1st Shift Psychiatric Care Technician

Title: 1st Shift Psychiatric Care Technician

State Role Title: 49053

Hiring Range: $38,630 minimum, negotiable based on relevant years of experience

Pay Band: 3

Agency: Dept Behavioral Health/Develop

Location: Southern Va Mental Health Inst

Agency Website: https://dbhds.virginia.gov/facilities/svmhi/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental services support individuals by promoting recovery, self-determination, and wellness in all aspects of life. DBHDS operates 12 facilities: 8 behavioral health facilities for adults, a training center, a psychiatric facility for children and adolescents, a medical center, and a center for behavioral rehabilitation. State facilities provide highly structured, intensive services for individuals with mental illness, intellectual disability, or need substance use disorder services. DBHDS is committed to a life of possibilities for all Virginians. This position will work at Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute, a 72-bed Joint Commission accredited State Mental Health Facility, located in Danville, VA.

What you will do: Psychiatric Technicians work directly with patients to achieve therapeutic goals through activities of daily living (ADLs), attend to patients’ problems and concerns, encourage patients in activities, provide intervention for behavior problems and crisis situations, and promote patients’ awareness and coping skills to deal with realities of judicial controls as required. This position requires working with patients that may become verbally and/or physically aggressive. Consequently, as a Psychiatric Technician you are responsible for understanding and using the least restrictive interventions available per hospital policy and to successfully avoid the use of seclusion and restraint whenever possible.

This position requires the ability to:
Distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate client behavior through observing, conversing and listening.
Interact with patients in a therapeutic manner.
Monitor and report changes in patients’ medical and psychiatric status is required.
Lift heavy objects (greater than 50 pounds).
Walk and/or stand a minimum of 75% of time while on shift.

This position will work 1st shift -- two 12-hour shifts (7:00 am-7:30 pm) and two 8-hour shifts (7 am-3:30 pm) with a 30-minute meal break. This position will work some holidays on a rotating basis and every other weekend. This position may be required to work overtime as scheduled to meet patient care needs.

Shift differentials include $3.00/hour for weekends and weekday holidays.

**This position requires completion of a consecutive 4-week New Employee Orientation for on-the-job training. Orientation hours are from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm with a one-hour lunch break for Orientation Week 1 and then as scheduled by the Nurse Educator for the remaining Orientation Weeks 2-4.**

Minimum Qualifications

This position requires basic computer skills as you will be trained to complete documentation in an Electronic Health Record (EHR).
A valid driver’s license is required and must remain valid throughout employment.

This position will also require:
Ability to follow written and verbal directions.
Physical and mental ability to participate in patient’s treatment and behavior management including performing manual tasks, walking, sitting, standing, lifting, seeing, hearing, breathing, learning, writing and performing mathematical calculations.

Additional Considerations

High school diploma/GED.
Experience working in a psychiatric, healthcare facility, acute care, long-term or correctional setting.
Veterans and people with National Service.
Bilingual fluency in Spanish and English.

Special Instructions

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

Applicants must list all relevant experience that you wish to be considered for this position. Applicants will be provided confirmation of receipt when your application and/or resume is submitted. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

A fingerprint-based criminal history check and reference checks are required for the selected candidate for this position. Under Virginia Code §37.2-314 and 37.2-408.1, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services is prohibited from employing or using as volunteers, persons who have been convicted of specific “barrier” crimes or persons who may be the subject of pending “barrier” charges.

DBHDS facilities are no longer required to ensure that all staff members are vaccinated against COVID-19. However, facilities encourage and educate staff on the benefits, and continue to offer COVID-19 vaccination programs to staff, residents/clients. Employees may be required to disclose immunization status for purposes of infection prevention and/or management of outbreaks. Upon acceptance of a job offer, new recruits will be asked to disclose their vaccination status (and for those fully vaccinated, proof of vaccination) during the pre-employment process. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Human Resources.

Commonwealth’s Alternate Hiring Process: In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their Certificate of Disability (COD) provided by a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor with the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS, to get their Certificate of Disability. To obtain a Certificate of Disability go to: https://www.vadars.org/drs/cpid/PWContact.aspx, or call DARS at 800-552-5019. Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during the application and/or interview process per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact Human Resources at (434) 773-4208 for assistance.

DBHDS is an equal Opportunity Employer. Employment opportunities are open to all regardless of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics, or disability. Minorities, Individuals with Disabilities, Veterans, and people with National Service experience are encouraged to apply. EEO/AA/TTY.

SVMHI uses Form I-9 and E-Verify in the verification of eligibility for employment.

SVMHI is a smoke and vape-free facility in all buildings and outside facility grounds.

Contact Information

Name: Human Resources

Phone: 434-421-3060

Email: svmhihr@dbhds.virginia.gov

In support of the Commonwealth’s 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). Service-Connected 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 800-552-5019.

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.