PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN II/CORRECTIONAL HEALTH

County of Los Angeles

Los Angeles (CA)

On-site

USD 75,000 - 105,000

Full time

3 days ago

Be an early applicant

A complete application in a minute

Tailored resume and cover letter, ready to send.

Get past ATS filters

Benefits offered by this job

20% Recruitment Bonus

Job summary

County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services seeks emergency Psychiatric Technician II vacancies in Correctional Health Services. These positions operate on site and support DOJ Consent Decree goals to improve jail mental health care. Initial appointments may be up to 90 days with potential for permanent County employment.

Applicants must meet the listed requirements, including licensure and one year of related experience. A 20% recruitment bonus applies for full-time on-site roles.

Qualifications

One year of experience assisting mental health professionals in the delivery of preventative, therapeutic and rehabilitative psychiatric services to emotionally disturbed or mentally ill clients at the level of Psychiatric Technician I.
Experience assisting medical professionals in the delivery of in‑patient medical services to troubled, disruptive, or violence prone clients at the level of Psychiatric Technician I.

Responsibilities

Observes, evaluates, records and reports to professional staff changes in client’s condition.
Provides direct and indirect patient care including helping clients with personal hygiene such as bathing and personal grooming.
Takes and records measures of the client’s physical condition such as pulse, temperature, respiration, weight, and body mass index.
Prepares appropriate forms in connection with emergency calls, evaluation of the client’s condition, and maintenance of the client’s records.
Implements de‑escalation procedures and techniques and aids or restrains clients to prevent injury to themselves or others.
Participates in planning, executing, and documenting interventions related to the client care plan.
Participates in multi‑disciplinary team conferences to share pertinent client information and collaborate with other mental health staff to develop and manage an effective treatment plan.
Provides and documents mental health services to mentally ill or emotionally disturbed clients as a member of various teams and settings.
Administers, either orally or by injection, prescribed medications to clients in acute psychiatric settings.

Skills

Psychiatric Technician I experience

Job description

Position/Program Information

Type Of Recruitment

Open Competitive - EMERGENCY

Exam Number

Y8162B-DOJ

First Day Of Filing

July 26, 2024, AT 9:00 a.m., PT

NO OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE OR WITHHOLDS ARE ALLOWED FOR THIS EXAMINATION.

Correctional Health Services – 20% Recruitment and Retention Bonus

The County of Los Angeles is currently offering up to 20% bonus for full-time Psychiatric Technician II, Correctional Health positions hired by Correctional Health Services and working on-site in a designated facility to meet critical healthcare needs for the uniquely underserved jail population.

This opportunity will remain open until the needs of the services are met and is subject to closure without prior notice.

Emergency Appointment Information

Los Angeles County is under a Department of Justice Consent Decree to improve conditions and mental health care in County jails, as well as supporting justice-involved populations post-release. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to help us in the mission of providing a range of services both in the jail and community. If you are looking for a new career that will directly benefit the justice-involved population of LA County, this may be the opportunity for you.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Psychiatric Technician II vacancies related to the DOJ Consent Decree.

Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

Before the end of your initial work period, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.

Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Psychiatric Technician II.

About Los Angeles County Department Of Health Services

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second-largest municipal health system in the nation. Through its integrated system of 25 health centers, four acute hospitals, and an expanded network of community partner clinics – DHS annually provides direct care for 600,000 unique patients, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual budget of over $6.9 billion.

Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings to supportive housing.

For additional information regarding DHS please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov

The Mission

To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

Definition

Actively participates with professional staff members in the delivery of mental health services or the delivery of indirect and direct patient care to clients who are mentally ill or emotionally disturbed.

Classification Standards

Positions allocable to this journey-level class work in mental health facilities or special treatment programs of the Department of Mental Health or in hospitals and clinics of the Department of Health Services. Incumbents work under the supervision of a mental health clinical program manager, a psychiatrist or other licensed physician, a psychologist, or at the direction of a rehabilitation therapist, social worker, or registered nurse, and participate in the control, evaluation and treatment of clients.

Essential Job Functions

Observes, evaluates, records and reports to professional staff changes in client’s condition.
Provides direct and indirect patient care including helping clients with personal hygiene such as bathing and personal grooming.
Takes and records measures of the client’s physical condition such as pulse, temperature, respiration, weight, and body mass index.
Prepares appropriate forms in connection with emergency calls, evaluation of the client’s condition, and maintenance of the client’s records.
Implements de‑escalation procedures and techniques and aids or restrains clients to prevent injury to themselves or others.
Participates in planning, executing, and documenting interventions related to the client care plan.
Participates in multi‑disciplinary team conferences to share pertinent client information and collaborate with other mental health staff to develop and manage an effective treatment plan.
Within scope‑of‑practice guidelines, provides direct client care, completes required documentation, updates treatment team regarding client progress, and provides client, family members and significant others with referrals and linkage to community resources.
Provides and documents mental health services to mentally ill or emotionally disturbed clients as a member of a Psychiatric Mobile Response Team, Clinical Behavioral Management Response Team, Homeless Outreach and Engagement Team, crisis intervention team, or therapeutic team at an outpatient or inpatient facility.
Administers, either orally or by injection, prescribed medications to clients in acute psychiatric settings.
Serves as mental health service gatekeeper at the mental health ACCESS and Telecommunication Center, performing triage on caller requests for service, referring caller to an appropriate treatment source, and/or dispatching a mobile response team or an ambulance.
Contacts ambulance companies when ambulance transport is requested through ACCESS Center or collaboration with directly operated clinics.
Prepares and signs the application for immediate 72‑hour detention of disturbed psychiatric clients if Lanterman‑Petris‑Short (LPS) designated by the Office of Medical Director as needed.
Coordinates all activities of the Psychiatric Mobile Response Team and Clinical Behavioral Management Response Team, including staff coverage and coordination of team services with law enforcement agencies as needed.

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

One year of experience assisting mental health professionals in the delivery of preventative, therapeutic and rehabilitative psychiatric services to emotionally disturbed or mentally ill clients at the level of Psychiatric Technician I*
One year of experience assisting medical professionals in the delivery of in‑patient medical services to troubled, disruptive, or violence prone clients at the level of Psychiatric Technician I.*
Experience at the level of Psychiatric Technician I in the County of Los Angeles is defined as: Assisting professional staff members in the delivery of mental health services or the delivery of indirect and direct patient care to clients who are mentally ill or emotionally disturbed.

You MUST meet the above requirement(s) in order to be appointed to fill any vacancy related to this recruitment.

License

A valid California State License to practice as a Psychiatric Technician. Required license(s) and/or certification(s) must be active and unrestricted, or your application will not be accepted.

A valid California Class C Driver License is required for appointment to some positions.

Physical Class

4 - Arduous: Involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds, often combined with bending, twisting, or working on irregular surfaces; and occasionally requires extraordinary physical activity.

Vacancy Information

The current vacancies are to be filled within Correctional Health.

Our Assessment Process

Fair Chance Initiative

The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records that are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.

Anti-racism, Diversity, And Inclusion (ardi)

The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

ADA COORDINATOR PHONE

(323) 914-6365

CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE

(800) 735-2922

DEPARTMENT CONTACT

Jenny Rodriguez, Exam Analyst

Email Address: JRodriguez@dhs.lacounty.gov

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

Employment Information

Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.

This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Statement

The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo-programs/

Testing Accommodations For Applicants

The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/

Fair Chance

The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).

Employment Eligibility

Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.

Career PathFinder

Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.

Veteran’s Credit

Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.

For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102_PPG_115.pdf

Revised September 2025

For detailed information, please click here

This Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) is to be completed by all applicants for this examination. The information you provide on your Supplemental Questionnaire will be evaluated and used to determine your eligibility to participate in the next phase of the examination process.

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS CAREFULLY.

Please read each question carefully and be as specific as possible when answering by including all the information requested. It is the applicant's sole responsibility to complete this questionnaire completely, correctly, and accurately.

Comments such as "SEE RESUME" will not be considered a valid response, therefore, using such statements will also result in your application being rejected.

You certify that the information provided is accurate, and you are aware that the information on the Supplemental Questionnaire is subject to verification at any time during the examination and hiring process. You also understand that any false statements may result in disqualification or dismissal.

Yes, have read and understand the above information and instructions.

The position works directly in a correctional facility.

"I understand and am willing to perform all necessary work duties."

Certification Requirement

Do you have a valid and active license to practice as a Psychiatric Technician issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians? All required licenses and certifications must be active and unrestricted, or your application will not be accepted.

If you do not have current certification to practice as a Psychiatric Technician issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, please indicate "Not applicable" below.

Do you have one year of post license experience assisting mental health professionals in the delivery of preventative, therapeutic and rehabilitive psychiatric services to emotionally disturbed or mentally ill clients at the level of Psychiatric Technician I*. *Experience at the level of Psychiatric Technician I in the County of Los Angeles is defined as: Assisting professional staff members in the delivery of mental health services or the delivery of indirect and direct patient care.