How do you define a rewarding career? A career in which your work and contribution can make a difference in someone’s life. Usually, we believe that all the credit for a rewarding career goes to doctors, because they treat patients and help them live a normal life. But not all praise should be for them.

The licensed psychiatric technician staff at the hospitals should always receive this praise, too. Licensed psychiatric technicians are the people who spend most of their time with mentally ill people. Their job is to ensure that all the mental patients receive proper care and management. They are the unsung heroes who perform their duties and improve the quality of life for mental patients.

If you are interested in exploring a career as a licensed psychiatric technician, then it is better to follow a proper guide on this career. Here, we will talk about licensed psychiatric technicians and the benefits of this career.

Who is a Licensed Psychiatric Technician?

In the mental health facility, a licensed psychiatric technician (LPT) is a technician who provides management and care for people with mental health conditions and developmental disabilities. They are the primary care providers who work under psychologists, psychiatrists, and registered nurses and care for patients all day.

An LPT is also commonly known as a mental health technician or a behavioral health technician. Their day to day responsibilities include checking the vital signs of patients like temperature and blood pressure, observing any change in mental patients’ behaviors and reporting to the psychiatrist, and performing the administrative tasks for patients, like onboarding and discharge of patients from the mental health facility. They also carefully feed medicines and assist psychiatrists in checking the progress of patients. Most importantly, if any mental patient gets violent or uncontrolled in behavior, the licensed psychiatric technicians control the situation.

Benefits of Choosing a Career as a Licensed Psychiatric Technician

A licensed psychiatric technician is a challenging career, but it also offers great value to the professionals who opt for this career. Being at the forefront of mental health patients and providing care to them, the following are the advantages of pursuing this career.

Unique and Fulfilling Career

No career is as unique as a licensed psychiatric technician. This field provides you with a chance to change people’s lives. Patients with mental conditions and developmental disabilities are stuck in life. They no longer function as normal human beings and need intensive care and management to survive. Your job as a licensed psychiatric technician can change patients' lives.

Licensed psychiatric technicians can provide them with the care and attention they need. They work directly with patients who often lack a clear understanding of their lives. Mental health technicians' care and sympathy keep them functioning. Thus, you work in a field where people benefit from your care. It’s a fulfilling career where you can help improve the lives of mental health patients.

High-Demand Technicians in Mental Healthcare

Licensed psychiatric technicians are in high demand in mental health care systems. As there is a rise in awareness of mental disorders and acceptance in society, many mental patients are being onboarded in hospitals. Therefore, there are numerous mental health technician positions available, and hospitals require these technicians to provide support to psychiatrists and patients in mental health facilities.

Variety of Work Environments 

A mental health technician is a career that offers a variety of work settings. Your primary responsibility is to take care of mental patients. But there are many different facilities where you can find employment opportunities. Licensed psychiatric technicians usually work in mental hospitals, residential care settings, and community mental health centers. Thus, you can work with young or elderly patients and have a variety of mental healthcare settings to choose from for your licensed psychiatric technician career.

Easily Advance Your Career

Working as a licensed psychiatric technician is just the start of a career in basic mental healthcare. It is an entry-level job where you have to manage patients with mental problems. Moreover, you can easily advance your career from this position. Some similar fields like nursing, psychology, social work, and many more. Once you get your primary experience as a mental health technician, you can choose the next direction in your career properly.

High-paying Secure Job

It goes without saying that many jobs are insecure. The higher management and companies can lay off their employees or terminate them if the employee’s performance is not satisfactory. But working as a mental health technician in a mental hospital is nothing like that. It is a secure job. The licensed psychiatric technicians are very important employees of a mental facility, and without them, the psychiatrists can’t handle the patients alone. Thus, a licensed psychiatric technician has a completely secure job, and the employees earn a salary of $42,200 annually, which is also a higher figure for an entry-level position.

Quick Entry in the Medical Workforce

Doctors or even nurses have to complete a lengthy degree program and obtain a license and certifications to start their careers. However, to become a licensed psychiatric technician, you only have to complete the basic requirements of a degree and license, and you can easily get a job in a mental health center. Thus, this profession allows you to enter the medical workforce more easily than other professions.

How to Become a Licensed Psychiatric Technician

If you are interested in becoming a licensed psychiatric technician, it will surely serve as a strong foundation for your career. Handling mental patients and working under psychiatric supervision, you will be able to learn a lot. So, to become a mental health technician, you can follow the guide below:

Licensed Psychiatric Program/Bachelor's Degree

For licensed psychiatric technicians, there is a licensed psychiatric program. Students have to complete this state-approved program to be eligible for a job. Another option is to get a bachelor's degree in psychology, which will help you learn the mental conditions of patients, and you will also learn to handle mentally ill patients with approved practices. A bachelor's degree in Psychology sets a strong foundation for your career.

License and Certification

After completing your Licensed Psychiatric program or bachelor's degree, you then have to get the state-approved license for mental health technicians. For this, you have to pass the exam and demonstrate all knowledge of mental health patients and how to provide care to them. Once you get your license, you can apply for a licensed psychiatric technician job.

Final Thoughts on a Licensed Psychiatric Technician Career

A licensed psychiatric technician works in the most critical part of the mental hospitals and facilities. They provide basic to advanced care and management to patients. An entry-level opportunity to work alongside psychiatrists and in a mental health facility gives you more confidence and sets a strong foundation for you. Moreover, it is a secure and high-paying job at the entry level. So, if you are looking to enter the medical field with an easy job opportunity and benefits, a licensed psychiatric technician job is a good choice.

Does a career as a licensed psychiatric technician interest you? Do you need help exploring its job opportunities? Intuitive Health Services is a health staffing agency that can locate high-paying licensed psychiatric technicians jobs and future-proof your career.