Behavioral Health Technician - Nights

About the role

Oceans Behavioral Hospital of Tupelo focuses on helping adolescents and adults manage mental health issues through various inpatient and outpatient psychiatric counseling and treatment options.

Responsibilities

• Adhere to professional standards, follow policies and procedures and abide by federal, state and local requirements, as well as Joint Commission standards.
• Effectively applies supportive behavior when assisting in the control of patients who exhibit unacceptable behavior. Demonstrates the ability to employ de-escalation and therapeutic interventions as needed.
• Inventories patient belongings accurately and secures contraband as needed; completes unit safety checks.
• Complies with standard/universal precautions and infection control policies and attends required in-services to keep self-informed.
• Implements patient care activities under the direction and supervision of licensed nursing personnel; performs vital signs, weights, ADL, intake and output documentation, nutritional monitoring and communicates findings to the nurse.
• Affirms patient’s diet by reviewing dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences.
• Assists patients with laundry, meals, bathroom functions and maintains belongings; assists at-risk and/or physically challenged patients with mobility needs as needed.
• Individualizes all patient care activities to the age-specific, disability, cultural sensitivity needs of the patient.
• Communicates and documents patient observation and data effectively in the patient record; documents patient’s departure from unit (i.e. for passes, transport to doctor’s appointment, community meetings) with 100% accuracy and within defined time lines; documents significant occurrences, observed behavior, vital signs, nutrition intake, and patient observation findings on assigned patients as requested by the registered nurse, with 100% accuracy and within defined time lines.
• Communicates outcome of assigned tasks to nursing staff in a timely manner; Communicates follow-up on patient care responsibilities; incomplete assignments, ongoing activities and current patient needs to relevant staff to assure continuity of care.

Requirements

• High school graduate or equivalent with CNA certification or at least 6 months of prior bedside, direct patient care experience in a healthcare setting is required.

Qualifications

• Must be able to read, write and follow verbal and written instruction.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Must work well with diverse populations.
• Must utilize Age, Disability and Cultural Specific knowledge in working with specialized populations to best communicate with those clients.
• Must be in good physical and mental health as evidenced by a warm empathetic attitude, respect for dignity, worth and potentiality of clients and hold a high sense of personal integrity.
• Must be able to work under close supervision.
• Must successfully complete CPR certification and an Oceans approved behavioral de-escalation program.