Psych Tech III

Title: Psych Tech III

State Role Title: 49053

Hiring Range: $37505 $51756; Salary to Commensurate with Experience

Pay Band: 3

Agency: Dept Behavioral Health/Develop

Location:Central State Hospital

Agency Website: Type: General Public G

Job Duties

Central State Hospital (CSH) is a 277 bed Joint Commission accredited psychiatric inpatient facility located in Petersburg Virginia. CSH has proudly been serving citizens of the Commonwealth since 1870 when we opened our doors as the first psychiatric hospital in the country dedicated to the treatment of African Americans. A new and modern CSH is currently under construction on the same property with a scheduled completion date of 2027.

CSH maintains the only maximumsecurity treatment facility in the state 111 beds). We also have 166 beds available for individuals in the community who need inpatient care as well as individuals in the criminal justice system. We believe that treatment should be holistic and focused on the persons individual needs recognizing that recovery is not linear or the same for every person. Treatment modalities may include medication evidencebased group and individual therapy peer support psychosocial rehabilitation vocational training preparation for court and treatment for substance use.

Central State Hospital is recruiting for Psychiatric Technicians to provide recovery oriented direct care to an adult population ranging from ages 18 to 64 in both a civil setting and a maximumsecurity forensic setting; maintain a safe clean and therapeutic environment; actively support and motivate patients to participate in their individualized treatment plans; as well as deliver treatment programming to individuals and groups of individuals with serious mental illness.

Job Duties:
Provides Patient Care/Implements Treatment Plans
Interacts with assigned patients according to treatment plan to assist patients to meet treatment goals.
Provide or assist patients to meet ADLs including basic hygiene room maintenance and clothes maintenance.
Perform designated nursing procedures for physical monitoring such as vital signs weights specimen collection.
Is alert to barriers to implementing procedures or plans and promptly reports those to the Charge RN.
Conducts patient groups such as skill building and leisure skill groups consistent with competency level.
Demonstrates behaviors that support the facilitys mission vision and values.
Follows all nursing procedures for physical care activities.
Transports patients to activities lab courtyard and off ground assignments as assigned.
When assigned patients for offground appointment/activities assures patient is dressed appropriate for weather activity and initiates preparations to assure timely arrival for appointment.
Assigned patients and their rooms reflect good hygiene and orderliness or there is clear documentation in the patient record regarding related interventions response and referral to treatment team.
Consistently implements infection control procedures.
Attends treatment team meetings as assigned discusses information related to patient status and provides input into patients individualized plan of care.
Monitors patients whereabouts as assigned at appropriate time according to observation status and accurately document on observation sheets.
Follows all procedures for special observations.
Orients new patients to unit layout and routine.
Assures that patient belongings are safely retained or packed for transfer or discharge.
Provides positive feedback/encouragement to patients for accomplishments and progress towards recovery goal.
Advocates for patients rights and reports violations to appropriate personnel per policy.
Files documentation in the appropriate place at the end of each shift. Essential

Maintains a Safe &Therapeutic Environment
Modulate noise lighting and assure neatness security and posting of schedules for the unit.
Observe patient behavior and report changes in physical or psychiatric behavior.
Observe and report safety and environmental issues initiate and complete actions to resolve.
Perform procedures such as accounting for patients sharps rounds etc.
Maintains familiarity with patients individual safety plans and contributes input based on own observations and interactions.
Proactively provide therapeutic options to patients demonstrating early warning signs of potential aggression.
Immediately intervene in dangerous situations
Apply physical restraints to prevent a patient who presents an imminent danger to self/others from causing harm.
Apply mechanical restraints at the direction of the RN.
Participates in post intervention staff huddle/ debriefing.
Performs all assignments as designated on assignment sheet and consistent with competencies.
Demonstrates behaviors that support the facilitys mission vision and values. Interactions and activities with patients are consistent with the treatment plan generally accepted psychiatric nursing principles and/or policies and procedures.
Is attentive to unit noise level and intervenes appropriately.
Modulates own voice level and avoids staff to staff discussions in the patient area; nonverbally conveys accessibility and approachability to patients. Sits with patients rather than other staff.
Greets patients by either their first name or Mr./Ms. Last name interacts with patients within social distance rather than from across the room.
Utilizes therapeutic communication and rolemodeling.
Actively participates in patient community meetings and initiates prosocial engagement activities for individuals and groups of patients during free time.
Monitors identifies and documents changes in patients physical mental or behavior status and immediately reports changes to the Charge RN.
Provides Charge RN prompt feedback regarding any safety issues on the unit and provide suggestions for improving the milieu.
Immediately resolves safety issues such as spills objects impeding traffic flow removal of unsafe items.
Ensures all patients are present prior to movement within the facility.
Uses T.O. techniques when intervening in dangerous patient behaviors and follows all expectations. In the case of environmental dangers remains with the dangerous situation keeping patients away from the area until help arrives.
Communicates information and feedback related to individual patient safety plans to the Charge RN and treatment team based on own observations and interactions.
Identifies intervenes in and reports early cues to agitation using a graded approach of least restrictive interventions.
Demonstrates awareness of potential triggers for individual or groups of patients and intervenes accordingly.
Responds to patients or visitors identified needs in a courteous and timely manner.
Meets expectations with regard to preserving a staffpatient relationship including maintaining personal boundaries by limiting sharing of personal information ensuring verbal and nonverbal communication and dressing in a professional manner.
Reports to or begins a new assignment at the appointed time in order to assure workflow of all staff and continuity of care.
Completes environmental checks at change of each shift with off going staff and resolves all deficiencies immediately.
Remains up to date on security practices and procedures as taught in annual forensic security training.
Notifies Charge RN prior to exiting unit and upon returning.
Returns from breaks and lunch on time to maintain adequate unit staffing levels and prevent disruptions of care. Maintains presence on assigned unit when not on break.

Minimum Qualifications

Valid Drivers License.

KSAs and or Competencies required to successfully perform the work:

Ability to distinguish between safe and unsafe patient behavior by observing
interacting and listening.
Ability to read write and speak in the English language.
Ability to observe report and document changes in patients mental physical and
behavioral status.
Ability to follow written and oral instructions.
Ability to maintain all required orientation and annual competencies.
Ability to establish and maintain an effective working relationship with supervisors co
workers and patients from varied backgrounds using effective interpersonal skills.
Ability to recognize the need and ask for help or assistance in providing care and
treatment.
Ability to document in legal records using narrative format.
Ability to give and receive effective feedback and perform as a member of a team.
Ability to administer CPR and perform T.O. approved physical interventions.
Ability to work overtime hours rotating weekends and holidays.
Ability to use email and electronic health records.

Additional Considerations

Experience as a CNA/Aide/Tech providing direct care to individuals with mental
illness substance abuse issues and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities in a
healthcare or mental health setting.
Current enrollment in or completion of a degree program in Psychology Sociology
Social Work Nursing or any other health care major.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or rsum is submitted successfully. Please refer to Your Application in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Central State Hospital is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race color religion sex gender identity sexual orientation national origin political affiliation disability genetic information age retaliation parental status pregnancy military service/status or other nonmerit factor. We commit to a diverse and inclusive workforce that is reflective of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In addition the Commonwealth of Virginia/Central State Hospital offers excellent health and life insurance benefits access to ShortTerm (STD) and LongTerm (LTD) Disability benefits twelve 12 paid holidays and other leave benefits and a state retirement plan with options for taxdeferred retirement savings including employer matching.
Special Instructions
You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or rsum is submitted successfully. Please refer to Your Application in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
For consideration interested applicants must apply by completing the online application and/or submit a resume. However emailed faxed and handdelivered applications and/or resumes will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. on the listed closing date. Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Central State Hospital welcomes all applicants authorized to work in the U.S. For more information on how to seek this authorization please refer to Working in the United States or contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office directly.

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In support of the Commonwealths commitment to inclusion we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS) or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). ServiceConnected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation if applicable to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at.

Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting supporting and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer

Contact Information

Name: Human Resouces

Phone:

Email:

In support of the Commonwealths commitment to inclusion we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS) or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). ServiceConnected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation if applicable to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1 2022 February 29 2024 can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.