Do you want to write a job description that attracts competent mental health technicians?
Good news: we have put together a job description template that you can adapt to your needs!
Choose the right job title
Your job title is the first thing that candidates see!
It is crucial to choose a job title that accurately describes the tasks and responsibilities of your position. Here are some job titles you can use to hire mental health technicians:
- Mental health technician (also known as mental warden or psychiatric technician)
- Behavioral health technician (they also look at how behaviors impact someone’s mental and physical health)
Write a descriptive job summary
A job summary is an overview of the expectations that come with the job. It introduces the main point of the job description, like key responsibilities, functions, and duties.
Here’s a job summary template that you can adapt to your position:
We are looking for a caring mental health technician to assist our patients in daily activities.
Your role includes maintaining patients’ records, assisting in recreational activities, and transporting patients to appointments.
A great mental health technician is emotionally stable and supports patients in a respectful way. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and at least one year of hands-on experience.
Responsibilities and duties
Here you should outline the tasks to be executed on a regular basis and how the job functions.
The responsibilities of mental health technicians usually are:
- Bath, dress, and feed patients that are struggling to do it on their own.
- Assist patients in recreational activities such as group meetings, physical exercises, and other activities.
- Maintain daily records of patient care, condition, and medicine consumption.
- Transport patients to appointments and clinics.
- Alert mental health professionals if you notice important changes in a patient’s behavior.
- Assist in case of crisis intervention.
- And other duties as assigned.
Qualifications and skills
Typical qualifications/requirements include:
- Usually required: High school diploma or equivalent.
- Preferred: At least 480 hours of college or university courses.
- Preferred: At least one year of relevant work experience.
Successful mental health technicians should have the following skills and traits:
- Basic mental health knowledge (to observe and report mental health symptoms)
- Strong communication skills (to work with mental health professionals)
- Crisis intervention skills (to defuse violent behaviors)
More information about the job
Here is some useful information to take into consideration before hiring a mental health technician:
- Salary: $13 per hour (on average).
- Training time: a few weeks.
- Workload: at least 15 hours per week.