Job description template
Psychiatric Aide Job Description Template
A copy-ready psychiatric aide job description with responsibilities, qualifications, skills and pay guidance: customize it for your company in minutes.
Copy the template below, replace the bracketed fields and tailor duties to your workplace. For pay, national BLS data shows psychiatric aides earn a median of $44,910 ($21.59/hour); the middle 50% earn $37,750–$49,950.
Job title
Psychiatric Aide
Job summary
[Company name] is seeking a dependable psychiatric aide to join our team in [city, state]. In this role, you will help patients with daily activities, supervise patients for safety and support our team’s commitment to safety, quality and service.
Responsibilities
- Help patients with daily activities
- Supervise patients for safety
- Observe and report behavior
- Help with activities
- Assist during crises
- Keep units clean
- Escort patients
- Follow company policies, safety procedures and applicable regulations
Required qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Working knowledge of observation and de-escalation
- Patience and calmness
- [Add role-specific requirements, such as driver’s license or ability to pass a background check, if job-related]
Preferred qualifications
- CPI de-escalation training
- CPR and first aid
- Mental Health First Aid
- Experience with observation logs
Skills
- Personal care
- Safety rounds
- Documentation
- Activity support
- Empathy
- Boundaries
Work environment and schedule
Aides work in psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers and state facilities. Facilities run 24/7, so shifts include nights and weekends.
Pay and benefits
$[min]–$[max] per [hour/year], depending on experience. [List benefits: health insurance, paid time off, retirement plan, training and certification support.]
Equal opportunity
[Company name] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law, and we provide reasonable accommodations upon request.
Tips for a psychiatric aide job posting that attracts applicants
- Use the title candidates search for. “Psychiatric Aide” is the clearest; alternates include Mental Health Aide, Behavioral Health Aide, Psych Aide.
- Show the pay range. Postings with pay get more qualified applicants, and a growing number of states and cities require pay ranges in job postings.
- Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves. Long requirement lists discourage qualified candidates, especially career changers.
- Describe a real day. Borrow from our day in the life of a psychiatric aide so applicants self-select accurately.
- Mention training. Highlighting structured onboarding: such as Psychiatric Aide training: widens your applicant pool.
Next steps
Screen and interview with our Psychiatric Aide hiring guide, then onboard with the 30-60-90 day plan.