Psychiatric Technician

Working with a professional services team, a licensed psychiatric technician deals with people who or developmentally or emotionally disabled. They are concerned with people of any age that suffer from mental distress or mental illness such as depression, psychosis and dementia. Psychiatric technicians are an important part of the mental health services medical team, get direction, and work under a psychiatrist, registered nurse, mental health nurse and other mental health workers.

A psychiatric technician course introduces students to the general psychology field, emphasizing application and theory in many different clinical settings. The course places special importance on realizing the principals that help the technician to understand the behavior or demeanor of mentally ill patients. Topics such as intelligence, personality, motivation, learning and thinking, abnormal patterns of behavior, perception, emotion and treatment practice provides a technician with the basic theoretical background they need. Some of the basic genetic principles covered are etiologies, mental retardation, chromosomal mutations, symptom picture, detecting developmental disabilities, prevalence and child psychiatric disturbances.

Psychiatric technicians take pharmacology which helps the technician learn to understand and safely administer medications. They learn the dosages, drug standards, sources used to treat developmental disabilities, surgically or medically ill patients, childhood psychiatric disorders and a diverse number of psychiatric disorders. They implement several treatment interventions including behavior, humanistic, psychoanalytic and somatic approaches to looking after the mentally ill. Psychiatric technicians work in many different settings such as community or private hospitals, long-term care agencies, mental health agencies and acute care agencies.

Common work activities include:

• Assisting and supporting patient treatment plans developed by treating psychiatrists.
• Consulting and counseling with clients regarding the various medication therapies and treatment options including behavioral interventions, counseling and group or individual therapy.
• Monitoring patients using medication and record keeping in accordance with medical requirements.
• Researching and keeping up-to-date on new medications, dosage requirements and safety issues with the medications used.
• Reporting any issues, concerns or problems with medication or changes in patient mental or physical health.

Programs related to Psychiatric Technician careers

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