Caring for hospitalized patients in mental health settings is extremely complex. Most psychiatric hospitals employ mental health technicians (MHTs) to assist the RN in carrying out basic psychiatric nursing interventions. Recovery concepts must be integrated into the skill set of today’s mental health workforce. However, in our experience, MHTs have little to no previous training in mental health concepts, how to care for people with serious mental and behavioral issues, or components of mental health recovery. In addition, when staff are challenged beyond their ability to manage people with complex behaviors, they become demoralized and hostile, which leads to punitive and controlling environments ().