Question

Identify and describe the scope of practice of a psychiatric technician

Answer 1

Ans) Psychiatric technicians provide hands-on care for people with developmental disabilities or mental illnesses.

- This might include administering medications, conducting recreational and therapeutic activities, and monitoring patients' vital signs. Although some employers use the titles psychiatric technician and psychiatric aide interchangeably, there are key differences between these careers.

- A psychiatric aide typically helps patients perform activities of daily living and ensures that their environment is clean and safe, while a psychiatric technician provides therapeutic care.

- Many psychiatric technicians and aides are employed by hospitals. Positions are available in long-term care centers and other medical care settings. Some risk is associated with this career, as technicians and aides care for individuals who may become emotionally agitated and physically aggressive. As with all careers in medical care settings, some exposure to infectious diseases is possible. Technicians and aides may work part-time to full-time, including evening, night, and weekend shifts for those employed by 24-hour care centers.

- The average job growth rate for all occupations in the United States is 11 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In comparison, the change in employment for the psychiatric technician sector is predicted to grow at just four percent through 2022. However, there are indications that this trend will change in the near future as the psychiatric needs of the nation’s older adults continue to increase.

- There is also a growing need for psychiatric technicians in residential settings, such as those specifically designed for treating substance abuse. Community-based residential treatment centers have become increasingly popular in recent years, and as such, job opportunities in that sector are more robust than in other industries. Conversely, because treatment of individuals with serious mental disorders is far less often undertaken in a hospital setting, jobs in that industry are much more difficult to come by.

Salary for a Psychiatric Technician:
There are nearly 65,000 psychiatric technicians in the United States. The average salary that these psychiatric technicians earn, according to the BLS, is $35,160, as of May 2014. However, there is wide variability in the potential wages one might earn. The bottom 10 percent of earners make just under $21,000 per year while the top 10 percent make an average of $57,280 per year. The top industries for pay include specialty hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and substance abuse treatment centers. Salaries for these industries vary from $37,130 in psychiatric and substance abuse settings to $47,770 in specialty hospitals.