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Psychiatric Technicians
Also called : Behavioral Health Technician, Health Care Technician, Licensed Psychiatric Technician (LPT), Mental Health Assistant (MHA), Mental Health Associate, Mental Health Specialist, Mental Health Technician
What they do
Care for individuals with mental or emotional conditions or disabilities, following the instructions of physicians or other health practitioners. Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report to medical staff. May participate in rehabilitation and treatment programs, help with personal hygiene, and administer oral or injectable medications.
On the job, one would
- Take and record measures of patients' physical condition, using devices such as thermometers or blood pressure gauges.
- Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff.
- Provide nursing, psychiatric, or personal care to mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or mentally retarded patients.
- Observe and influence patients' behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling, or befriending them.
- 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.
KNOWLEDGE
- Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Therapy and Counseling
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
SKILLS
- Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
ABILITIES
- Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
PERSONALITY
People interested in this work, will do well at jobs that need;
- Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
- Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
TECHNOLOGY
- Inventory management software
- Medical software
- Office suite software
- Spreadsheet software
- Word processing software
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
- Preparation
Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
Training in vocational schools or an Associate deg
- Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Jobtraining
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.