Mental Health Technician jobs in California

Job Summary:

The Mental Health Technician is responsible for establishing a therapeutic relationship with patients and facilitates the maintenance of a therapeutic environment by providing supportive services to individuals with mental health challenges in a 24-hour clinic and residential setting. This position will also document services provided in the resident’s electronic health record and facility log, provide crisis intervention services as needed, provide transportation of residents, and maintain the upkeep & operations of facilities.

Responsibilities:

• Monitors patient’s whereabouts at all times and documents specific targeted behaviors during activities. Provides a daily written report on rounds.
• Facilitates and ensures patient attendance at activities
• Observes, reports and documents client issues / complaints
• May be responsible for admitting, transferring and discharging specific patients as assigned
• Orient new patients to the facilities
• Provides direct patient care as assigned by licensed staff
• Facilitates UA testing for medication levels
• Provides an ongoing safe environment for staff and clients
• Provides supervision of self-administration medication program
• Transports residents to and from appointments, meetings, facilities, outings, and other pre-authorized destinations when applicable (utilizes company transportation)
• Instructs and confirms the facility’s rule and regulations to new admissions (orientates clients)
• Familiar with community resources
• Seeks corrective criticism and has the ability to evaluate suggestions objectively
• Build and maintain positive relationships with residents and staff
• Attends training meetings
• Demonstrates adaptability and flexibility to changes in work environment
• Assist with upkeep of facility
• Must be able to effectively use complex computer systems
• Completes and forwards any Incident Reports and any other safety/risk issues immediately to Program Director/Operations Manager

All direct care staff shall have graduated from high school or possess a GED and have a minimum of one (1) year of full-time experience, or its part-time equivalent, working in a program serving persons with mental disabilities. Such experience must be in the direct provision of services to clients. If the employee does not have the required experience, the program shall document a specific plan of supervision and in-service training for the employee which will guarantee the ongoing qualification of the employee to perform the job. The plan should include but not be limited to the frequency and number of hours of training, the subjects to be covered, and a description of the supervision to be provided.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment:

Work is primarily sedentary in nature, occasionally lifting 30 or more pounds and must be able to lift up to 50 pounds (ie. luggage). Must be able to walk, stoop, sit, stand, climb, stretch, reach, and possess finger/dexterity. Must be able to walk and work standing on feet up to 75% of the day. Must have a level of mobility necessary to meet patients’ needs.Quality of hearing (whether natural or with accommodation) must be acceptable due to frequent phone conversations with business representatives, potential clients, and families. They must exhibit the ability to display coping skills to handle multiple calls and duties. The risk of exposure to unpredictable situations (i.e., client behavior) exists.

Education/Experience/Skills Required:

• High school diploma or possess a GED
• Must be 18 years of age
• Valid state driver’s license
• Valid CPR/First Aid Certification
• Must have required health screening
• Must have current TB test or obtain upon 7 days of hire
• Must have criminal record clearance
• Must be proficient and able to use complex computer systems and a variety of office hardware (copy machine, computer, fax machine, etc.) and software (email tools, spreadsheets and databases) in order to complete some job duties
• 1 year experience working with mental health
• Bachelors or Masters level degree preferred
• Pursuing a position in the field of mental / behavioral health preferred
• 1-2 years in a similar position preferred
• Familiarity with medical and psychological terminology and human behavior principles preferred