Title: Psych Tech III

State Role Title: 49053

Hiring Range: $37,505 - $51,756; Salary to Commensurate with Experience

Pay Band: 3

Agency: Dept Behavioral Health/Develop

Location: Central State Hospital

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

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

Central State Hospital (CSH) is a 277 bed Joint Commission accredited psychiatric inpatient facility located in Petersburg, Virginia. CSH has proudly been serving citizens of the Commonwealth since 1870, when we opened our doors as the first psychiatric hospital in the country dedicated to the treatment of African Americans. A new and modern CSH is currently under construction on the same property, with a scheduled completion date of 2026.

CSH maintains the only maximum-security treatment facility in the state (111 beds). We also have 166 beds available for individuals in the community who need inpatient care, as well as individuals in the criminal justice system. We believe that treatment should be holistic and focused on the person’s individual needs, recognizing that recovery is not linear or the same for every person. Treatment modalities may include medication, evidence-based group and individual therapy, peer support, psychosocial rehabilitation, vocational training, preparation for court, and treatment for substance use.

Job Duties:
Maintains a Safe &Therapeutic Environment
• Modulate noise, lighting, and assure neatness, security, and posting of schedules for the unit.
• Observe patient behavior and report changes in physical or psychiatric behavior.
• Observe and report safety and environmental issues, initiate and complete actions to resolve.
• Perform procedures such as accounting for patients, sharps, rounds etc.
• Maintains familiarity with patient’s individual safety plans and contributes input based on own observations and interactions.
• Proactively provide therapeutic options to patients demonstrating early warning signs of potential aggression.
• Immediately intervene in dangerous situations
• Apply physical restraints to prevent a patient who presents an imminent danger to self/others from causing harm.
• Apply mechanical restraints at the direction of the RN.
• Participates in post intervention staff huddle/ debriefing.
• Performs all assignments as designated on assignment sheet and consistent with competencies.
• Demonstrates behaviors that support the facility's mission, vision and values. • Interactions and activities with patients are consistent with the treatment plan, generally accepted psychiatric nursing principles and/or policies and procedures.
• Is attentive to unit noise level and intervenes appropriately.
• Modulates own voice level and avoids staff to staff discussions in the patient area; non-verbally conveys accessibility and approachability to patients. Sits with patients rather than other staff.
• Greets patients by either their first name or Mr./Ms. Last name interacts with patients within social distance rather than from across the room.
• Utilizes therapeutic communication and role-modeling.
• Actively participates in patient community meetings and initiates pro-social engagement activities for individuals and groups of patients during free time.
• Monitors, identifies, and documents changes in patients’ physical, mental, or behavior status and immediately reports changes to the Charge RN.
• Provides Charge RN prompt feedback regarding any safety issues on the unit and provide suggestions for improving the milieu.
• Immediately resolves safety issues such as spills, objects impeding traffic flow, removal of unsafe items.
• Ensures all patients are present prior to movement within the facility.
• Uses T.O. techniques when intervening in dangerous patient behaviors and follows all expectations. In the case of environmental dangers, remains with the dangerous situation keeping patients away from the area until help arrives.
• Communicates information and feedback related to individual patient safety plans to the Charge RN and treatment team based on own observations and interactions.
• Identifies, intervenes in, and reports early cues to agitation using a graded approach of least restrictive interventions.
• Demonstrates awareness of potential triggers for individual or groups of patients and intervenes accordingly.
• Responds to patients or visitors identified needs in a courteous and timely manner.
• Meets expectations with regard to preserving a staff-patient relationship including maintaining personal boundaries by limiting sharing of personal information, ensuring verbal and non-verbal communication and dressing in a professional manner.
• Reports to or begins a new assignment at the appointed time in order to assure workflow of all staff and continuity of care.
• Completes environmental checks at change of each shift with off going staff and resolves all deficiencies immediately.
• Remains up to date on security practices and procedures as taught in annual forensic security training.
• Notifies Charge RN prior to exiting unit and upon returning.
• Returns from breaks and lunch on time to maintain adequate unit staffing levels and prevent disruptions of care. Maintains presence on assigned unit when not on break.
Essential

Documentation
• Documents observations and interventions related to patient behaviors, interactions, and responses to interventions.
• Records observations and interventions on Nursing Daily Documentation flowsheets.
• Completes incident reports and injury reports.
• Documents incidental notes in the patient record and as designated by the RN.
• Demonstrates behaviors that support the facility's mission, vision and values. • All required documentation is complete, accurate, and timely.
• Completes patient care documentation including but not limited to nursing incidental notes (ID notes), Nursing Daily Documentation, group participation documentation.
• Completes and submits leave request forms in advance of leave time requested and prior to finalization of schedule.
• Completes time clock adjustment forms.
• Promptly completes incident report and employee injury report documentation in accordance with hospital policy and submits to Charge RN
• Documentation is concise legible, behaviorally descriptive, and free of judgmental statements or opinions.
• Maintains chart order, files documentation in the appropriate place at the end of each shift.
• Refrains from sharing medical record content or information with patients and immediately refers any/all patient requests to learn or view content of his/her medical record to the Charge RN and treatment team.

Minimum Qualifications

• Valid Virginia Driver’s License.
• Ability to work any shift, overtime hours, rotating weekends, and holidays.


KSA’s and or Competencies required to successfully perform the work:

• Ability to distinguish between safe and unsafe patient behavior by observing, interacting, and listening.
• Ability to read, write, and speak in the English language.
• Ability to observe, report, and document changes in patients’ mental, physical, and behavioral status.
• Ability to follow written and oral instructions.
• Ability to maintain all required orientation and annual competencies.
• Ability to establish and maintain an effective working relationship with supervisors, co-workers and patients from varied backgrounds using effective interpersonal skills.
• Ability to recognize the need and ask for help or assistance in providing care and treatment.
• Ability to document in legal records using narrative format.
• Ability to give and receive effective feedback and perform as a member of a team.
• Ability to administer CPR and perform T.O. approved physical interventions.
• Ability to work overtime hours, rotating weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to use e-mail and electronic health records.

Additional Considerations

• Experience as a CNA/Aide/Tech providing direct care to individuals with mental
illness, substance abuse issues, and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities in a healthcare or mental health setting.
• Current enrollment in or completion of a degree program in Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Nursing, or any other health care major.

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.

Central State Hospital is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, disability, genetic information, age, retaliation, parental status, pregnancy, military service/status, or other non-merit factor. We commit to a diverse and inclusive workforce that is reflective of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In addition, the Commonwealth of Virginia/Central State Hospital offers excellent health and life insurance benefits, access to Short-Term (STD) and Long-Term (LTD) Disability benefits, twelve (12) paid holidays and other leave benefits, and a state retirement plan with options for tax-deferred retirement savings including employer matching.
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.
For consideration, interested applicants must apply by completing the online application and/or submit a resume. However, emailed, faxed, and hand-delivered applications and/or resumes will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted by 11:55 p.m., on the listed closing date. Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Central State Hospital welcomes all applicants authorized to work in the U.S. For more information on how to seek this authorization, please refer to Working in the United States or contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office directly.

For any technical assistance with the jobs.virginia.gov website, please contact applicantinquiry@dhrm.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.

Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer

Contact Information

Name: Human Resources

Phone: (804) 524-7111

Email: CSHRecruitment@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.