Position Summary

The Psychiatric Technician interacts with residents throughout the shift, assists and supports residents with functionally needs. The Psychiatric Technician is responsible for managing the daily milieu of the facility, ensuring the safety of residents, and maintaining a therapeutic environment. The Psychiatric Technician is expected to familiarize him/herself with the histories and needs of the residents and be capable of identifying cues and behaviors that may indicate a change in resident’s status or condition. The Psychiatric Tech shall document in the resident record, communicate with nurses, psychotherapists, physicians, and be available to serve the resident’s families or guardians with their needs.

Relationships and Contacts

Within the organization: Initiates and maintains strong professional relationships with peers, immediate supervisor, and leadership throughout the organization.

Outside the organization: Initiates and maintains strong professional relationships with clients and families, clinical providers, referral partners and vendors, as needed.

Position Responsibilities

Essential Responsibilities

• Collaborates with clinical team to determine/select appropriate interventions based on the needs of individual residents.
• Actively participates and engages residents in the milieu and outside activities throughout the workday, often in a variety of group settings.
• Prompts residents to complete ADLs, including clean room, hygiene, laundry, etc., and completes regular room hygiene checks.
• Prompts residents to attend all meals in a timely manner and provides supervision and structure at mealtimes as appropriate.
• Models effective table manners and small talk during mealtimes, focusing on engaging all residents.
• Provides, structures, and maintains a therapeutic environment in collaboration with other staff.
• Therapeutically interacts with the resident in one-to-one situations, community, and group meetings, maintaining appropriate boundaries and modeling appropriate social behavior. Reacts therapeutically in crisis situations.
• Recognizes resident’s level of psychosocial and psychosexual development and modifies approaches accordingly to include recognizing mood changes and developing coping skills.
• Maintains therapeutic relationship with residents using praise and other reinforcers to encourage appropriate behaviors and attitudes, setting limits in a kind and firm manner.
• Documents in accordance with policies and procedures services provided, incident reports, shift reports, or department reports in a timely and accurate manner.
• Writes clearly, informatively, and effectively.
• Complies with the facility safety procedures as outlined in the policy and procedure manual. Assumes assigned role in fire drills, evacuation procedures, and internal/external disaster plan.
• Demonstrates effective verbal intervention skills in managing escalating residents and involving other staff as needed. Adheres to CPI criteria.
• Performs a vehicle safety and fuel check prior to use of any company vehicle, reporting any concerns to supervisor or manager.
• Supports residents in effectively managing leisure time, including joining in activities with residents.
• Greet all guests warmly and friendly.
• Follows through with clinical precautions effectively, including Q15s and visuals.
• Answer phone and field calls in an upbeat and positive manner, focusing on customer service.
• Transport residents to appointments, supporting resident while regulating in community.
• Identifies and recognizes triggers for escalation with each resident, and utilize de-escalation techniques, focusing on prevention of crisis.
• Gathers residents for outings and groups to promote program engagement.
• Supports medication compliance and management by prompting residents to go to nursing for medications.
• Prepares for resident’s admission to all levels of care including but not limited to ensuring room is prepared, preparing money envelopes, snack bin, and labels for inventory process.
• Conducting resident belonging search and inventory & notifying therapist of any contraband.
• Ensuring all medications are obtained upon admission and provided to nursing.

Additional Responsibilities

• Can be relied upon to be at work as scheduled and is rarely absent from work, notifying the supervisor if absent.
• Demonstrates an ability to adapt to changes in the facility function, management styles, and facility routines.
• Reads, understands, and adheres to all company policy statements on ethics, conduct, and conflict of interests.
• Adheres to facility policies, procedures, rules, and regulations, implementing regularly.
• Maintains positive attitude and acts as a team player with others on the treatment team.
• Attends all supervisory trainings within assigned time frames as required by the facility.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience

• High school graduate or equivalent combination of education and/or work experience.
• Preferably has experience in a psychiatric hospital setting as a mental health or behavioral assistant working with adults.
• Requires valid State Driver’s License and current CPR certification.

Physical Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to communicate with peers/general public, clients and/or vendors
• Tolerant to various noise levels: noise level in the work environment varies – may be very quiet to moderate
• Job performance will require the ability to move throughout the building as well as sit or remain stationary for extended periods of time
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to talk or hear, sit, stand, walk, reach, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, taste or smell.
• Ability to move up to 25 pounds

Skill Competencies

• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Demonstrates a high level of follow through
• Documentation

Renaissance Health Care. provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment. Renaissance Health Care reserves the rights to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the organization desires. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities. This job description is not an employment contract, implied or otherwise. The employment relationship remains “At-Will.”