Psychiatric Assistant Degree and Certificate Program Overviews

Psychiatric assistants, also referred to as psychiatric aides or psychiatric technicians, provide care for mentally ill individuals under the supervision of psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses. Many individuals in the field complete on-the-job training, although they can also enroll in a Psychiatric Technician Certificate program or an Associate of Science in Psychiatric Technician program to gain the credentials needed to practice.

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Psychiatric Technician Certificate

Psychiatric technician certificate programs are most commonly offered by 2-year community colleges and take about one year to complete. They are often designed with curriculum that meets the licensure requirements of a particular state, such as California's Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Students complete both theoretical and clinical courses, and learn how to administer treatment and provide care to mentally ill individuals in hospitals and long-term nursing care facilities.

Education Prerequisites

Psychiatric technician certificate programs are open to any student who is 18 years old and has a high school diploma. Students must also often submit to a physical examination at least a year prior to starting clinical courses, and should be CPR certified.

Program Coursework

The courses included within a psychiatric technician certificate program cover theories of mental illness as well as some clinical nursing skills. Some examples of such courses include:

Human anatomy and physiology
General psychology
Mental health and psychiatric nursing
Developmental disabilities
Medical records
Medical terminology
Tests and measurements

Associate of Science in Psychiatric Technician

An associate's degree program for aspiring psychiatric technicians contains many of the same core courses and clinical components as a certificate program. Students enrolled in a 2-year associate's degree program are also required to complete general education requirements. They also spend more seminar hours studying general psychology, abnormal psychology, human growth and development, pharmacology and human nutrition.

Educational Prerequisites

Some community colleges offering associate's degree programs for psychiatric technicians require incoming students to complete certain courses before they begin the program. These often include introductory courses in psychology and anatomy. Students must also have a high school diploma and CPR certification.

Program Coursework

Associate's degree programs for aspiring psychiatric aides and assistants should prepare students for hands-on, clinical experience and licensure examinations. Some courses commonly found in such a program might include:

Introduction to psychiatric technician
Pharmacology
Nursing medical-surgical patients
General psychology
Abnormal psychology
Care of the mentally disabled
Etiologies and classifications
Clinical practicum

Employment Outlook and Salary Info

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that more than 62,000 psychiatric aides held positions in the country in 2009 (www.bls.gov). These individuals often worked for psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, residential mental health facilities and general hospitals. They earned a median annual salary of $25,650.

Certification and Continuing Education

The American Association of Psychiatric Technicians offers voluntary national certification to professionals in the field. Some states have their own licensure requirements, and require psychiatric technicians and aides to submit to additional examinations given by state boards of vocational nursing and psychiatric technicians.

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