What does a mental health technician do?

Answer 1

These are the tasks of a psychiatric technician * Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff. * Provide nursing, psychiatric and personal care to mentally ill, emotionally disturbed or mentally retarded patients. * Observe and influence patients' behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling and befriending them. * Take and record measures of patients' physical condition, using devices such as thermometers and blood pressure gauges. * Encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, and other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills and develop social relationships. * Collaborate with or assist doctors, psychologists, or rehabilitation therapists in working with mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or developmentally disabled patients to treat, rehabilitate, and return patients to the community. * Develop and teach strategies to promote client wellness and independence. * Restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required. * Aid patients in performing tasks such as bathing and keeping beds, clothing and living areas clean. * Administer oral medications and hypodermic injections, following physician's prescriptions and hospital procedures These are the tasks of a psychiatric technician * Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff. * Provide nursing, psychiatric and personal care to mentally ill, emotionally disturbed or mentally retarded patients. * Observe and influence patients' behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling and befriending them. * Take and record measures of patients' physical condition, using devices such as thermometers and blood pressure gauges. * Encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, and other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills and develop social relationships. * Collaborate with or assist doctors, psychologists, or rehabilitation therapists in working with mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or developmentally disabled patients to treat, rehabilitate, and return patients to the community. * Develop and teach strategies to promote client wellness and independence. * Restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required. * Aid patients in performing tasks such as bathing and keeping beds, clothing and living areas clean. * Administer oral medications and hypodermic injections, following physician's prescriptions and hospital procedures

Answer 2

Mental health techs generally stay with the patients all day. They take them off unit to the cafeteria, gym, outside; wherever they may go that is not on the unit. Techs take vitals and usually lead a community group in the morning and evening. They closely observe behaviors and record them, sometimes they have to intervene with patients if they act out and are a danger to themselves or others. Techs may also be involved in the admission process. This could include checking bags, doing body checks, orienting the patient to the unit, explaining rules, etc. Techs communicate with patients constantly. Patients might confide in and talk to them, therefore, it is important that techs are able to easily talk about mental health issues and the patient's home life, and it is VERY important to not be judgmental against what patients have done. Any criticism must be carefully said, as to not upset or put the patient in a worse mental state than what they're already in. I think most of this gives off the idea of what a mental health technician does, but more information can easily be found on the internet.