Psychiatric Technician

• Job ID: JR-113243
• Entity: Newport Hospital
• Location Name: Newport Hospital
• City, State: Newport, RI
• Work Type: FULL TIME
• Hours Per Week: 36
• Shift: Night
• Posted Date: 9/2/2026

SUMMARY

The Psychiatric Technician functions under the direction of the Registered Professional Nurse and is responsible to the Behavioral Health Director. This position provides direct care and maintains a safe and therapeutic milieu for patients on the Behavioral Health Unit and the Emergency Department. Provides services to the adult and pediatric population. Brown University Health employees are expected to successfully role model the organization's values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence as these values guide our everyday actions with patients, customers, and one another.

In addition to our values, all employees are expected to demonstrate the core Success Factors which tell us how we work together and how we get things done. The core Success Factors include:

• Instill Trust and Value Differences
• Patient and Community Focus and Collaborate

RESPONSIBILITIES

Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) & Emergency Department (ED)

• Communicates individual patient status as it relates to safety initiatives and the care plan.
• Complies with unit policies and procedures and demonstrates the ability to set consistent and supportive therapeutic limits within unit and department standards.
• Provides input as a collaborative team member.
• Documents significant patient/family interactions per unit protocol in a timely manner.
• Observes patients in activities of daily living in accordance with established goals (personal hygiene, ambulation, shaving, etc.).
• Establishes therapeutic relationships with patients and encourages their participation in recreational and other therapeutic activities and all treatment groups.
• Consistently models appropriate and therapeutic interpersonal staff/patient interactions to other patients/families.
• Conducts patient observations per unit policy and records patient’s behavior and reports any unusual behavior to nursing staff.
• Initiates formal and informal supervision and incorporates feedback for improvement in job performance.
• Organizes and participates in recreational activities and some groups. Demonstrates analytical skills and an understanding of psychiatric illnesses and organizes recreational activities and groups to meet psycho-social and intellectual needs of patients.
• Responsible for maintaining cleanliness of the environment and reporting any safety hazards/ligature risks to the Charge Nurse.
• Demonstrates interpersonal and communication skills to effectively interact with patients/families as well as other members of the healthcare team.
• Manages aggressive/destructive behavior by providing timely therapeutic interventions. Assists in placing patients in seclusion and/or restraints according to policy and procedures.
• Assists in patient and room searches.
• Maintains patient confidentiality and respects patient right to privacy.
• Follows Vital Sign Policy per unit.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

BASIC KNOWLEDGE

• Baccalaureate in Psychology or related field or CNA license with experience working with the behavioral health population.
• Current CPR certification.
• Current Brown University Health Crisis Management certification or current enrollment.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients throughout the life span, with consideration of aging processes, human development stages, and cultural patterns in each step of the care process.

EXPERIENCE

• Preferred in health care field.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• General hospital environment with occasional stressful conditions associated with patient care. Must be able to walk and be on feet a minimum of 4 hours to perform continuous rounding safety checks on patients and safety of the unit.

INDEPENDENT ACTION

• Responds to individual patient-care situations demonstrating knowledge and skills acquired through education, certification, and work experience. Abnormal situations are referred to direct supervisor.

Pay Range

$18.00-$27.13

Location

Newport Hospital - 11 Friendship Street Newport, Rhode Island 02840

Work Type

Every other weekend, every other holiday

Work Shift

Night

Daily Hours

12 hours

Driving Required

No

Brown University Health is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and maintaining a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment.