Psychiatric Attendant; Mental Health

Overview

Under the direction of the Psychiatric/MR nurses and/or behavioral health supervisors, participates directly or indirectly in the development of the Individual Treatment Plan (e.g., plans designed around habilitation and rehabilitation in cooperation with the multidisciplinary treatment team).

• Recommends to treatment team changes in offender treatment plans as behavior shows progress or regression and carries out offender or group treatment delineated by the multidisciplinary treatment team
• Directs and monitors all aspects of offender activities
• Trains offenders to function independently in self-help and/or daily living skills (e.g., personal hygiene, eating, grooming, toileting, etiquette, social skills, cooking, communications, writing and/or identifying name and address, identifying survival signs and words, and telling time) by using a variety of training techniques (e.g. behavior support programs, modeling, and over-hand instruction)
• Directs and monitors offenders vocational responsibilities
• Assists in escorting offenders during off-unit therapeutic activities and training programs
• Performs specific tasks with offenders as assigned by treatment team at program areas as described in offenders’ treatment plan (e.g., cooking, vocational tasks, fine/gross motor activities)
• Facilitates basic fundamental and psycho-educational groups to the SMI and IDD populations assigned to any MH unit or programmatic area
• Assists in the planning and participates in leisure/recreational activities with offenders (e.g., games, gardening, crafts, fine/gross motor skills, institutional services, to library, recreation yard, and commissary) and documents the activities and outcomes in electronic health record
• Institutes appropriate crisis intervention for unacceptable behavior as defined by treatment/behavior plan and prevent injury of the offender to self or to others
• Completes necessary documentation of incident reports as required
• Provides on-unit surveillance of offender behavior
• Investigates offender non-compliance with unit rules and recommends restrictions for violation to the treatment team and advises disciplinary process of offenders
• Responds to emergencies and recognizes unusual or threatening conditions and takes appropriate action per institution policies
• Reports and documents any problems and or unusual incidents directly to program and institutional staff
• Maintains control of own emotional response to repugnant offender behavior and restrains self from punitive or retaliatory activity to prevent escalating aggressive behavior
• Assists with institutional count and direct monitoring of offenders
• Assists with shakedowns of offender cells and unit area for contraband
• Provides orientation to newly transferred offenders
• Provides appropriate training, direction and/or feedback to offender regarding behavior observed
• Conducts offender interaction with client to clarify issues and resolve problems
• Completes charting and documentation, observation logs, reports and records offender response to programs, treatments, medications and activities
• Completes forms and reports that are related to shift attendant duties and unit operations
• Assists in escorting offenders to leisure/recreational activities, occupational activities and medical appointments
• Interacts appropriately with staff, offenders and visitors at all times
• Assists other staff and departments (e.g., security and behavioral health) in treatment and behavioral health plans, implementation, offender activities, off-unit programming and worksite area activities, maintaining sanitation standards and adhering to infection control procedures
• Act as offender representative or advocate as assigned
• Attends scheduled meetings and serves on institutional committees
• Maintains safety, security and sanitation of offenders and living area per DRC policies
• Attends in-service training and/or educational programs as applicable and updates on institution policies and procedures

Formal education in arithmetic that includes addition & subtraction & in reading & writing common English vocabulary. (Pursuant to a Federal Court Order, individual hired into this class at Oakwood Forensic Center must be high school graduate or G.E.D.)

• Or equivalent of the Minimum Class Qualifications for Employment noted above.

Mental Health, Behavioral Health, Basic Documentation, Programming, Professional, Confidentiality, Teamwork, Customer Focus, Decision Making, Emotional Intelligence