Mental Health Technician - Full Time Day

At ScionHealth, we empower our caregivers to do what they do best. We value every voice by caring deeply for every patient and each other. We show courage by running toward the challenge and we lean into new ideas by embracing curiosity and question asking. Together, we create our culture by living our values in our day-to-day interactions with our patients and teammates.

Job Summary

The Mental Health Worker provides supportive care to patients receiving inpatient behavioral health services. Working under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, the Mental Health Worker assists with activities of daily living, maintains a safe and therapeutic environment, monitors patient behavior, and supports treatment interventions. This role contributes to the overall care team by observing, reporting, and documenting patient progress, assisting in crisis intervention, and participating in therapeutic activities designed to promote recovery.

Essential Functions

• Assist patients with activities of daily living (ADLs) including hygiene, nutrition, and mobility.
• Observe patients and promptly report changes in behavior, mood, or physical condition to the nursing team.
• Maintain a safe, clean, and therapeutic environment.
• Monitor patients for safety, including suicide risk precautions, elopement risk, and use of restraints per policy.
• Support therapeutic programming by encouraging patient participation and assisting in group activities.
• De-escalate and intervene in crisis situations using approved techniques to maintain safety.
• Accurately document patient care and progress in the medical record.
• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary treatment team to support individualized treatment goals.
• Provide age-appropriate care across the lifespan in accordance with hospital policy.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities/Expectations

• Ability to interact therapeutically with patients while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of behavioral health principles, safety practices, and patient rights.
• Ability to manage stressful situations and respond calmly in emergencies.
• Team-oriented with strong interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and compliance with regulations.
• Regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk, and hear.
• Frequent reaching, pushing, pulling, and lifting of patients or objects up to 50 pounds.
• Occasional stooping, kneeling, or crouching.
• Ability to visually and audibly monitor patient behavior and safety needs.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
• Work performed in an inpatient behavioral health unit with potential exposure to patients experiencing psychiatric crises.
• May involve exposure to blood, body fluids, or other potentially infectious materials, following standard precautions.
• Noise level may be moderate to loud depending on patient activity.
• Requires flexibility in scheduling, including weekends, holidays, and varying shifts to meet patient care needs.

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, or related field preferred.

Licenses/Certifications

• No license required upon hire.
• Certifications such as CPR/BLS and crisis prevention/intervention training must be obtained within time frame required by facility policy.

Experience

• Experience working in a behavioral health, psychiatric, or healthcare setting preferred.