Mental Health Technician (DEGREE)

Universal Hospital Services Inc.; Portsmouth (VA); On-site; USD 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Compensation

Excellent Medical, Dental, Vision and

401(K) with company match

SoFi Student Loan Refinancing Program

Tuition savings for nursing education

Career development opportunities

Pet Insurance

Benefits Website

Job summary

Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center in Portsmouth, VA is hiring a Residential Counselor (MHT) to develop therapeutic relationships with youth aged 7–17 and provide guidance and supervision during treatment. The role operates on a shift basis (6:45a–3:15p, 2:45p–11:15p, 10:45p–7:15a) with responsibilities spanning clinical support, safety, and daily living skills development.

The position requires crisis intervention and behavior management, active listening, de‑escalation, and documentation.

Qualifications

• Must be 21 years or older.
• Experience with children/adolescents preferred.
• Residential/psychiatric setting experience preferred.
• Valid driver’s license required.

Responsibilities

• Develop therapeutic relationships with residents and provide guidance.
• Supervise residents and enforce program rules for safety.
• Assist in daily living skills and activity participation.
• Document observations and contribute to behavior reports.
• Provide crisis intervention and apply de-escalation when needed.
• Support classroom activities during school hours as paraprofessional.

Skills

Crisis intervention

De-escalation techniques

Active listening

Behavioral observation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Responsibilities

Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center offers hope and healing for youth ages 7 to 17 at the time of admission with several psychiatric diagnoses and/or developmental disabilities. Located in Portsmouth, VA, Harbor Point provides intensive, residential treatment to youth in a comfortable setting that is conducive to healing. Our facility specializes in treating children and adolescents with depression, bipolar, ADHD, and other mental health issues. We also have specific treatment programs for those with intellectual disabilities or those with self-injurious behavior. Harbor Point and its programs are fully accredited by The Joint Commission and the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Educational Facilities. We are licensed by The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Virginia Department of Education. We are a TRICARE®-approved and certified facility.

Website: https://harborpointbhc.com

We are currently hiring a select group (full-time) committed to making a difference by improving lives and helping young people prepare for adulthood. The overall responsibility of the Residential Councelor is to develop a therapeutic relationship with and provide appropriate guidance and supervision to children and teenagers receiving treatment.

The MHT position is shift work with set days off:

1st Shift 6:45a – 3:15p
2nd Shift 2:45p – 11:15p
3rd Shift 10:45p – 7:15a

Job Duties (not an inclusive list)

• Contributes to the effective implementation of individual treatment plans of residents through "line of sight" supervision, positive interaction and role modeling, appropriate scoring of observed behaviors, and appropriate consequences or limit setting based on behaviors and program definition.
• Maintains safety and security of the facility through close observation and monitoring of the residents, maintaining optimal physical proximity, remaining alert at all times, and using analytical forethought to anticipate potentially volatile or unsafe situations and proactively intervene.
• Promotes development of residents' daily living skills through appropriate assignment, instruction, and supervision of tasks.
• Stimulates residents' interest and cooperation in various individual and group activities and programs through positive interaction, instruction, supervision, feedback and encouragement.
• Completes accurate and timely documentation on resident's behavior as outlined by policy, reports observations to relevant staff and makes recommendations based on observations. Assists in preparation of other behavioral reports and daily activities log as required.
• Provides appropriate crisis intervention as necessary by anticipating and responding quickly to escalating behaviors, utilizing de-escalation techniques to diffuse the situation, correctly prioritizing safety concerns, following proper restraint technique guidelines, and displaying neutral emotions.
• Uses appropriate counseling skills by de-escalating aggression, using active listening skills, using appropriate tone and volume of voice, providing a high frequency and variety of positive reinforcements, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and promoting a positive peer culture.
• During school hours, the MHT is the paraprofessional who manages behaviors and assists the teacher in the classroom.

Full-Time Benefit Highlights

• Challenging and rewarding work environment
• Competitive Compensation & Generous Paid Time Off
• Excellent Medical, Dental, Vision and Prescription Drug Plans
• 401(K) with company match and discounted stock plan
• SoFi Student Loan Refinancing Program
• Tuition savings to continue your nursing education with Chamberlain University
• Career development opportunities within UHS and its 300+ Subsidiaries!
• Pet Insurance
• More information is available on our Benefits Guest Website: benefits.uhsguest.com

About Universal Health Services

One of the nation’s largest and most respected providers of hospital and healthcare services, Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) has built an impressive record of achievement and performance. Growing steadily since itsinceptioninto an esteemed Fortune 500®corporation, annualrevenuesduring2025were$17.4billion.In 2026,UHS was again recognized as one of Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies™ and in 2025, waslisted in Forbes ranking of America’s Largest Public Companies.

Headquarteredin King of Prussia, PA, UHS has approximately101,500employeesand continues to grow through its subsidiaries. Operating acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities, outpatient facilities and ambulatory care access points, an insurance offering, a physiciannetworkand various related serviceslocatedin 40U.S.states, Washington, D.C., PuertoRicoand the United Kingdom.Foradditionalinformationvisit www.uhs.com.

Qualifications

Must be at least 21 years old.

• Minimum high school diploma or equivalent. Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or related field with coursework in Psychology and Child and Adolescent Development preferred.
• Experience working with children and adolescents preferred.
• Previous experience working in a residential or psychiatric setting with children and adolescents preferred.
• Requires ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.

EEO Statement

All UHS subsidiaries are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. UHS subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers and as such, openly support and fully commit to recruitment, selection, placement, promotion and compensation of individuals without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), genetic information, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

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At UHS and all our subsidiaries, our Human Resources departments and recruiters are here to help prospective candidates by matching skill set and experience with the best possible career path at UHS and our subsidiaries. During the recruitment process, no recruiter or employee will request financial or personal information (e.g., Social Security Number, credit card or bank information, etc.) from you via email. Our recruiters will not email you from a public webmail client like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc.

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