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Psychiatric Technicians

Employment Prospects

Employers

Psychiatric technicians work in a variety of settings: the military, hospitals, mental hospitals, community mental health centers, psychiatric clinics, schools and day centers for the developmentally disabled, and social service agencies. They also work at residential and nonresidential centers, such as geriatric nursing homes, child or adolescent development centers, and halfway houses.

Other potential places of employment for psychiatric technicians include correctional programs and juvenile courts, schools for the blind and deaf, community action programs, family service centers, and public housing programs. Approximately 78,470 psychiatric technicians are employed in the United States.

Starting Out

Graduates from mental health and human services technology programs can usually choose from a variety of job possibilities. College career services offices can be extremely helpful in locating employment. Students can follow want ads or apply directly to the clinics, agencies, or hospitals of their choice. Job information can also be obtained from each state's department of mental health.

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