Behavioral Health Technician- Emergency Department, Full Time Nights

Location: Fayetteville, North Carolina – Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Department of ED Safety Attendants. Night shift.

Summary

Performs routine patient care duties including observation, monitoring, and recording changes in patient’s condition; obtaining vital signs; assisting with activities of daily living; and providing emotional support under the direction of a nurse. Facilitates groups, performs contraband searches, inventories patient belongings, and utilizes crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques. Assists with maintaining a safe, clean, and therapeutic environment and serves as a resource for medical staff, nursing staff, security, and other Behavioral Health Technicians.

Responsibilities

• Provides care to patients in a manner that promotes safety, protects patient rights, preserves patient dignity, provides comfort, and is conducive to a positive therapeutic environment.
• Assists with new admissions, including contraband searches, orienting patients to their room and environment, obtaining vital signs, and securing patient belongings.
• Assists with transfers and discharges, including obtaining vital signs and gathering patient belongings.
• Obtains and monitors vital signs, records patient weight, and reports abnormalities to the nurse.
• Assists patients with activities of daily living (personal hygiene, toileting if necessary).
• Assists with therapeutic holds, restraints, and seclusion procedures after completing Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI) Training.
• Assesses patients through play and group activities, reporting abnormal findings to the nurse.
• Assists with Q-15-minute rounding and video, visual constant, and touch constant observation, monitoring, and documentation as directed by the nurse.
• Assists with documentation of intake and output and graphing of vital signs as directed.
• Facilitates Therapeutic Community Meeting and Wrap-up as assigned.
• Participates in educational and performance improvement initiatives.
• Actively participates in cost containment.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in Psychology/Social Work preferred.
• Nursing Assistant certification accepted.
• BLS certification from the American Heart Association required.
• Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI) training and certification within 30 days of employment.
• 2 years of psychiatric experience preferred.

Skills

• Proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking English.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Competency working with children, adolescents, and adults with mental illness.
• Basic knowledge of age-specific considerations for the population served.
• Unrestricted NCI Certification upon completion of training.
• General computer competency.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work variable shifts.
• Position requires bending, prolonged standing, and walking.
• Ability to turn and lift patients.
• Visual and auditory acuity for observation and manual dexterity for computer use and documentation.
• May involve skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious material.