In order to qualify for a psychiatric technician program in California, students must have graduated from high school or earned a General Education Degree. Psychiatric school students must also be at least 18 years of age before they can begin the program. Psychiatric technician training does requires some additional testing before the student can begin, as well, but it is a much less complicated type of program than nursing or other medical programs you would find at a four-year university.
Before beginning a psychiatric technician program, students are required to pay all applicable current fees. After paying the fees and proving eligibility, psychiatric school students will be issued an enrollment contract, or be able to make other arrangements acceptable to the school. At this point, the student must also complete an "Ability to Benefit" test, with a score of at least 19 to be admitted. Then the psychiatric technician training can begin.
In some cases, students are asked to pass an interview with the nursing program director or associate program director at the psychiatric school. It makes sense for the schools to have these stringent requirements before accepting anyone to their psychiatric technician program, though. Working with mentally ill and developmentally disabled patients is a big responsibility, and not everyone is prepared for this type of challenging work. An individual must be mentally and physically prepared to begin psychiatric technician training and begin working in this field upon graduation.
There are several accredited institutions throughout the state of California where individuals can receive psychiatric technician training to get the ball rolling for this challenging and rewarding career. For students in the Bay Area, the Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is one of the best choices. They offer morning and evening class schedules, so their students are able to work part time and complete homework on the weekends, and they come accredited and highly recommended. |
