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Lifepoint Health
Tampa, Florida

Behavioral Health Technician (PRN)

Behavioral Health TechPer Diem

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital

  • Job Title: Behavioral Health Technician (BHT)
  • Job Type: PRN
  • Schedule: Variable Shifts Available

Your Experience Matters

Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital is committed to providing compassionate, high-quality behavioral healthcare to the communities we serve.

As a Behavioral Health Technician (BHT), you will play an essential role in supporting patients throughout their treatment journey while working alongside a multidisciplinary team dedicated to improving mental health outcomes.

Join our team and make a meaningful impact by helping patients achieve stability, safety, and recovery in a supportive behavioral health environment.

How You'll Contribute

A Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) who excels in this role:

  • Provides direct patient care and support under the direction of licensed nursing staff.
  • Maintains a safe, therapeutic environment for patients receiving behavioral health services.
  • Conducts routine patient observations and documents findings accurately and timely.
  • Assists patients with activities of daily living as needed.
  • Facilitates patient engagement in therapeutic and recreational activities.
  • Implements de-escalation techniques and responds appropriately to behavioral crises.
  • Supports treatment goals by encouraging positive coping skills and participation in care plans.
  • Observes and reports changes in patient behavior, mood, and physical condition.
  • Maintains patient confidentiality and complies with HIPAA regulations.
  • Collaborates effectively with nurses, therapists, physicians, and other members of the treatment team.
  • Participates in ongoing education, safety training, and performance improvement initiatives.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Why Join Us

We believe investing in our employees is essential to delivering exceptional patient care. In addition to competitive compensation, we offer:

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits for eligible employees.
  • Employee wellness resources and assistance programs.
  • Professional development and career advancement opportunities.
  • Tuition reimbursement and continuing education support.
  • A collaborative team environment focused on safety, compassion, and recovery.
  • Opportunities to grow within Tampa General Hospital's healthcare network.

What We're Looking For

Education

  • High School Diploma or GED required.

Licensure & Certifications

  • Current BLS Certification required within established timeframe.
  • CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention) certification preferred or obtained during orientation.

Required Skills

  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to remain calm and professional in crisis situations.
  • Strong observation and documentation abilities.
  • Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
  • Knowledge of behavioral health, mental health disorders, and patient safety practices preferred.
  • Ability to maintain professional boundaries and therapeutic relationships.

Experience

  • Previous behavioral health, psychiatric, healthcare, social services, or direct patient care experience preferred.
  • Experience working with mental health and substance abuse populations is a plus.

More About Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital

Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital provides comprehensive inpatient behavioral health services for adults requiring acute psychiatric care and treatment. Our team is dedicated to delivering evidence-based, patient-centered care in a safe and therapeutic environment that promotes healing, recovery, and long-term wellness.

More About Our Team

Our Behavioral Health team is made up of compassionate professionals committed to supporting patients through some of their most challenging moments. As a Behavioral Health Technician, you will be an integral part of a collaborative care team focused on dignity, respect, safety, and recovery.

Together, we are dedicated to helping individuals build healthier futures and stronger communities.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees and applicants are treated with dignity and respect. We comply with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and provide equal employment opportunities for all.

Lifepoint Health is a leader in community-based care and driven by a mission of Making Communities Healthier.

Our diversified healthcare delivery network spans 29 states and includes 63 community hospital campuses, 32 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals, and more than 170 additional sites of care across the healthcare continuum, such as acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers and post-acute care facilities.

We believe that success is achieved through talented people. We want to create places where employees want to work, with opportunities to pursue meaningful and satisfying careers that truly make a difference in communities across the country.

We employ and provide care to people from all walks of life. We are committed to promoting healing, providing hope, preserving dignity and producing value with an inclusive workforce in which diversity is leveraged, respected, and reflective of the patients, family members, customers and team members we serve.

Key Responsibilities

The Behavioral Health Technician provides direct patient care and maintains a safe, therapeutic environment under the direction of nursing staff. They are responsible for conducting patient observations, facilitating therapeutic activities, and responding to behavioral crises.

Requirements

Candidates must have a High School Diploma or GED and current BLS certification. Previous experience in behavioral health, psychiatric, or direct patient care settings is preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Crisis interventionPatient observationCommunication skillsMental health supportHIPAA complianceMultidisciplinary collaborationActivities of daily living assistance

Behavioral Health Career Context

Of the 50 active Behavioral Health listings this role was benchmarked against, 74% have no call, 52% require no weekends.

Behavioral Health pay on WeekdayDoc is up 13.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Behavioral Health by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedBehavioral Health median $37k (middle half $35k–$40k)43 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingFlorida index 103.4US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Behavioral Health listings in Florida86 active1,228 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 74% no call · 52% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedFlorida healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 7% state a sign-on bonus · 7% offer loan repayment116 active listings, Nov 2026
New Behavioral Health listings861 in the last 30 days503 the 30 days before (+71%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Behavioral Health pay trend+13.2% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Location & Logistics

Florida has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top contract/1099 Behavioral Health Tech Jobs

34 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

25 jobs
12
<$45k
10
$45k-55k
2
$55k-65k
1
$72k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

21 jobs
401k / retirement match
100%
CME allowance
24% this job
Sign-on bonus
10%
PSLF eligible
10%
Loan repayment
5%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Behavioral Health Technician - Float Pool

Essentia Health · Duluth, Minnesota

$23.28-$34.63/hr
#2

Behavioral Health Technician

Centurion Health · Taylorville, Illinois

$26.91-$28.58/hr
#3

Therapeutic Recreation Behavioral Health Technician (BHT)

$23-$27/hr
#4

Behavioral Health Technician

$16-$25/hr
+ 32 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 1.5this job 1.5
Below most Behavioral Health listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,195 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Lifepoint Health logo

About Lifepoint Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Gallatin, Tennessee
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision Benefits
Employee Wellness Resources
Professional Development
Tuition Reimbursement
Continuing Education Support
Collaborative Team Environment

Living in Tampa

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$382k
Typical market rent
$1,930/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
100.9
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.