A Day in the Life of a Mental Health Technician
In this role, you’ll support patients in psychiatric and behavioral health settings. Your daily responsibilities will vary, but you could:
- Support patient intake meetings
- Monitor patient well-being for emotional and behavioral distress
- Administer doctor-ordered medications
- Assist with daily living activities like meals, personal hygiene or transportation
- Handle crisis support for patients experiencing relapse
- Use de-escalation strategies for patients in self-harm or aggressive situations
Along with these tasks, you might assist with therapeutic group discussions, organize education classes and run recreation programs to support patient well-being. In some settings, you may assist with individual therapy sessions.
This healthcare professional is distinct from a registered behavior technician. Rather than focus on applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy and developmental and behavioral support, you’ll work more broadly across mental health settings to monitor, document and assist with patients’ mental well-being. Mental Health Technicians also work with people from all socio-economic backgrounds and age groups, instead of primarily younger patients.
What Skills Do You Need?
To be successful as an MHT, you should have skills like the following:
- Patience and compassion
- Knowledge of mental health conditions and human anatomy
- Ability to remain calm in high-stress situationsÂ
- Strong observational skills
- Strong communication skills
- Physical ability to lift and move patients
- Understanding of HIPAA rules and regulations for patient confidentialityÂ
Where Mental Health Technicians Build Their Careers
Mental health professionals work in diverse settings across the healthcare field. This means you could find employment in locations like:
- Psychiatric hospitals
- Residential treatment facilities
- Behavioral health units within general hospitals
- Outpatient mental health clinics
- Rehabilitation centers
MHTs also work with inmates in correctional facilities and underserved citizens in community health centers, helping them address any mental health struggles. Some MHT roles even extend into a medical focus, supporting substance abuse treatments in highly structured, clinical facilities.
Depending on the healthcare organization you work at, you’ll work closely with licensed mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, social workers or counselors. Some workplaces in this field operate 24 hours a day, which means you may have more variable shift work, including evenings and weekends.
What’s Driving Demand for Mental Health Technicians?
Mental Health Technicians are frequently sought after to support the increased demand for mental wellness services. Sometimes called psychiatric technicians, MHTs have supportive roles that are projected to see about 16% growth from 2024 to 2034, up from 9% a few years prior.
Growing acceptance of mental wellness services has led to more people seeking support, with trained mental health staff needed to meet their diverse needs. As a result, many regions are seeing worker shortages in the mental and behavioral health field.
MHTs can play a critical role in supporting licensed professionals and other health staff, helping address patient needs as they arise. While licensed providers handle assessments and treatment plans, Mental Health Technicians are invaluable for their hands-on work as they listen to patients, monitor their wellness and support their mental health journey.
This role is also highly accessible as an entry point into mental health services. It doesn’t require a four-year degree or advanced training, so you can pursue this in-demand line of work whether you’re an entry-level jobseeker or a career changer.
What Are the Training Requirements?
You’ll typically need a post-secondary certificate program for this role. Alongside your training, professional certification is a strong way to prove your newly earned skills.
One of the best certifications is the Mental Health Technician Certification (MHTC) offered through the American Medical Certification Association (AMCA). Nationally recognized, this credential demonstrates competency for the role and could even be an employer requirement.
Some employers may have additional prerequisites or require on-the-job training to help you understand how their workplace functions. Depending on your state, you might also need a state-issued license. Confirm these rules with your potential employer or review your region’s State Board or Department of Health for any additional clinical hours or licensing exams required. MedCerts offers an interactive map where you can see if any state restrictions or requirements apply to your state of residence.
How To Get Certified Through MedCerts
You can train for certification through MedCerts’ Mental Health Support Specialist program. This 14-week pathway prepares students for the MHTC certification and focuses on three main modules:
- HI 7013: Fundamentals of Mental Health Care
This 6-week course discusses intake processes, crisis care, mental health and substance-use disorders, psychiatric pharmacology, HIPAA compliance and electronic health records.
- PS 1011: Professionalism in Allied Health
In this 2-week module, you’ll learn soft skills training on how to remain professional in the workplace, handle medical ethics, communicate with patients and coworkers and build emotional strength. MedCerts’ grad Dre’a found this course “really helpful for anyone who hasn’t been in healthcare before.”
- HI 1014: Introduction to Human Anatomy and Medical Terminology
The final 6-week course teaches you about the 11 body systems, human anatomy and healthcare-related terminology. You’ll use the accompanying app to get 3D and augmented reality (AR) views of the body’s systems for a fully immersive learning experience.
You can complete the program entirely online and at your own pace. This flexible training lets you work around your existing schedule as you train for a new role. Plus, you don’t need prior healthcare experience to enroll. You’ll also get immediate access to Student Success Advisors and Career Coaches, with an additional 12 months of post-graduation access to the Career Center for job searches and guidance.
Once you graduate, you’ll sit for the MHTC certification either in person or through an online live proctor. This two-hour exam has 75 questions that cover everything you learned in the course. It can improve your candidacy ranking for open positions, especially for employers who want employees to get their credentials before applying.
Find Meaningful Work With the Right Training
Working as a Mental Health Technician has the dual benefit of a meaningful patient impact and practical accessibility when entering the healthcare field. This entry-level training opens opportunities for in-demand careers in mental health. Once certified, you can support people in need, advance your career and gain experience in a steadily growing subsection of health care.
