Crisis Bed Mental Health Technician PRN​/On-Call

Pay Range: $18.50/hr - $20.00/hr (based on skills and experience).

Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc. (DGS) is the largest provider of outpatient behavioral health services to children and families in Delaware. We operate offices in Wilmington, Newark, Dover, Lewes, and Seaford, and we are the only statewide not-for-profit outpatient behavioral health organization for children and adolescents accredited by JCAHO. In 2020, we were honored as a Compassionate Champion for our dedication to serving youth and families using a trauma-informed approach.
Through DGS, clients and families have access to outpatient counseling, group therapy, parent-child interaction therapy, and school-based services. Our community-based service lines serve youth and families who require a more intense therapeutic protocol. DGS’s 24‑hour statewide Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) dispatches skilled crisis intervention clinicians to provide immediate care to children experiencing behavioral health crises. Therapeutic options are available for a wide range of diagnoses including depression, anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders, traumatic stress‑related disorders, and suicidal ideation.

In 2021, DGS clinicians provided over 54,000 direct care hours to children, youth, and families in Delaware. Over 93% of clients report improvement in their level of functioning following treatment, and therapeutic benefits derived from trauma‑informed care extend to clients’ siblings, caregivers, classmates, and peers.
Our client population is racially and ethnically diverse; 80% of DGS clients are Medicaid recipients and 90% have household incomes under $30,000. Many of our clients present with significant treatment challenges including learning impacts due to missed school and negative economic impact due to parental missed work. We provide care to anyone in need, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay for care.

DGS also provides services specifically tailored to meet the unique behavioral health care needs of child welfare‑involved families and foster youth.

Under the supervision of the Lead Crisis Bed Shift Supervisor, the Mental Health Technician is responsible for providing a variety of direct client care duties and unit support functions to children and adolescents with a wide variety of psychological and emotional problems (e.g., aggressive and defiant behavior due to problems with emotion regulation, suicidal/homicidal ideation, family conflicts, etc.) to ensure the safety and wellbeing of clients in a Crisis Bed setting.

Mental Health Technicians are dedicated and committed to delivering high‑quality, compassionate, and therapeutic client care. In addition, the incumbent is responsible for documentation of milieu and case management services provided from intake through discharge.

• Closely monitor clients and complete observation rounds using required safety protocols
• Implement a person‑centered plan as identified, assist each individual in meeting the outcomes identified in the approved plan, and assure applicable supports are provided for each client
• Deliver solution‑focused and trauma‑informed interventions to maintain safety, build skills, and address problem solving, communication, and relationship conflicts
• Create an engaging unit milieu to maintain a therapeutic and safe environment with a goal to achieve high patient satisfaction
• Plan, prepare, and deliver group therapeutic activities for clients
• Use critical thinking and risk management skills when connecting with clients in Crisis Bed
• Understand warning signs and risk factors associated with suicide risk and risk of harm to others
• Maintain professional, trauma‑informed, and empathetic interactions during interactions with children, families, and stakeholders
• Develop comprehensive skills providing support for children and youth in Crisis Bed

• Obtain groceries and prepare meals following planned menu
• Support in areas of daily living (prompt clients for completion…