Previous CPI training (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Follows instructions from nursing personnel and established policies.
• Maintains patient safety and reports concerns to the supervising Nurse.
• Identifies risk factors and reports potential self-harm or high-risk behavior.
• Provides care that respects patient rights and supports the therapeutic environment.
• Performs patient checks every 15 minutes or as directed by the physician.
• Assists with admissions, discharges, transfers, and documents promptly.
• Observes and documents patient behavior for nursing staff.
• Assists with applying protective devices under supervision and documents appropriately.
• Stays in patient areas to assist patients and visitors; notifies nurse before leaving.
• Sets therapeutic and age-appropriate behavioral limits under supervision.
• Assists with activities of daily living to promote independence.
• Recognizes verbal/non-verbal cues for aggression; uses de-escalation techniques.
• Intervenes to reduce panic under nurse direction using appropriate interventions.
• Assists during meals and reports intake to the supervising Nurse.
• Follows Dress Code and Time/Attendance policies.
• Initiates incident reports when observed or directed by the supervising Nurse.
• Performs other duties as requested by the supervising Nurse.

Skills

Experience in psychiatric setting

CPI training (preferred)

Job description

Brightwell Behavioral Health is a Joint Commission–accredited acute inpatient psychiatric hospital located in Garden City, Michigan, and dedicated to serving Michigan’s adult population. We place a strong emphasis on patient-centered care, providing 24/7 referral and clinical liaison services, seamless admissions, and holistic treatment environments designed for safety and dignity.

If you are interested in joining an amazing group of people who are passionate about helping others during their inpatient psych journey, please keep reading!

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Mental Health Technician performs routine patient care duties and selected non-professional services under the direct supervision of the Charge Nurse.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least one year of experience in a psychiatric setting (preferred).
• Previous CPI training (preferred).

AGE OF PATIENTS SERVED AND AGE-SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGY:

• Adult Population: Age 18 and up

Sufficient knowledge of growth and development to facilitate patients through the Development Tasks of Young Adulthood, Middle Adulthood, and Late Adulthood.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The duties listed below describe the general nature and level of work performed by the Mental Health Technician. This list is not exhaustive, and additional duties may be assigned by the supervising Nurse (Charge Nurse, Staff Nurse, or LPN) to meet the needs of Brightwell.

• Follows instructions given by all nursing personnel and outlined in policies and procedures.
• Remains aware of patient safety issues and acts to prevent harm, communicating concerns to the supervising Nurse.
• Recognizes the potential for self-harm or other high-risk behaviors, reporting such to the supervising Nurse.
• Provides patient care in a manner that ensures safety, respects patients’ rights, and supports the therapeutic environment.
• Performs patient checks every 15 minutes, or more often as required by the physician.
• Assists with admissions, discharges, and transfers, completing necessary documentation promptly.
• Observes and documents patient behavior, reporting to the appropriate nursing staff.
• Assists in applying protective devices under the supervision of the supervising Nurse, completing the required documentation.
• Remains in patient areas to assist patients and visitors, notifying the supervising Nurse before leaving the unit.
• Sets limits on patient behavior therapeutically and consistently, within program and age-specific guidelines, under the guidance of the supervising Nurse.
• Assists patients with activities of daily living, encouraging independence.
• Identifies verbal and non-verbal cues for potential aggressive behavior, applying de-escalation techniques as needed.
• Intervenes to reduce panic in disturbed patients under the direction of the supervising Nurse, using necessary interventions to de-escalate situations.
• Assists during mealtimes, observing intake and reporting to the supervising Nurse.
• Follows Dress Code rules.
• Follows Brightwell’s expectations regarding Time and Attendance.
• Initiates incident reports when an incident is directly observed or as directed by the supervising Nurse.
• Performs other duties as requested by the supervising Nurse in a willing manner.