What Is a Psychiatric Technician?

Jobs in medical fields are growing.

Psychiatric technicians often work at the forefront of the mental health spectrum. They are often found interacting with patients and assisting other mental health professionals in daily tasks. As such, the position of the psychiatric technician is expected to grow exponentially within the coming years as more people require assistance with mental health and addiction issues.

Job Description

Psychiatric technicians work directly with individuals with various levels of mental illness and developmental disabilities. Unlike a psychiatrist who might see the patient only a few times a week, psychiatric technicians are the ones who work face-to-face with patients on a daily basis and provide routine assistance to them.

Responsibilities

Many different job duties are typically assigned to a psychiatric technician. According to the American Association of Psychiatric Technicians, some of these include patient assessment, treatment evaluation, therapeutic activities, general nursing and administrative documentation.

Credentialing

There are various levels of credentialing, depending on your education background and employment history. A Level 1 credential requires only a high school diploma or G.E.D. A Level 2 credential requires 30 semester (or 40 quarter) hours of college or university courses relevant to the profession in addition to one solid year of work within a mental health field. A Level 3 credential requires 60 semester (or 80 quarter) hours of relevant coursework and employment of at least two years in the mental health field. Finally, a Level 4 credential requires a bachelor's degree in a mental health field and at least three years of mental health-relevant employment. All applicants must also pass an exam in addition to their application. Test dates can be found on the website of the American Association of Psychiatric Technicians.

Pay Rates

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly pay for a psychiatric technician was $11.49 in May 2006. Other factors such as arena of employment (government or private) and typical work hours (overnight vs. normal business hours) can shift the pay scale either one way or the other.

Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there are 62,000 currently employed psychiatric technicians within the United States, and that number is expected to grow 28 percent by 2016. This rate means the position of psychiatric technician is one that is expected to grow much faster than the average rate of all occupations.

References

• American Association of Psychiatric Technicians
• Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics)