Senior Mental Health Tech (Float)- Texas Behavioral Health Center

Senior Mental Health Tech (Float)- (3 x 12-Hour Shifts) – Day Shift

Texas Behavioral Health Center

Join our team and help launch the first state psychiatric hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth, where innovative caregivers will make a lasting impact on behavioral health in Texas.

The Texas Behavioral Health Center is a newly completed state-funded psychiatric hospital opening in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District that is owned by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and operated by UT Southwestern Medical Center.

When fully operational, the 505,000-square-foot facility will house 292 beds – 200 for adult patients and 92 for children and adolescents. As DFW’s first state-funded behavioral health hospital, it is designed to deliver state-of-the-art, patient-centered care in a modern and healing environment.

The center provides comprehensive behavioral health treatment and features private patient rooms, abundant access to natural light and nature, and thoughtfully designed spaces that promote recovery. The hospital will also provide training to all behavioral health disciplines.

As employees of UT Southwestern, team members will join a world-class academic medical center committed to patient-centered care, innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and preparing patients for successful reintegration into their families and communities.

With competitive benefits and a mission-driven culture, Texas Behavioral Health Center offers an unparalleled opportunity to make a lasting impact on mental health care in North Texas. Learn more about Texas Behavioral Health Center here!

Why UT Southwestern?

With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees.

Ranked as the No. 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals.

Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

Job Summary

Provides experienced behavioral health patient care and support under the direction of nursing staff throughout assigned areas of the Behavioral Health Center.

Serves as a patient care resource and is expected to work effectively across multiple units and patient populations through scheduled assignments and rotations while maintaining continuity of care and supporting unit operations.

Responsibilities include patient observation and monitoring, assistance with activities of daily living, support of the therapeutic milieu, facilitation of patient activities, patient safety interventions, documentation, and patient transportation, including driving patients to scheduled clinic appointments.

Benefits

UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100%25 coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

Schedule: Full-time, three (3) X12-hour shifts per week. Day Shift (7:00 AM–7:00 PM), including rotating weekends.

Essential Functions

Job Duties

Provides support among Behavioral Health Center units and other designated patient care areas. Adapts to differing unit workflows, patient populations, care environments, and assignments while maintaining established standards of patient care and safety.

Transports and drives patients to scheduled clinic appointments and other approved locations in accordance with organizational policies, patient safety requirements, and established transportation procedures.

Uses prior behavioral health experience and knowledge of established procedures to effectively navigate varied patient care assignments and recognize situations requiring nursing or leadership intervention.

Collects data to include: intake and output, weight, temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure. Performs skin assessments. Recognizes and immediately reports values outside normal parameters to the nurse. Demonstrates awareness of age-specific considerations in gathering these assessments (children, adolescents, adults, older adults). Assists in facilitating treatment milieu. Participates in codes to protect the patient from harming self or others.

Reports any changes in a patient's condition or behavior immediately to the nurse. Seeks assistance and guidance as needed to ensure that patient care is delivered in a safe, high quality and effective manner at all times. Monitors patient sharps and valuables and labels-handles appropriately. Conducts walking/exercise and community groups. Continuously observe patients at arm's length proximity while patient is awake or asleep.

Responds to patient requests for assistance in a respectful, positive, and timely manner using AIDET script.

Performs basic hygiene care in accordance with the Department of Nursing Policies and Procedures. Checks skin carefully during the bath, reports anything other than normal immediately to the nurse.

Documents patient information accurately and in appropriate place in a timely manner.

Transfers, and transports patients safely and in accordance with the Department of Nursing Policies and Procedures, with concern for age-specific considerations. Ensures that patient is covered with robe and/or blankets and that slippers are on feet (even if Transporter is taking patient).

Welcomes new patient/patient's family. Knocks before entering room. Smiles and introduces self. Wears name tag. Immediately alerts nurse if patient/patient's family seems or is unhappy and you have not resolved the issue.

Provide patient care under the direction of nursing staff being certain to only perform tasks in which training and/or competency has been validated.

Assess, identify, and monitor environmental, patient, and the patient's family needs in a respectful, positive, and timely manner to achieve satisfaction.

Resolve patient concerns by initiating service recovery and immediately escalating patient, family, visitors and staff concerns through the chain of command.

Prepare, update, and disseminate reports at the change of shift and when changes are noted in the patient's condition.

Orients new staff and students to work areas. Collaborates with other nursing staff and hospital employees to create an environment that is conducive to the retention of qualified personnel.

Build meaning and sustainable relationships of trust through open and interactive communication with members of the healthcare team.

Maintain current compliance with ongoing annual education requirements (modules, classes and competencies). Attend at least 80%25 of scheduled staff meetings and 100%25 of mandatory educational sessions.

Utilize downtime to assist others and/or to provide additional supportive measures to patients and/or patients’ families within the respective patient care environment.

Assumes accountabilities for all actions in the workplace. Reports errors promptly.

• Performs in the role of sitter as needed, documents as required.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education and Experience
• Required

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Experience

2 years of behavioral health, psychiatric, or directly related patient-care experience required.

Licenses and Certifications

• (BLS) BASIC LIFE SUPPORT course accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross (ARC) and
• (CPI) CRISIS PREVENTION INSTITUT CER - training must be completed within 30 days of hire date and

(DRIVERS) DRIVERS LICENSE Must have a valid State of Texas Driver’s License. As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe, productive, and drug-free workplace, all candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening. Continued employment is contingent upon compliance with our substance abuse policy, which may include random or reasonable suspicion of drug testing during the course of employment.

Preferred

Experience

• 1 year of acute care inpatient hospital experience or
• Certified Nurses Aide certification with training from an accredited training program or
• Training from an accredited Mental Health Technician Program or
• Completed first semester of Nursing Clinicals from an accredited program
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Must be able to read, write, and communicate in English

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

• Physical Demands
• Bending/Leaning Over
• Carrying
• Climbing
• Crawling
• Crouching/Kneeling/Stooping
• Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination
• Feeling
• Grasping
• Handling
• Hearing
• Kneeling
• Lifting
• Pulling
• Pushing
• Reaching
• Repetitive Motions
• Sitting
• Standing
• Stooping
• Talking
• Walking

PACT Statement

The following is the acronym, "PACT", and is fundamental to all clinical positions at UT Southwestern Medical Center:

P-Problem Solving: To achieve excellence in patient care and service, all employees are expected to take ownership in solving problems effectively, efficiently and to the satisfaction of the patient.

A-Ability, Attitude and Appearance: In keeping with a professional healthcare environment, all employees are expected to have the ability to perform their jobs and to appear and conduct themselves in a professional and positive manner.

C-Communications and Compassion: It is our goal