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Lifepoint Health
Holyoke, Massachusetts

Behavioral Health Technician - Forensic

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 58m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital - Forensic Unit

Behavioral Health Technician (BHT)

Job Type: PRN (As needed)

This is a Union Position

Your Experience Matters

Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital is part of Lifepoint Health, a diversified healthcare delivery network with facilities coast to coast. We are driven by a profound commitment to prioritize your well-being, so you can provide exceptional care to others.

As a Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) joining our team, you're embracing a vital mission dedicated to making communities healthier ®. Join us on this meaningful journey where your skills, compassion, and dedication will make a remarkable difference in the lives of those we serve.

More About Our Team

The Forensic Unit at Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital provides specialized inpatient behavioral health services for individuals involved with the legal or criminal justice system who require psychiatric evaluation, stabilization, and treatment.

This highly structured and secure environment is designed to support patients with complex mental health needs through evidence-based therapies, medication management, individualized treatment planning, and interdisciplinary care.

The team is committed to promoting recovery, enhancing coping skills, and preparing patients for the next level of care while maintaining a strong focus on safety, therapeutic engagement, and compassionate, patient-centered treatment.

How you'll contribute

A Behavioral Health Technician who excels in this role:

  • Responsible for observation and maintenance of safe milieu through patient checks, safety monitoring, etc.: completes 15-minute checks, monitors for contraband, evaluates for change in condition, and provides line of sight or one on one care as directed.
  • Adheres to tasks delegated by the RN related to the care of the patients including, but not limited to vital signs, specimen collection, documentation, group education, and patient monitoring.
  • Demonstrates effective milieu management skills, which promote positive patient experiences.
  • Accompanies patients to off unit activities, i. e. meals, outside breaks, off unit visits, out-of-building activities and appointments
  • Responsible for reporting to all changes, medical or psychiatric, to RN.
  • Assists with the admission process to include belongings inventory, visitation to unit, vital signs, and other duties as delegated.

Why Join Us

We believe that investing in our employees is the first step to providing excellent patient care. In addition to your base compensation, this position

also offers:

  • Comprehensive Benefits: Multiple levels of medical, dental and vision coverage for full-time and part-time employees.
  • Financial Protection & PTO: Life, accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity insurance, short- and long-term disability, paid family leave and paid time off.
  • Financial & Career Growth: Higher education and certification tuition assistance, loan assistance and 401(k) retirement package and company match.
  • Employee Well-being: Mental, physical, and financial wellness programs (free gym memberships, virtual care appointments, mental health services and discount programs).
  • Professional Development: Ongoing learning and career advancement opportunities.

What We're Looking For

Education

  • High school degree preferred.

Experience

  • Previous experience in a psychiatric health care facility, with direct experience working with chemical dependency, dual diagnosis, psychiatric and geriatric patients preferred.

Certificate/License

  • Will require valid driver’s license and a favorable Motor Vehicle Report (MVR), along with proof of insurance when using personal or hospital owned vehicle.
  • Additional Requirements: CPR certification and Crisis Prevention Training (CPI) within 30 days of employment and prior to any patient contact.
  • Completion of additional age specific training within 30 days of employment as required. Must be at least 21 years of age. May be required to work flexible hours and overtime. Where applicable, must obtain and maintain agency affiliation.

More About Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital

At Valley Springs, we are driven by a profound commitment to prioritize your well-being so you can provide exceptional care to others. Here, you’re not just valued as an employee, but as a person.

EEOC Statement

Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunities for all applicants and employees and complies with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of color, race, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, gender identity, sexual orientation, veterans' status or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

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 is responsible for maintaining a safe milieu through patient checks, safety monitoring, and direct observation. They also assist the RN with clinical tasks such as vital signs, specimen collection, documentation, and facilitating group education.

Requirements

Candidates should have previous experience in a psychiatric healthcare facility and must be at least 21 years of age. A high school degree is preferred, and the role requires a valid driver's license, CPR certification, and Crisis Prevention Training.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Vital signs measurementPsychiatric carePatient admissionBehavioral health supportEvidence-based therapy

Behavioral Health Career Context

Of the 50 active Behavioral Health listings this role was benchmarked against, 78% have no call, 34% require no weekends.

Behavioral Health pay on WeekdayDoc is down 5.0% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Behavioral Health by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score2.8 / 10 · above average in behavioral healthranked against 1,302 Behavioral Health listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed paynot listedBehavioral Health median $43k (middle half $41k–$48k)23 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost of livingMassachusetts index 105.8US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Behavioral Health listings in Massachusetts25 active1,325 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 78% no call · 34% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Behavioral Health pay trend−5.0% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (1,302 Behavioral Health listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Behavioral Health Tech Jobs

34 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

25 jobs · 22 employers
5
<$40k
8
$40k-45k
9
$45k-50k
3
$52k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

24 jobs · 22 employers
401k / retirement match
96% this job
CME allowance
21%
Sign-on bonus
8%
Loan repayment
4% this job

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Behavioral Health Technician

Discovery Behavioral Health · Fairfax, Virginia

$16-$25/hr
#2

Behavioral Health Associate I

Volunteers of America of Alaska · Eagle River, Alaska

$20-$25/hr
#3

Behavioral Health Associate

$22-$25/hr
#4

Behavioral Health Technician (Greenbrook)

$22-$24/hr
+ 32 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 1.5this job 2.8
Better work-life than 60% of Behavioral Health listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,302 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

Medical, dental, and vision coverage
Life, accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance
Short- and long-term disability
Paid family leave
Paid time off
Tuition assistance
Loan assistance
401(k) with company match

Living in Holyoke

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$339k
Typical market rent
$1,863/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
96.1
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Springfield, MA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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