Working as a psychiatric technician is rewarding, and the job is highly in demand, but before you can get this job you must attend an accredited psychiatric technician program. And that's just the beginning... If you are considering a career as a psychiatric technician, you will need to find a good psychiatric technician program in the area that suits your schedule and budget. You can plan on spending at least one to 1.5 years in a psychiatric technician program in California, so you should plan on being in school for a while. The AAPT requires 480 college hours for a level 2 technician and 960 for level 3. You will want to budget your time wisely and finish the psychiatric tech program efficiently, so you can start working as quickly as possible.
Before deciding to attend any psychiatric technician program in California, it's a good idea to look at the information on certification for becoming a certified psychiatric technician on the official website. While attending a psychiatric technician program, it's also a good idea to find a job as an orderly or secretary at a hospital or clinic to get more experience in the psychiatric field for your resume. Then all you will need to do is worry about graduating the psychiatric tech program and getting a certificate or degree, while making sure to keep updated records of your course work and certifications.
Upon completion of a psychiatric technician program in California you will need to sign up to take the official certification tests that are offered by the AAPT. After finishing the psychiatric technician program, you will also need to decide what level of technician you want to be certified as. Higher levels (2, 3 or 4) require subsequent testing beyond the open book test required of level 1. You will also need additional education beyond the original psychiatric tech program once you are working in the field; typically every two years or so. |
