Hire Behavioral Health Technicians
Behavioral health technicians are professionals who help guide patients toward health and recovery. They work hand in hand with behavior therapists, doctors, and other medical professionals to modify unhealthy behaviors and affect positive change.
Hiring a behavioral health technician starts with writing an accurate job description. Create a job description that is clear, concise, and detailed. Are you looking for candidates who live in a specific area? What is the schedule? Is prior experience required? Outline the responsibilities and requirements clearly. Keep in mind that a great job description should be more than just a list of expectations. Highlight what you can offer the candidate in terms of workplace culture, opportunities for growth, and extra perks.
Additionally, be clear about the schedule, the number of hours, and location. Depending on the need, behavioral health technicians may work in hospitals, clinics, or community centers on a part-time or full-time basis.
Once you have a compelling job description, posting your job announcement is the next step. Aside from general job boards, it is best for hiring managers to post job announcements on healthcare-specific job boards, online groups, and in community groups as well.
Behavioral Health Technician Responsibilities
Everything that a behavioral health technician does is guided by a patient’s treatment plan developed by a behavior therapist, psychiatrist, or other medical professionals. A behavioral health technician carries out specific tasks under a treatment plan, observes patients, listens to their concerns, and documents details of the patient’s daily care and condition.
Additionally, behavioral health technicians are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of patients. Any change in a patient’s mood or behavior is carefully assessed by the behavioral health technician. The specific change in behavior is then classified as positive, negative, or if it can pose harm to the patient and other people. Alerting medical professionals and staff is a must in case of an emergency or potential danger.
Moreover, a behavioral health technician may assist patients in their daily activities including: personal hygiene, bathing, and dressing. Also, they will check vital signs (respiration, pulse, temperature, and blood pressure) and administer prescribed medication as directed or advised by a nurse or doctor.
Lastly, behavioral health technicians maintain patient confidentiality by keeping patient records and other documents secure.
Behavioral Health Technician Skills and Qualifications
The ideal candidate for a behavioral health technician is a person who is compassionate, trustworthy, and professional. Candidates must have excellent active listening and problem-solving skills. Moreover, strong communication skills are a must as behavioral health technicians interact closely with doctors, patients, and work with other health team members.
Hiring managers for this role require a bachelor's degree in Behavioral Health or a related field. Prior work experience as a behavioral health technician in a psychiatric ward or medical facility is typically required.
Lastly, other qualifications include: attention to detail, a strong ability to follow instructions, and standard protocols regarding patient care. Behavioral health technicians must be physically fit in case patients may need to be restrained. As the schedule may vary per medical facility, flexibility to work on evenings, weekends, and even holidays might be necessary.
Each patient has a particular set of needs that a behavioral health technician will need to attend to and manage. Finding the right professional who will fit the needs of a patient may be a challenge. But if done well, the value it will have on the patient’s path to health and recovery is immeasurable.
