Mental Health Technicians are responsible for ensuring effective and safe milieu management in an inpatient setting in order to help deliver services for guests in our Evaluation & Treatment Center who are experiencing acute mental health crisis situations and increased symptomology that is affecting their routine daily functioning. MHT’s help E&T participants identify goals that promote recovery and assist them in identifying services and activities to help reach these goals.

MHT’s participate in developing safety plans, reviewing and supporting completion of paperwork upon intake, assisting in E&T participant basic needs of health and safety (may include help with basic hygiene), engaging participants in supportive interactions and helping create a safe environment for participants through constructive milieu management. Lead groups in arts and crafts, support of activities of daily living (ADL’s) and wellness and leisure activities. Assist with general upkeep of the facility, snack preparation, and documentation of the work that is done and the progress of the participants.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate effective communication skills and practice utilizing knowledge of mental health conditions, the recovery model of care, and effective supportive skills to assist MDC participants in meeting their treatment goals and identify effective problem solving and decision making skills. Encourage MDC participant’s feedback and input in all interactions.
• Assist the Mental Health Professional and nursing staff on shift with intake and discharge procedures, including assisting in the completion of necessary paperwork
• Assist the treatment team in identifying resources available to MDC participants in the community to support discharge planning
• Regularly facilitate and lead educational, process, exercise groups and leisure activities and ensure completion of proper charting of group activities
• Responds to emergency situations to help support the clinical and nursing MDC staff in delivery of services to MDC guests
• Assist MDC guests in learning and developing their adult daily living skills as needed through supportive modeling, training, and observation of such needs as social interaction, attending to basic hygiene, managing symptoms, etc. This also may include providing support for an MDC participant’s basic hygiene completion and education
• Conduct regular observation checks on a 15 minute increment schedule, increasing one-to-one/Line of Sight Monitoring as needed, assisting with observation at court, hospital or outside appointments when needed
• Communicates with participants and families regarding treatment and care when necessary and appropriate
• Assist MHP staff in obtaining Releases of Information from MDC participants to support their treatment and discharge planning
• Assure confidentiality is always maintained.
• Maintain proper role awareness and appropriate boundaries

Available shifts:

Thu - Mon, 2:30pm - 10:30pm

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Prefer a degree in social services related field and 1 year experience working within the mental health field
• Knowledge of the Pierce County public mental health system and community resources is desirable. Education and/or experience in a social service field are a plus.
• Knowledge and understanding of mental health conditions
• Good verbal and written communication skills and entry-level computer user skills
• Good interpersonal communication skills
• New Applicants of the Department of Health Washington State Agency Affiliated Counselor must be in pending status by first 7 days of employment.
• Must have First Aid-CPR certificate and Food Handler’s card, and TB test annually.