Behavioral Health Technician - Mt. Gretna Inpatient

Full-time 80 hrs/2 weeks

Day (7am-3:30pm), Evening (3pm-11:30pm) & Night (11pm-7:30am) shifts available on our four inpatient units.

All positions include Every-other-weekend & rotating holidays

Mission for All Units: To provide competent, safe care provided by a professionally skilled and capable staff, maintaining established standards of nursing practice, promoting autonomy and accountability for nursing professional practice.

Hours of Operation: 24 hours a day, 7 days per week

UNIT DESCRIPTIONS

Adult East & Adult Main Departments: The Adult Unit can accommodate clients aged 18 and older, with a typical length of stay of 6-8 days. The goal of the Adult Unit is immediate stabilization through medication, milieu participation, and individual & family therapy sessions for clients experiencing emergent mental health symptoms. Adult Services provides care for a range of client conditions: these include acute exacerbations of chronic psychiatric illnesses, thought and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, dementia disorders, dual diagnoses of substance abuse/mental illness, mental retardation with psychiatric decompensation, serious suicide, or elopement risks. The plan of care is individualized to meet client needs as much as possible and may include any of the following modalities: individual group, family therapy, therapeutic groups, activities, and psychoeducational groups. The focus of care is on behaviors which brought the client to the hospital.

Extended Acute Inpatient Department: The Extended Acute Unit also serves clients aged 18 and older, but with a typical length of stay of 3-6 months. This program serves adults 18 years and above who have demonstrated a severe and persistent mental illness, evidenced by a behavioral health diagnosis or constellation of symptoms. This unit is designed to serve the chronically mentally ill with the goal of decreasing recidivism. The plan of care is individualized using the Recovery Model to assist clients to move to a less restrictive level of care within the community.

Child & Adolescent Inpatient Department: The Child & Adolescent Unit accommodates clients ages 4-17, with a typical length of stay of 7-10 days. The goal of the Child & Adolescent Unit is immediate stabilization of emergent mental health symptoms through medication, milieu participation, and individual & family therapy sessions. Inpatient psychiatric services are provided to clients approximately 4-18 years of age on the Child/Adolescent Unit.

General Summary

Assists the professional staff in the care of psychiatric patients. Facilitates the maintenance of the therapeutic environment in the psychiatric unit.

Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

• Provides care to patients in a manner that considers safety, comfort, and the therapeutic environment.
• Assists the team members in the care and evaluation of patients.
• Assists patients with activities of daily living.
• Checks patient's vital signs.
• Charts observations on assigned patients' vital signs in legible, accurate and appropriate format following hospital and unit procedures.
• May apply physical restraints or assist with placing a patient in seclusion under the direct supervision of the physician or RN.

Common Expectations:

• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span of the assigned patient population. Assesses and interprets patient age specific data and provides appropriate, age specific treatment. Provides direct patient care to assigned patient age group(s).
• Demonstrates a commitment to patient, visitor and staff by: complying with all applicable safety regulations; learning the impact of medical errors and methodology that will lead to reduction of errors; reporting actual and potential errors, as well as hazardous conditions; identifying opportunities to standardize processes and "error proof" systems that will lead to increased safety; and participating in safety education programs and root cause analyses as required.
• Maintains established policies and procedures, objectives, quality assessment, safety, environmental and infection control standards.
• Enhances professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, current literature, in-service meetings, and workshops.
• Provides outstanding service to all customers; fosters teamwork; and practices fiscal responsibility through improvement and innovation.

Qualifications

Minimum Education:

• High School Diploma or GED Required
• Certificate Program Certified Nursing Assistant or some college level social science. Preferred

Work Experience:

• Less than 1 year Relevant experience. Required

Licenses:

• Basic Life Support Upon Hire Required
• Certified Nurse Aide Upon Hire Preferred

Driver's License Statement:

Must possess a valid driver's license in the current state of residence. Driving record must meet requirements established by WellSpan Risk Management.

Courses and Training:

• Must provide clearance per the Child Protective Services Law amended by PA Act 33 of 1985. Upon Hire Required