DSA III - Psychiatric Technician

• Ability to act in the capacity of essential personnel during emergency/crisis situations.
• Must successfully complete BLS, TOVA and other required training upon employment at Eastern State Hospital
• Must successfully complete and maintain competencies.
• Effective interpersonal communication skills
• Experience with or the ability for managing patients with explosive potential and/or escalating situations.
• Requires ability to function with minimum supervision, recognizing the need for direction and assistance in situations beyond his/her scope of capabilities.
• Requires ability to learn and participate as a team member.

• High school graduate or GED

• Psychiatry related experience
• BA/BS

• Implement Direct Patient Care
• Assists with the admission/transfer/discharge process (e.g., orient patients to pod/unit, introduce to staff, orient unit routines and inventory belongings).
• Assists in resolving milieu issues such as reducing noise level, adjusting lighting, creating orderly living space, reporting safety issues, assuring accurate posting of schedule for patients and staff.
• Develops partnerships with patients by listening to patient's perceptions and integrating their experiences and views.
• Responds to patients or visitors identified needs in a courteous and timely manner.
• Initiates activities, teaching groups and socialization with patients that encourages psychosocial skill development and socialization approved by Registered Nurse.
• Assist in maintaining a safe, clean and therapeutic environment for patients.
• Maintain a recovery-oriented stance in the milieu, to include providing supportive conversation with patients; engaging patients in recreational activities; and seeking to empower patients in making choices that support their own recovery goals.
• Respects patients' rights such as speaking about patients only in non-patient areas, providing privacy, conveying respect.
• Accepts, performs and completes assignments as designated and consistent with competencies and job description within expected period.
• Provide ADL assistance in accordance with selected self-care concepts as needed (e.g.., bathing, oral hygiene, hair and nail care, shaving, toileting, eating, etc.).
• Provide personal care skills training for assigned individuals/groups of patients.
• Comply with hospital, department and unit policies and procedures.
• Maintaining open and positive communication in the work area.
• Maintain highest standard of personal and professional conduct in dealing with patients and visitors and co-workers.
• Observe and Report Patient Care Data
• Report pertinent information to the Registered Nurse and appropriate nursing personnel.
• Observe and report changes in patients' physical condition and behaviors to RN.
• Documentation is complete, timely, accurate, legible, behaviorally descriptive, and free of judgement statements or opinions and uses strength-based terminology according to policy and procedure.
• Assist in identification and provision of patient and family educational needs relative to patient care (e.g., adequate nutrition, basic hygiene regarding infection control; maintenance of personal belongings/funds, etc.).
• Measure and record select nursing procedures for patient assessments (e.g., TPR, B/P, weight urine specimen collection, etc.).
• Document observations/interventions according to provided guidelines.
• Environment/Milieu Management
• Maintain a recovery-oriented stance in the milieu, to include providing supportive conversation with patients engaging patients in recreational activities; and seeking to empower patients in making choices that support their own recovery goals.
• Assist in maintaining a safe, clean and therapeutic environment for patients.
• Attentive to noise, lighting, neatness and security of unit.
• Assist with maintaining a safe, clean and therapeutic environment by actions and/or notifications as required.
• Perform routine checks (15 minute/30 minute) and as-needed procedures such as accounting for patients and property, making rounds, and general observations.
• Assist with interventions (e.g., safety holds and/or restraints) as required.

• When assigned patients for off-ground appointments/activities, assures patient is dressed appropriate for weather, activity, and initiates patients' preparations, to assure timely arrival for appointment.
• Attend daily change of shift report.
• Review patients' Comprehensive Treatment Plans and obtain instruction/assignment for nursing care from the Registered Nurse to determined approaches to patient care.
• Prepare patients for treatment team.
• Attend Treatment Team and actively provide pertinent information form patient's plan.
• Promote patient socialization, self-care and development utilizing treatment plan to guide/direct, recognizing and using patient strengths to motivate patients.
• Interact with patients according to treatment plan to assist in meeting individual/unit goals.
• Assist with treatment plan revisions by sharing observations with supervisor and multi-disciplinary treatment teams.
• Collaborate with treatment team as required for patient interventions.

• Participates in orientation of new staff.
• Recognizes and validates anxiety and fear that new staff may have when first being involved in dealing with behavioral emergencies. Provides support and reassurance.
• Demonstrates teamwork by exhibiting ability to work with others in an organized manner to achieve a goal and by assisting team members as needed.
• Contributes to team cohesiveness through the giving and receiving of feedback.
• Actively participates in discussion of unusual events on the unit, asking questions, contributing observations and sharing knowledge.
• Interactions with new employees are marked by willing attitude, clear direction, responsiveness to policy and procedure, and efforts to assure retention.
• Provides re-direction when others initiate and/or participate in discussions that promote barriers between team members and slow problem clarification and resolution.
• Assist in identification of staffs' needs for in-service and continuing education.
• Participate in unit coverage/scheduling to ensure adequate coverage.
• Participates in self-scheduling with peers and collaborates to ensure minimum coverage during current and upcoming schedule cycles.

• Maintains personal boundaries, limiting sharing of personal information, talking, walking and dressing in a professional manner, not offering or accepting gifts or buying for or selling to patients.
• Initiates timely, least restrictive interventions when early cues to agitation present and immediately intervenes in dangerous situation.
• Demonstrates awareness of potential triggers for individual or groups of patients and intervenes accordingly.
• Participate in research by accurate collection of data as assigned.
• Initiates discussion of problems associated with unit workflow, work processes and interpersonal conflict.
• Speaks directly to the involved party when there are areas of disagreement or seeks the assistance of the supervisor to facilitate discussion of problem areas.
• Maintains all required annual certifications & update training within standards.
• Manages attendance (absences/tardiness) consistent with established policy and unit expectations and does not disrupt work flow (i.e. when personal needs necessitate schedule changes after schedule is posted, assumes responsibility by arranging appropriate exchanges with peers).
• Attends staff meeting as well as any other mandatory meetings/trainings to receive information or to keep current in best practices.
• Responsible for reading, acknowledging receipt via responding to tracking receipts when requested, responding to and taking appropriate follow-up action on all emails in a timely manner.
• Cross trains and works other units as needed.
• Initiate request to participate in job related educational programs.
• Share content of educational programs with peers or staff and offer examples of application of new knowledge in the work area.
• Demonstrate ability to give, accept and appropriately respond to feedback.
• Promote open and honest dialogue with active listening.
• Provide patients and coworkers with excellent customer service by anticipating needs, and engaging in polite, professional and positive interactions.
• Strive for consensus, acknowledge the positive contributions of others and take ownership of decisions.
• Participate in self-evaluation in collaboration with supervisor.
• Demonstrates respect, openness, and responsiveness to the needs of others consistently.
• Fosters a productive and collaborative work environment that is free from controversy, dramatic events, and hostility toward others.
• Maintains high standards of professional behavior, accountability, and responsibility.
• Promotes professional communication across the organization and with all constituents.
• Offers positive solutions to systemic and departmental problems consistently.
• Maintains absenteeism and tardiness at a rate acceptable by ESH policy, i.e., does not meet criteria for verbal counseling or beyond for any given quarter throughout the year.
• Ensures that professionalism is maintained with a focus on ESH Policy 053-062 for Mutual Respect toward co-workers.

• Measures for Special Assignments
• May be required to perform other duties as assigned. May be required to assist the agency or state government generally in the event of an emergency declaration by the Governor.
• The duties listed in this EWP are not all inclusive. In an effort to promote collaboration between employee and supervisor, it is the responsibility of the employee to address, recommend, and consult with the supervisor regarding the responsibilities of this position.

• Eastern State Hospital is committed to providing clinical and billing practices that promote the highest standards of practice. This commitment is the expectation of all levels of management, line staff, consultants, and others affiliated with this facility in the delivery of services to our patients
• Follow ethical principles as outlined in policy:
• Accepts responsibility for personal conduct.
• Demonstrates respect towards all staff and Patients.
• Responds to others in a constructive way.
• Disclose any conflict of interest regarding responsibilities to ESH and remove conflicts where required.
• Strive to develop internal and external relationships based on honesty and fairness.
• Be truthful in any representation of the organization.
• Protect resources allocated to ESH by the citizens of the Commonwealth and use them effectively.
• Take precautions to avoid relationships that could be interpreted as harmful to patients, may undermine therapeutic relationships, or may exploit the patient's trust.
• Do not discuss/disclose personal information in the vicinity of patients.
• Do not discuss/disclose personal information of others in the vicinity of patients.
• Do not enter into a personal or intimate relationship with current patients of ESH.
• Administrative Compliance
• Adheres to all policy requirements set forth by the agency and work site
• Maintain and demonstrate knowledge of current facility policies.
• Ensures compliance with all safety and sanitation regulations and procedures set forth for life, safety and health of self and others.
• Provides, updates, and maintains current personal/contact information to Supervisor (maintained for Emergency response purposes)
• Demonstrate understanding of Patient Abuse, Reporting, and Investigation and Departmental Instruction 201 Reporting and Investigating Abuse and Neglect of Clients.
• Cooperate with investigations into potential patient abuse/neglect or non-compliance with facility standards.
• All ESH employees must disclose their vaccination status to the Agency as well as compliance with the Agency testing procedures in accordance with CMS guidelines.
• Time, Attendance and Leave (KRONOS)
• Complies with timekeeping requirements and work schedule
• Reports to work and training as scheduled and on time.
• Complies with required recording process for time (swiping or time card submission).
• Submits leave documentation timely which may include weekly timesheets, leave forms, and any other supporting documentation as requested or required by policy.
• Seeks approval from supervisor in advance for any changes to the established work schedule, including the use of leave, late or early arrivals and/or departures.
• Follow relevant polices regarding attendance, use of leave, and tardiness.
• Performance Management
• Responds to instructions and feedback of supervisors in a constructive manner in order to improve personal performance.
• Engage in constructive dialogue with supervisor.
• Relates instructions and feedback of supervisors to personal knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Acknowledges and follows through on coaching and/or instruction related to performance correction, enhancement, and/or development.
• Participate in Agency (State Savings
• Registers and participates in Cardinal Employee Self Service (ESS) (to include eliminating earning notice), direct deposit, Employee Direct, Travel Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), and any other electronic program instituted by the agency or department.

• Complies with training requirements consistent with DBHDS and ESH Policy.
• All ESH Employees are mandated to sign up and participate in Everbridge.
• (used to communicate with all employees during emergencies and inclement weather).

• Demonstrate and encourage compassion, self-determination, empowerment, honesty, integrity, cooperation, teamwork, and respect
• Demonstrate Principles of Recovery in daily duties.
• Critical to participate with patients in a genuine humane and professional manner. Required to remain on assigned unit for duration of shift aside from designated breaks.
• Measured by supervisor observation and documentation in supervisor files.

Last updated on Mar 16, 2023