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Ochsner Health
Kaplan, Louisiana

Mental Health Technician - OAKMH Behavioral Health Unit FT Days

Behavioral Health TechIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the pay range, nights and shift pattern, benefits and time off.

Posted 46m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Exceptional care starts with exceptional people.

For us, this is more than a job– it’s a calling. It’s waking up each day, looking for ways to make a difference with a compassionate, inclusive and talented team. Ochsner empowers you to discover your passion, reach your potential, and Pursue Your Purpose. Exceptional care starts with exceptional people and teams. Together we are leading the way.

This job performs delegated nursing care responsibilities to adult/geriatric/medical psychiatric patients within the scope of guidelines set forth by the physicians, treatment team, and other clinical staff in accordance with unit/hospital policies and procedures; local, state, federal, and JCAHO standards; and requirements to provide efficient, individualize care.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at the company's discretion.

Education

Required - High school diploma or equivalent.

Work Experience

Required - None.

Certifications

  • Required - American Heart Association Health Care Provider (BLS).
  • Complete Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) requirements within first month of employment.
  • Preferred - Certification as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
  • Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
  • Proficiency in using computers, software, and web-based applications.
  • Effective verbal and written communication skills and ability to present information clearly and professionally to varying levels of individuals throughout the patient care process.
  • Good interpersonal skills.

Ability to work a flexible work schedule (e. g. 24/7, weekend, holiday, on call availability).

Job Duties

Provides and ensures physical needs are met for all patients by assisting with activities of daily living (ADL), i. e. oral care, meals, and other duties.

Conducts and participates in therapeutic milieu activities for patients under the direction and guidelines set by the clinical staff.

  • Participates as a team member in implementation of improvement in the quality care standards for the unit.
  • Complies with the JCAHO National Patient Safety Goals.
  • Adapts behavior to the specific patient population, including but not limited to: respect for privacy, method of introduction to the patient, adapting explanation of services or procedures to be performed, requesting permissions and communication style.
  • Performs other related duties as required.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work only. They are not an exhaustive list of all required responsibilities, duties, and skills. Other duties may be added, or this description amended at any time.

Remains knowledgeable on current federal, state and local laws, accreditation standards or regulatory agency requirements that apply to the assigned area of responsibility and ensures compliance with all such laws, regulations and standards.

This employer maintains and complies with its Compliance & Privacy Program and Standards of Conduct, including the immediate reporting of any known or suspected unethical or questionable behaviors or conduct; patient/employee safety, patient privacy, and/or other compliance-related concerns.

The employer is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

Physical and Environmental Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Medium Work - Exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. (Constantly: activity or condition exists 2/3 or more of the time) to move objects.

Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for Sedentary Work.

Even though the weight lifted may be only a negligible amount, a job should be rated Light Work: (1) when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree; or (2) when it requires sitting most of the time but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls; and/or (3) when the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is negligible.

NOTE: The constant stress and strain of maintaining a production rate pace, especially in an industrial setting, can be and is physically demanding of a worker even though the amount of force exerted is negligible.

Duties performed routinely require exposure to blood, body fluid and tissue.

The incumbent works in a patient care area; works in an area where patients enter; works directly with patients; and/or works with specimens that could contain diseases. There may be an occupational risk for exposure to all communicable diseases.

Because the incumbent works within a healthcare setting, there may be occupational risk for exposure to hazardous medications or hazardous waste within the environment through receipt, transport, storage, preparation, dispensing, administration, cleaning and/or disposal of contaminated waste. The risk level of exposure may increase depending on the essential job duties of the role.

Are you ready to make a difference? Apply Today!

Ochsner Health does not consider an individual an applicant until they have formally applied to the open position on this careers website.

Please refer to the job description to determine whether the position you are interested in is remote or on-site. Individuals who reside in and will work from the following areas are not eligible for remote work position: Colorado, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Washington, and Washington D.C.

Ochsner Health endeavors to make our site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website, or if you need an accommodation to complete the application process, please contact our HR Employee Solution Center at 504-842-4748 (select option 1) or careers@ochsner.org. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any legally protected class, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Key Responsibilities

The Mental Health Technician provides delegated nursing care and assists patients with activities of daily living within a behavioral health unit. They also participate in therapeutic milieu activities and ensure compliance with safety and quality standards.

Requirements

Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent and possess a BLS certification from the American Heart Association. Completion of Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) requirements is required within the first month of employment.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Computer proficiencyDocumentationSafety complianceTeam collaborationPsychiatric care

Psychiatry Career Context

Of the 50 active Psychiatry listings this role was benchmarked against, 54% have no call, 32% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Louisiana is 88.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.8% of Louisiana clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Behavioral Health Tech Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution29 jobs · 22 employers

8
<$40k
7
$40k-45k
10
$45k-50k
2
$52k
2
$59k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks17 jobs

401k / retirement match
94%
CME allowance
41%
Sign-on bonus
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Behavioral Health Technician at Hill (83693)

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$26.91-$28.58/hr
#2

Behavioral Health Technician (83534)

Centurion Health · Pontiac, Illinois

$26.91-$28.58/hr
#3

Behavioral Health Technician - Bachelor's Degree in Psychology (83704)

$25/hr
#4

Behavioral Health Associate I

$20-$25/hr
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Psychiatry (Behavioral Health Tech) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 164 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Kaplan

Median resident rent
$826/mo
Residents’ average commute
21 min
State income tax
Up to 4.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

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