Duke University logo
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Behavioral Health Technician-Duke Regional Hospital Emergency Department-Nights

Behavioral Health TechFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

About Duke Regional Hospital Pursue your passion for caring with Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, North Carolina.

With 388 beds it is the second largest of Duke Health's four hospitals and offers a comprehensive range ofmedical, surgical, and diagnostic services, including orthopedics, weight-loss surgery, women's services, and heart and vascular services. Behavioral Health Technician-Duke Regional Hospital Emergency Department BHED

  • $2500 Commitment Bonus paid in 2 equal installments
  • 3-12 hour shifts per week
  • 7:00pm-7:30am

Behavioral Health Technician

The Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) provides direct patient care and support to individuals receiving behavioral health, substance abuse, mental health, dementia, or intellectual/developmental disability services.

Working under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, the BHT monitors patient progress, assists with activities of daily living, promotes a safe therapeutic environment, and supports patient treatment plans through one-on-one and group interactions.

This role is responsible for ensuring patient safety, participating in crisis intervention when necessary, and contributing to the overall well-being of patients through compassionate, patient-centered care.

Key Responsibilities

Observe patients, monitor behavior and condition, and report significant changes to the supervising RN.

Provide one-on-one and group support, recreational activities, and reinforcement of patient education.

Assist patients with activities of daily living, including bathing, hygiene, dressing, feeding, mobility, and transfers.

Support patient safety through observation, de-escalation techniques, and participation in seclusion, restraint, or crisis interventions as needed.

  • Participate in treatment planning and patient care discussions with the interdisciplinary team.
  • Maintain a clean, safe, and organized patient care environment.
  • Adhere to infection prevention, safety, and regulatory requirements.
  • Obtain vital signs, collect specimens, monitor intake and output, and perform delegated clinical tasks as authorized.
  • Assist with recreational and therapeutic activities that support patient recovery and treatment goals.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

High school diploma or GED required.

Experience

One year of experience working with patients who have mental health, substance abuse, dementia, intellectual, or developmental disabilities preferred.

Licensure/Certification Must Meet One of the Following

  • Listed on the North Carolina Nurse Aide Registry; or
  • Certified Substance Abuse Counselor in North Carolina; or
  • Certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in North Carolina; or

Certified Behavioral Health Technician through The Academy of Addiction Professionals or the American Medical Certification Association.

Individuals who do not meet one of the above requirements upon hire must begin the certification process within one year of employment and complete it within two years.

Additional requirements:

BLS certification can be done at the completion of new hire orientation.

CPI certification preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Understanding of behavioral health care principles, patient safety, infection prevention, and therapeutic interventions.

  • Ability to remain calm and effective in stressful or crisis situations.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills with patients, families, and healthcare team members.
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality and uphold patient rights.
  • Ability to recognize changes in patient condition and seek appropriate assistance.
  • Strong observational, documentation, and organizational skills.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes.

To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Requirements

Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED and hold a relevant certification such as a North Carolina Nurse Aide, EMT, or Behavioral Health Technician certification. One year of experience working with patients with mental health or developmental disabilities is preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Vital signs monitoringPatient observationTherapeutic communicationSubstance abuse supportActivities of daily living assistance

Behavioral Health Career Context

Of the 50 active Behavioral Health listings this role was benchmarked against, 84% have no call, 32% require no weekends.

Behavioral Health pay on WeekdayDoc is down 2.3% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Behavioral Health by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedBehavioral Health median $39k (middle half $37k–$51k)35 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingNorth Carolina index 94.3US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Behavioral Health listings in North Carolina61 active1,664 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 84% no call · 32% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repayment$3k sign-onUS healthcare professional listings: 5% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 12% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Behavioral Health listings861 in the last 30 days543 the 30 days before (+59%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Behavioral Health pay trend−2.3% 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 Behavioral Health Tech Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

24 jobs
8
<$40k
8
$40k-45k
5
$45k-50k
3
$52k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

22 jobs
401k / retirement match
95%
CME allowance
18%
Sign-on bonus
5% this job
PSLF eligible
5%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Behavioral Health Technician

Discovery Behavioral Health · Fairfax, Virginia

$16-$25/hr
#2

Behavioral Health Tech IV

Koniag Government Services · Crow Agency, Montana

$22-$25/hr
#3

Behavioral Health Associate I

$20-$25/hr
#4

Behavioral Health Technician - Full Time Swing Shift

$19-$23/hr
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 1.5this job 1.5
Better work-life than 50% of Behavioral Health listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,246 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Durham

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$358k
Typical market rent
$1,626/mo
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.6
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 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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