Announcements
  • .
Latest News
Notice to CAPT Members

Are you Interested in representing your Chapter as an Annual Meeting Delegate?

May 29, 2026

CAPT will hold its 42nd Annual Meeting from Tuesday, September 15, through Thursday, September 17, 2026. The Atascadero, Coalinga, and Porterville chapters will host this year’s event.

  • Location: Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite
  • Who Attends: Chapter Officers & Elected Delegates
  • Purpose: To conduct the annual business of the state association

This important annual meeting gives chapter officers and elected delegates the opportunity to help shape the direction of our union. This year, CAPT will be holding its biennial state officer elections. The Annual Meeting also offers valuable opportunities to network with CAPT’s Board of Directors, consultants, staff, and members from all 11 chapters. Download Flyer.

CAPT Grievance Victory Protects Vacation Rights at CIW

CAPT and the Southern Corrections Chapter won a grievance at the California Institution for Women (CIW) after management improperly kept former employees on the vacation calendar, limiting Ad Hoc vacation options for current Bargaining Unit 18 employees.

The issue began when a Psychiatric Technician noticed that a former employee, who had separated months earlier, still occupied vacation slots. Because these dates remained on the vacation calendar, current employees could not request or use them. After management offered no resolution, Southern Corrections Chapter Vice President Joshua Jones grieved the matter, requesting that they clear the dates and make them available to active BU 18 employees. Download flyer.

CAPT Members Invited to Apply for 2026 WAGE Scholarship

Penny C. Rasmussen Scholarship

Through the Working Assembly of Governmental Employees (WAGE), two $500 scholarships will be awarded to help support the educational goals and professional development of members of WAGE-affiliated organizations and their first-degree dependents. As a WAGE-affiliated organization, CAPT will review and select one applicant to forward to WAGE for final scholarship consideration.

Eligibility
Applicants must be:

  • A CAPT member in good standing, or
  • A first-degree dependent of a CAPT member in good standing Download flier.
Psych Techs: Make Your Voice Heard in the 2026 Primary Election

The Governor, statewide constitutional officers, and state legislators directly shape state budgeting, labor relations, departmental leadership, and public policy decisions, thereby affecting working conditions, benefits, and rights for every Bargaining Unit 18 member.

California’s Primary Election will decide which candidates move forward to the November 2026 General Election. Under California’s top-two primary system, every vote counts!

The CAPT Board of Directors personally interviewed candidates to evaluate their understanding of the unique challenges facing Psychiatric Technicians and their commitment to protecting workers’ rights, safe staffing, and quality patient care. Following this process, CAPT endorsed candidates who demonstrated a clear commitment to supporting public employees, retirement security, collective bargaining rights, and the long-term strength of our profession. The following endorsements reflect CAPT’s support for leaders who recognize the vital contributions Psychiatric Technicians make within California’s custodial healthcare system across facilities and homes operated by the DSH, CDCR/CCHCS, and DDS. Download flier.

CAPT Welcomes New Legislative Advocate and Political Consultant Rene Bayardo

CAPT is proud to announce the hiring of Rene Bayardo, Principal of Bayardo Strategies LLC, as CAPT’s new contract lobbyist and political consultant.

Rene Bayardo brings more than 15 years of California government affairs experience to CAPT’s advocacy efforts. Before founding Bayardo Strategies LLC in 2024, Rene served as Government Relations Director for SEIU California, where he helped lead major legislative and policy campaigns on behalf of working Californians.

But Rene’s connection to Psychiatric Technicians is also personal. Rene’s father began his state career as a Psychiatric Technician Trainee, then advanced to a Licensed Psychiatric Technician, and later served in leadership and vocational services roles within the state system. Through that experience, Rene saw firsthand the professionalism, compassion, and dedication Psychiatric Technicians bring to caring for some of California’s most vulnerable individuals. Download flier.