A CAPT Website Fact Sheet
Updated December 2006

Psychiatric Technicians in other states

In addition to California, only three other states -- Colorado, Kansas and Arkansas-- have state-licensed Psychiatric Technicians or their equivalent. Information on those and other states is listed below.

Psych Techs licensed in other states can become licensed in California through a special application process. Phone California's Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians at (916) 263-7830 and ask for an "application packet" to be mailed to you. Once you receive it, if you have any questions, you can phone the board back and they will be glad to clarify the process.

Colorado

Colorado has two different Licensed Psychiatric Technician licenses, LPT/DD for treating people with developmental disabilities and LPT/MI for treating those with mental illnesses.

An individual with a California Psych Tech license can get a Colorado license by basically doing some paperwork. You have to provide Colorado with a transcript from your PT program to verify what courses you took, and you have to get an "endorsement form" from California's licensing board. This verifies that your California license is current and clear of any disciplinary action.

LPTs are licensed by the Colorado Board of Nursing at www.dora.state.co.us/nursing/. Their address is1560 Broadway, Suite 880, Denver, CO 80202. The phone is (303) 894-2430. As of June 2004 there were 954 LPT/DD licensees and 379 LPT/MI licensees. For the latest figures, check the board's license statistics page.

Kansas

Kansas has Licensed Mental Health Technicians (352 of them in 2002). The length of the education program is one year. Curriculum requirements are similar to those in California. Individuals who are licensed in other states may become licensed in Kansas via endorsement (as explained above). In the past, they had to take the Kansas exam, but not any more.

LMHTs are licensed by the Kansas State Board of Nursing at www.ksbn.org. There office is in the Landon State Office Building, 900 SW Jackson Street, Suite 1051, Topeka, KS 66612-1230, Phone (785) 296-4929, Fax: (785) 296-3929

Arkansas

As of December 2006, Arkansas had 252 Licensed Psychiatric Technician Nurses, a classification equivalent to California's Psych Techs. The state stopped licensing new LPTNs in 1995 when the last of its Psych Tech education programs closed.

However, those who were already licensed can renew their licenses and keep practicing. Also, through the "endorsement" process, the state issues LPTN licenses to individuals holding Psych Tech licenses from California or Kansas.

For further information contact the Arkansas State Board of Nursing at www.arsbn.org. Their address is at University Tower Building, Suite 800, 1123 South University Ave, Little Rock, AR 72204-1619. Phone (501) 686-2700, fax (501) 686-2714

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Following is the latest information that has been provided to CAPT regarding the other states. If you have other information, we would appreciate your sending us a note by e-mail.

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Unlicensed technicians

Oregon -- The State of Oregon began a pilot project for a new nursing discipline of Registered Mental Health Technician. This was not full licensure, as in California, Kansas, Arkansas and Colorado. This article in our Outreach magazine describes the program. Since that time, however, the Oregon Legislature decided not to continue the RMHT program.

There are a number of states that have the title of Psychiatric Technician, or something like it, but they are unlicensed. Some do have considerable training, but others are basically the equivalent of hospital workers or mental health aides.

For example, the South Dakota state Board of Nursing in Sioux Falls says their state does not license Psych Techs. The state Department of Human Services uses unlicensed "mental health technicians" in their three "human services centers," meaning state hospitals. This job requires two years of psychiatric technology or equivalent experience.

In Nevada, the state Board of Nursing says there is a category of employees called psychiatric technicians, but they are not licensed, certified or registered.

American Association of Psychiatric Technicians -- AAPT administers an examination for individuals to qualify as Nationally Certified Psychiatric Technicians. The exam tests for basic knowledge of the duties of an entry-level mental health worker. The certification process is for psychiatric technicians and related mental health employees working in the 46 states that do not require licensure.