Psychiatric Technicians

Certification or Licensing

Psychiatric technicians must be licensed in California and several other states. Ask your guidance or placement counselors for more information about licensing requirements in your state. Voluntary certification is available through the American Association of Psychiatric Technicians. To receive basic certification, you will need to take a multiple-choice exam covering topics on mental disorders and developmental disabilities. Those who pass the test receive the designation nationally certified psychiatric technician and can place the initials NCPT after their names. To attain higher levels of certification, applicants must pass an essay test and meet specific education and experience requirements. Depending on the employer, a certified technician may qualify for higher pay than a noncertified worker.

Most mental health technology programs emphasize interviewing skills. Such training guides technicians to correctly describe a patient's tone of voice and body language so that they are well equipped to observe and record behavior that will be interpreted by the treatment team and sometimes even a court of law. Some programs also teach administration of selected psychological tests. You may also gain knowledge and training in crisis intervention techniques, child guidance, group counseling, family therapy, behavior modification, and consultation skills.