St. Luke’s University Health Network has developed an innovative program for individuals seeking to work in the behavioral health field to receive paid training en route to a rewarding career.

The St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Technician Training Academy is designed to provide the foundational education and groundwork to become a behavioral health technician within St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Inpatient Services.

The training academy is a full-time, paid, four-week training program comprised of classroom training, simulation labs, electronic health record training and job shadowing. No previous experience is necessary.

“St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Technician Training Academy is a new opportunity for individuals to join St. Luke’s in the clinical inpatient setting without having any experience,” says Cindi Reade, network director of Behavioral Health Support Services.

“It is a paid training program that gives individuals the tools that they need to be a successful part of the clinical care teams. It also opens up even more doors to continue to grow within the St. Luke’s University Health Network, both professionally and clinically.”

Reade said behavioral health technicians play a vital role in the delivery of health care for an acute inpatient psychiatric population.

They help with administrative and clinical duties, including checking a patient’s vital signs, assisting with activities of daily living, monitoring and maintaining a safe and therapeutic environment and supporting the nurse and the rest of the clinical team in delivering direct patient care.

“Behavioral health technicians are an integral part in the delivery of high-quality patient care and have a significant impact on the patient experience,”

The BHT training program’s classroom-based curriculum will include subjects like:

•Therapeutic Communication;

•Mental Health terminology, illnesses, and treatment;

•Vital signs and Activities of Daily Living;

•Safety and Management of the Patient Environment;

•Violence Prevention;

•Documentation in the Medical Record; and

•Team building activities.

The training program culminates with an assessment of skills learned and, upon successful completion the Behavioral Health Technician Training, graduates will be placed into a BHT position within the inpatient clinical services of SLUHN.

For more information about the St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Technician Program or to apply for the program, visit sluhn.org/BHTprogram.