Hybrid Medication Technician at SAN DIEGO CENTER FOR CHILDREN

Description

By joining the San Diego Center for Children, you will empower children and families through transformative mental health care and educational services.  Our vision is to inspire a world where children and families live joyful, healthy lives.  We serve over 1,000 people every day - are you ready to make an impact?  

Join us - and work with purpose!  

2 scheduled shifts available:

Overnight, Wednesday-Friday 9:30p-7:30a (FT-30 hours per week)

or

Sundays 12p-10p, Monday-Wednesday 8a-6p (FT/40 hours per week)

POSITION BENEFITS

• Comprehensive health Insurance (medical, dental, vision)
• Retirement savings plan: 403(b) - with employer match up to 3%
• Generous paid time off (vacation, sick leave, paid holidays)
• Wellness programs
• EAP - Employee Assistance Program
• Professional Development and training opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement or assistance for continuing education
• Employee discounts
• Employee recognition program
• Opportunities for career advancement 

SUMMARY

At San Diego Center for Children, Medication Technicians (Med Techs) play a vital role in creating a safe and supportive environment where every youth can thrive emotionally and develop in a healthy way.  A primary responsibility involves assisting with medication administration.  Additionally, Med Techs provide essential physical care, social guidance, and moral support to the children in our care. We highly value our Med Techs' input and encourage them to make responsible suggestions for agency improvement.  To succeed in this role, individuals must effectively perform all essential duties and possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities outlined below.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Reports to the Nursing Manager.
• Provide basic first aid and CPR when necessary.
• Ensure SDCC policies and procedures are always utilized in dispensing and monitoring effects of children's medication, including distribution of routine and PRN medication when deemed necessary and clinically appropriate and approved.
• Responsible for the storage, distribution, change and discontinuation of our client’s medication upon physician approval.
• Observes clients; records significant conditions and reactions, and notifies Nurse Manager and Physician of client’s condition and reaction to drugs, treatments, and significant incidents.
• Accountable for the safety and whereabouts of children while in care by nursing.
• Maintain proper records/documentation, to include reporting any changes in client’s conditions; and behavior.
• Perform a routine check on any physical hold every 15 minutes for duration of the hold. Clinician approval for any hold exceeding 30 minutes or in 30 minute increments thereafter.
• Always intervene with escalated and/or assaultive children in a manner which ensures the dignity and self-respect of the child, and consistent with agency policies, including SPA principles.
• Attends treatment team milieu meetings and treatment reviews as assigned
• Engages in professional conduct (role model behavior and appropriate boundaries) and abides by all SDCC policies and procedures and employee handbook guidelines at all times.
• Responsible for placing clients on precautions and discontinuing precautions when deemed necessary and approval has been obtained by Nurse, Nurse Manager or Clinician.
• May be responsible for scheduling labs for clients; standing or STAT.
• Responsible for obtaining heights, weights and vital signs as ordered per physician.
• Maintain ongoing and professional communication/consultation with the child's legal guardians regarding child’s medical appointments and medication changes.
• Provides direct support and assistance to CDC staff in a crisis situation when not involved in performing required medical functions.
• Occasionally may be called to assist NPS when a crisis or injury presents to provide basic first aid.
• Ensure daily utilization of the child's Individualized Emergency Intervention Plan (IEIP) and, when requested, assist the child, his/her therapist and teacher in the development of IEIP.
• Communicates effectively with psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to provide a cohesive plan of care for patients.
• Responsible at all times for clear and concise documentation of children's progress in treatment through the timely completion of daily shift reports; nursing notes, MARS signed prior to end of shift daily; Special Precaution Form as needed; Serious Incident Reports as needed and any other documentation related to departmental operational functions.
• Occasionally may need to drop off or pick up clients medication from designated pharmacy or school always utilizing SDCC vehicle policy and procedures.
• Understanding and following children’s personal rights guidelines at all times.
• Interact with children in a manner which supports the development of therapeutic relationships by applying Trauma Informed principles.
• Proper interacting with internal and external customers in a professional manner while ensuring client safety and satisfaction is a priority.
• Ability to work with other members in a multi-disciplinary treatment setting.
• Actively participates in all assigned staff meetings and trainings.
• May occasionally pick up assignments to work as a Child Development Counselor Med Tech in both the children’s and adolescent residential programs upon nurse manager approval.
• San Diego Center for Children may redeploy staff as needed to ensure operational needs are meet for the safety of our organization, youth and staff. For the purpose of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, SDCC may be required to modify work schedules, job duties/functions or assignments as needed with minimal to no notice.
• Other job related duties and responsibilities assigned by the Nurse Manager.

LANGUAGE SKILLS 

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret treatment plans, individualized behavioral modification plans, school records, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from caregivers, regulatory agencies, or members of the community. Ability to effectively present information to management and public groups. 

REASONING ABILITY 

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret and extensive variety of instructions and deal with several abstracts and concrete variables. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS   

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk and hear.  The employee frequently is required to run, walk, sit and drive a vehicle.  The employee must be able to move and/or lift a child when clinically necessary, and must be able to follow a child that AWOLs in a walking or running pace.  Applying SPA restraint techniques can involve lifting the child, holding the child down in a standing, sitting or ground level manner, as well separating clients who are acting in an unsafe manner to ensure the safety for the clients and staff.  Due to the emotional instability of the clients the employee may be subjected to kicking, hitting, punching, biting, hair pulling, etc.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT   

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to outside weather conditions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.   

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

The San Diego Center for Children is committed to:

• Actively recruiting, retaining, and supporting diverse staff at all levels of the organization
• Ensuring that diverse perspectives are included in the development and implementation of policies, practices and services and that individuals feel empowered to advance our mission within an atmosphere of trust, safety, and respect
• Encourage and provide access to professional development in order to deliver equitable and culturally informed services to the population we serve.

Qualifications

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• High School diploma or equivalent
• 2 years experience as a medical office assistant or 1 year of Child Development Counselor experience
• Valid California Drivers License
• Must be 21 years of age

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelors degree from a four year college or university
• Medical Assistant certificate
• 1 year medication administration experience
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certificate (CPR)
• Stand First Aid
• Safe Positive Approaches (SPA)