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Cape Fear Valley Health
Lillington, North Carolina

Behavioral Health Technician- Dorothea Dix Harnett Adolescent Psych Unit, Per Diem Variable

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 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Facility

Central Harnett Hospital

Location: Lillington, North Carolina

Department: Dorothea Dix Harnett Adolescent Psych Unit

Job Family

Professional

Work Shift

Variable (United States of America)

Summary

Performs routine patient care duties to include observation, monitoring and recording changes in patient’s condition, obtaining vital signs, assisting with activities of daily living, providing emotional support and care under the direction of a nurse, and facilitates groups Assists with performing contraband searches; inventory of patient’s personal belongings.

Effectively utilizes crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques as needed. Assists with maintaining a safe, clean, and therapeutic environment. Serves as resource for medical staff, nursing staff, security, and other Behavioral Health Technicians.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Major Job Functions

The following is a summary of the major essential functions of this job. The incumbent may perform other duties, both major and minor, that are not mentioned below. In addition, specific functions may change from time to time:

Provides care to the patients in a manner that promotes safety, protects patient rights, preserves patient dignity, provides comfort and is conducive to a positive therapeutic environment

Assists with new admissions including, but not limited to, conducting contraband searches, orientating patient to room and environment, obtaining vital signs and securing patient belongings in designated area

Assists with transfers and discharges to include, but not limited to, obtaining vital signs and gathering patient belongings

  • Obtaining and monitoring vital signs, obtain patient weight and report abnormalities to nurse
  • Assists patients with activities of daily living, (personal hygiene, and toileting if necessary)
  • Assists with therapeutic holds, restraints, and seclusion procedures after completing NCI Training
  • Assess patients through play and group activities, report abnormal findings to nurse
  • Assists with Q-15-minute rounding and video, visual constant and touch constant observation, monitoring and documentation as directed by nurse
  • Assists with documentation of intake and output and graphing of vital signs as directed
  • Facilitates Therapeutic Community Meeting and Wrap-up as assigned
  • Participates in educational and performance improvement initiatives
  • Actively participates in cost containment
  • Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

The following qualifications, or equivalents, are the minimum requirements necessary to perform the essential functions of this job:

Education and Formal Training

  • High school diploma or equivalent required
  • Associates degree or Bachelors degree in Psychology/Social Work preferred
  • Nursing Assistant certification accepted
  • BLS from the American Heart Association required
  • Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training and certification within 30 days of employment

Work Experience

2 years of psychiatric experience preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

  • Proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking the English language
  • Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Must possess excellent customer service skills
  • Demonstrates competency to work with children, adolescents, and adults with mental illness
  • Possesses basic knowledge of age specific considerations for the population served
  • Must possess unrestricted NCI Certification upon completion of training
  • General computer competency required

Physical Requirements

  • Ability to work variable shifts
  • Position requires bending, prolonged standing, and walking

Ability to Turn and Lift Patients

Must possess visual and auditory acuity for observation and manual dexterity for computer use and documentation

May involve skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious material

Required Licenses and Certifications

Cape Fear Valley Health System is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veteran/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

Key Responsibilities

Performs routine patient care duties including monitoring patient conditions, obtaining vital signs, and assisting with activities of daily living. Facilitates therapeutic groups and utilizes crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques to maintain a safe environment.

Requirements

Requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with an associate or bachelor degree in psychology or social work preferred. Must hold BLS certification and complete Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training within 30 days of employment.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Vital signs monitoringActivities of daily living assistancePsychiatric careTherapeutic environment maintenanceContraband searchPatient observation

Behavioral Health Career Context

Of the 50 active Behavioral Health listings this role was benchmarked against, 76% have no call, 46% require no weekends.

Behavioral Health pay on WeekdayDoc is down 5.7% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Behavioral Health by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedBehavioral Health median $39k (middle half $37k–$51k)45 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingNorth Carolina index 94.3US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Behavioral Health listings in North Carolina44 active1,197 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 76% no call · 46% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 5% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 12% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Behavioral Health listings814 in the last 30 days503 the 30 days before (+62%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Behavioral Health pay trend−5.7% 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.

Top contract/1099 Behavioral Health Tech Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

29 jobs · 26 employers
11
<$40k
14
$40k-50k
4
$50k-60k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

26 jobs
401k / retirement match
100%
CME allowance
23%
Sign-on bonus
8%
Loan repayment
4%
PSLF eligible
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Behavioral Health Technician

Centurion Health · Taylorville, Illinois

$26.91-$28.58/hr
#2

Therapeutic Recreation Behavioral Health Technician (BHT)

New Horizon Community Care · Tolleson, Arizona

$23-$27/hr
#3

Behavioral Health Technician

$16-$25/hr
#4

Behavioral Health Tech IV

$22-$25/hr
+ 37 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.

Living in Lillington

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$280k
Typical market rent
$1,663/mo
Residents’ average commute
26 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
92.0
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Fayetteville, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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