Clinical Psychiatric Officer

Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff. May assist with daily living activities, lead patients in educational and recreational activities, or accompany patients to and from examinations and treatments. May restrain violent patients. Includes psychiatric orderlies.

Sample of reported job titles: Mental Health Aide (MHA), Mental Health Technician (MHT), Mental Health Worker (MHW), Patient Care Assistant (PCA), Psychiatric Aide, Psychiatric Nursing Aide, Psychiatric Nursing Assistant, Resident Care Technician, Residential Counselor, Therapeutic Program Worker (TPW).

Daily/Routine Tasks

1. 1.Record and maintain patient information, such as vital signs, eating habits, behavior, progress notes, treatments, or discharge plans.
2. 2.Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients.
3. 3.Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
4. 4.Provide mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients with routine physical, emotional, psychological, or rehabilitation care under the direction of nursing or medical staff.
5. 5.Organize, supervise, or encourage patient participation in social, educational, or recreational activities.
6. 6.Complete administrative tasks, such as entering orders into computer, answering telephone calls, or maintaining medical or facility information.
7. 7.Interview patients upon admission and record information.
8. 8.Work as part of a team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, or social workers.

Key Knowledge Areas

• Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Therapy and Counseling — Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills Needed

• Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Instructing — Teaching others how to do something.
• Negotiation — Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
• Persuasion — Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
• Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Career Interests

Interest code: SRC

• Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Working Style

• Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
• Concern for others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
• Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
• Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
• Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Work Values

• Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
• Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
• Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.