Psychiatric Technician
Are you helpful, compassionate, and a good listener? If you want to help improve the quality of life for some of the most needy or vulnerable individuals in today’s society, consider the profession of Psychiatric Technician. Psychiatric technicians are active members of interdisciplinary healthcare teams in the forefront of care and treatment of individuals with mental illness or development disabilities.
Occupations
There is a shortage of trained and experienced psychiatric technicians in California, with constant demand in the public sector. Most jobs are concentrated near state hospitals such as Napa State Hospital, but there are many other jobs available within prison systems, via county mental health services, in private mental health care facilities, and in acute and subacute hospitals with mental health units. Once certified and licensed, graduates can earn healthy entry-level pay, and advance further with additional certifications and/or degree completion.
- Psychiatric technicians
- Social and human services assistants
- Nurses
- Psychiatrists
- Special education teachers
Contact Information
Division
Health Occupations
Building: 800, Office: 810
Phone: (707) 256-7600
Department Webpage
Division Webpage
Dean
Robert Harris
Dean, Language and Developmental Studies, Mathematics, Arts & Humanities, and Health Occupations
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: RHarris@napavalley.edu
Administrative Assistant
Eva Mijares
Administrative Assistant
2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: EMijares@napavalley.edu
Faculty
Ida Logan, BS, PT
Professor, Psychiatric Technician
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: Ida.logan@napavalley.edu
Jayzle Robinson-Piga
Professor, Psychiatric Technician
2277 Napa Vallejo Highway, 94558, Napa, CA
Email: Jayzle.robinson-piga@napavalley.edu
Psychiatric Technician: Three-Semester Program
All coursework must be completed with a “C” or better within the last five years as required by the BVNPT, before and all program requirements must be met before your application will be accepted. All applicants meeting these requirements will be eligible for admission to the program. Applications will be accepted by admissions and records during a designated registration period prior to each semester. All new admission, re-admission and advanced placement applicants will follow this procedure.
- Complete an application for admission to the college online at www.napavalley.edu. This only needs to be done once.
- Complete the matriculation requirements of:
- High School English (within the last 5 years) with a “C” or better or completion of ENGL-85 (or higher, within the last 5 years) with a “C” or better.
- High School Algebra (within the last 5 years) with a “C” or better or completion of MATH-85 (or higher, within the last 5 years) with a “C” or better.
- College Orientation. (Contact the Counseling Center, (707)256-7220, for the orientation sessions.)
- Complete the prerequisite courses of HEOC-100 and HEOC-101. These classes must be started and completed within 5 years of the start date of the program. These classes do not have to be completed before application to the program, however you must be currently enrolled in the class(es) at the time you submit your application.
- Highly Recommended: HEOC-171 Medical Terminology
- Official Transcripts (unopened) of high school graduation or its equivalent (GED, CHSPE) and, if applicable, college courses.
- If Foreign, Official Verification (unopened) of high school graduation or its equivalent (GED, CHSPE) and, if applicable, college courses.
All Foreign Transcripts must be evaluated by an International Evaluation Service prior to submission of program application; this service must provide Napa Valley College with an evaluation certificate of the international coursework.
- If Foreign, Official Verification (unopened) of high school graduation or its equivalent (GED, CHSPE) and, if applicable, college courses.
Psychiatric Technician: Fast Track Program
DSH Napa's Psychiatric Technician Apprentice Program offers individuals the opportunity to become licensed Psychiatric Technicians. The apprenticeship program consists of 3,000 hours of on-the-job training plus classroom instruction in mental health, developmental disabilities, nursing science, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology.
Apprentices in DSH Napa's program will first complete the Hospital's in-house program to become Certified Nurse Assistants. Then they will start the 12-month Napa "Fast Track" Psychiatric Technician education program. Each apprentice receives 40-hour per week pay for attending class and working in the Hospital, assisting medical and nursing staff in the care and treatment of patients with serious mental illnesses. Upon successful completion of the program, apprentices will be eligible to take the State's Psychiatric Technician license examination.
Because Psychiatric Technician Apprentice is a State civil service position represented by California Association of Psychiatric Technicians (CAPT), apprentices are covered under the CAPT contract which provides for salaries, health benefits, holidays, vacations and further defines working conditions.
To enter the Psychiatric Technician Apprentice Program, candidates must have graduated from high school within the United States or the equivalency. If you attended high school outside the United States, it is the responsibility of the candidate to provide an evaluation/certification of their foreign education as to what it represents in terms of U.S. school equivalency
Application is done via the Department of State Hospitals – Napa. Information can be found on their website.