The board shall prepare and maintain a list of approved schools which offer an approved program for psychiatric technicians.
Psychiatric TechniciansSchools for Preparation of Psychiatric Technicians
Section § 4530
This law requires the board to create and keep an updated list of schools that have approved programs for training psychiatric technicians.
approved schools psychiatric technicians training programs
Section § 4531
This section specifies that approved schools must offer a certain amount of instruction hours or semester units similar to other board programs. Education should cover how to care for people with mental and developmental disabilities. There has to be hands-on experience in a state hospital unless it's too far or not possible to get placements, as determined by relevant state departments.
The course of instruction of an approved school shall consist of not less than the number of hours or semester units of instruction required for the other program administered by the board. The subjects of instruction shall include the principles of the care of the mentally disabled and the developmentally disabled. Clinical inpatient experience shall be an integral part of that prescribed or equivalent course of study and training. The experience shall be obtained in a state hospital, except where the board finds that the requirement is not feasible due either to the distance of a state hospital from the school or the unavailability, as determined by the State Department of Developmental Services or the State Department of State Hospitals, of state hospital clinical training
placements.
approved school course of instruction mentally disabled care
Section § 4531.1
This law outlines the process and fees involved for schools or programs wanting approval to train psychiatric technicians. First, they must submit a letter of intent and, if accepted, they must file an application. The board will notify them if the application is complete and schools have specific timeframes to fix any issues if not. Approval decisions are made within six months. Fees include a nonrefundable initial fee, a final approval fee, and a continuing approval fee every four years. The fees can be adjusted based on the actual costs of oversight. A reduced fee is possible if program enrollment and state funding decrease. This law remains in effect until January 1, 2029.
(a)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(a) The approval process for a school or program shall be consistent with the following timelines:
(1)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(a)(1)
(A)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(a)(1)(A) Upon receipt of a complete letter of intent to submit an application for approval as a school or program for psychiatric technicians, the board shall notify the proposed school or program of the steps in the approval process and provide an estimated wait time until active assignment to a nursing education consultant.
(B)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(a)(1)(A)(B) A school or program for psychiatric technicians that fails to submit a complete letter of intent within 30 days from the date the board notifies the school or program of deficiencies shall be taken out of consideration for approval as a new school or program
and may only reapply after six months.
(C)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(a)(1)(A)(C) Upon active assignment of a nursing education consultant, the school or program shall submit an initial application for approval within 60 days.
(2)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(a)(2)
(A)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(a)(2)(A) Within 30 days of the date the board receives an initial application for approval, the board shall notify the school or program whether the application is complete.
(B)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(a)(2)(A)(B) A notice that an initial application is not complete shall specify what additional documents or payment of fees the school or program is required to submit to the board to make the application complete.
(3)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(a)(3) Within 60 days from the date the board notifies the school or program that the initial application is not complete, the school or program shall provide the missing
information. If a school or program fails to submit the required information, the board shall take the application out of consideration consistent with subdivision (c) of Section 4531.2.
(4)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(a)(4) Within six months of the date the board receives an initial application for approval as a school or program, the board shall approve the school or program, deny approval, or notify the school or program that corrective action is required.
(b)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(b) A school or program for psychiatric technicians seeking approval by the board shall remit to the board for deposit in the Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians Fund fees in accordance with the following schedule:
(1)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(b)(1) The nonrefundable initial application fee shall be in an amount equal to the reasonable costs incurred by the board in reviewing and processing the application up to
five thousand dollars ($5,000).
(2)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(b)(2)
(A)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(b)(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the final approval fee shall be in an amount equal to the reasonable costs incurred by the board in the application approval process up to fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).
(B)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(b)(2)(A)(B) The final approval fee for an applicant program that meets both of the following criteria shall be in an amount equal to the reasonable costs incurred by the board in the application approval process up to five thousand dollars ($5,000):
(i)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(b)(2)(A)(B)(i) The program is affiliated with an approved school or program that is in good standing.
(ii)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(b)(2)(A)(B)(ii) The program utilizes the curriculum and policies approved by the board for the approved school or program.
(3)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(b)(3) The continuing approval fee shall be in an amount equal to the reasonable costs incurred by the board in providing oversight and review of a school or program up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) once every four years.
(c)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(c) If the board makes an initial determination that the cost of providing oversight and review of a school or program under this section is less than the amount of any fees required to be paid by that school or program, the board shall decrease the fees applicable to that institution to an amount that is proportional to the board’s reasonable costs associated with that school or program.
(d)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(d) The board may reduce the continuing approval fees, by no more than one-half of the established fee, for a program that experiences a reduction in enrollment capacity that directly leads to a reduction in state
funding. The board shall require a program to provide documentation for the purposes of issuing the fee reduction.
(e)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.1(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed.
psychiatric technician schools application process approval timeline
Section § 4531.2
This section outlines rules for schools or programs that are trying to get approval from the board to train psychiatric technicians. If a school doesn't respond to the board's requests within two weeks, fails to send in required paperwork, or doesn't pay fees, it will be marked as inactive. If a school stays inactive for 90 days while applying, it will be removed from consideration, and it must wait six months before it can apply again.
(a)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.2(a) The board shall maintain a list of inactive schools and programs for psychiatric technicians seeking board approval.
(b)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.2(b) A school or program for psychiatric technicians seeking board approval shall respond to the board within two weeks of each inquiry or request during all phases of the application process after the school or program has submitted an initial application for approval pursuant to Section 4531.1. A school or program that does not respond within two weeks, fails to submit documentation required by the board in time, or fails to pay the required fees, shall be designated as inactive.
(c)CA Business & Professions Code § 4531.2(c) A school or program for psychiatric technicians seeking board approval that has been on the
inactive list for 90 days over the course of the application period shall be taken out of consideration for a new school or program and may only reapply after six months.
inactive schools psychiatric technicians board approval process
Section § 4532
This section outlines the responsibilities of the board in overseeing schools and programs for psychiatric technicians. The board must inspect these institutions to ensure they meet set standards. If any school or program doesn't meet the required standards, they are notified of the problems and given time to fix them. If they fail to correct the issues, they may face fines, probation, or removal from the approved list. The board can issue citations that may include fines or orders for correction, and schools that do not comply may lose their approval. Schools removed from the approved list can apply again after a year.
(a)CA Business & Professions Code § 4532(a) It shall be the duty of the board, through an official representative, to inspect or review all schools or programs for psychiatric technicians in this state at such times as the board shall deem necessary. Written reports of the inspection or review shall be made to the board, which shall then approve the schools or programs that meet the requirements provided by the board.
(b)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4532(b)
(1)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4532(b)(1) Upon receiving the report of the representative, if the board determines that any school or program for psychiatric technicians is not maintaining the standard required by the board, notice thereof in writing specifying the defect or defects shall be immediately given to the school or program. If the defects are not corrected within a reasonable time, the school
or program may be issued a citation and assessed a fine as specified under subdivision (c) or removed from the approved list and notice thereof in writing given to it.
(2)CA Business & Professions Code § 4532(b)(2) Until the board establishes regulations pursuant to subdivision (c), a school or program may only be removed from the approved list if defects are not corrected within a reasonable time.
(c)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4532(c)
(1)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4532(c)(1) The board may issue a citation, which may contain an order of abatement or an order to pay an administrative fine, if it has established, by regulation, a system for the issuance of citations to a psychiatric technician school or program that is consistent with Section 125.9.
(2)CA Business & Professions Code § 4532(c)(2) In the event that the school or program does not remit the assessed fine within 30 days, the board may place the school or program on provisional approval for
up to six months or remove it from the approved school or program list and give it written notice of the removal.
(d)CA Business & Professions Code § 4532(d) A school or program for psychiatric technicians removed from the approved list may apply for approval after 12 months from the date of their removal.
psychiatric technicians school inspections program reviews
