Behavioral Health Technician - Behavioral Health Emergency Department

About the role

The UNC Hospitals Behavioral Health Emergency Department (BHED) provides care to approximately 5,000 patients annually and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With the new state-of-the-art Emergency Department Transitional Unit, the BHED can accommodate up to 42 beds for patients seeking mental health care in a patient-centered environment. BHED staff partner closely with Emergency Medicine to provide compassionate, quality mental health care, focusing on the unique needs of patients and families, including those struggling with mental illness and/or substance use disorders.

Under close supervision, the Behavioral Health Technician is responsible for providing a safe, supportive, and therapeutic environment for psychiatric patients. Provides direct patient care and may conduct therapeutic group sessions under the direction and supervision of the RN. Provides input to the RN to help develop the plan of care and assists in carrying out the plan of care for assigned patients. Assists with the admission of new patients and orients new patients and families to the unit.

Responsibilities

• Aids patients in reality orientation, participates in behavior modification plans/therapy, provides informal support therapy to patients/families, provides verbal de-escalation of potentially aggressive patients, aids in the physical management of aggressive/out-of-control patients, facilitates age-appropriate play for children, and monitors the therapeutic milieu activities on assigned unit to ensure that emotional and safety needs of patients are met.
• Assists in interviewing patients and their families for routine admission data.
• Orients patients and families to the facility.
• Provides data input during team discussions and meetings to assist in developing therapeutic plans and objectives.
• Interacts with patients on a one-to-one as well as small group basis.
• Facilitates assigned groups in ways which encourage and require maximum patient participation and interaction, appropriate to functional level of group members.
• Observes, collects, and documents patient information obtained while providing care and promptly reports significant changes in the patient's condition to a registered nurse or physician.
• Provides direct personal care to patients as outlined in plan of care for routine activities of daily living including bathing, personal hygiene, feeding, and dressing.
• Assists patients with position changes, range of motion exercises, transfers, and walking.
• Obtains and records vital signs, intake and output amounts, or other measures as delegated.
• Observes patients and assesses progress on a daily basis and reports significant changes in patients' condition and/or behavior to supervising RN.
• Provides protection and control for patients as required to ensure patient safety in the facility.
• Participates in restraining combative patients as necessary.
• Provides care and monitoring of patients in seclusion and/or restraint.
• Reinforces routine teaching given to patients by the registered nurse or physician and documents patient understanding of instructions.
• Distributes patient education materials at the request of patients and/or health care providers.

Requirements

• Education: High school diploma or GED required; higher-level degree may satisfy this requirement.
• Licensure/Certification: Listed as a Nursing Assistant I by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) certification within 60 days from date of hire; Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification.
• Experience: One (1) year of relevant experience in a behavioral health environment.
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients and hospital staff; ability to work with, express sensitivity and understanding, and secure the cooperation of patients, including maintaining empathetic attitude towards patients; ability to work with groups of patients or individuals in didactic or recreational groups; ability to keep calm in stressful situations; must be fluent in verbal and written English language; capability to develop computer skills if not competent.

Benefits

• Extensive benefit package including PTO hours accrued based on the number of worked hours.
• State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits.
• Current employees of another North Carolina agency participating in TSERS or the ORP may continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Pay

Salary range: $19.12 – $27.17 per hour (hiring range). Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity.

Schedule

• Variable shifts, including rotating weekends.
• Full-time; 36 hours per week (three 12-hour shifts).
• Onsite work assignment in Chapel Hill, NC.