Mental Health Technician CTC

Mental Health Technician Certificate Program

The Mental Health Technician (MHT) program prepares students for employment as mental health technicians, psychiatric aides or technicians, and nursing assistants, a field in high demand due to the substance abuse crisis. A Mental Health Tech works in a variety of healthcare facilities under the supervision of a psychiatrist, registered nurse, counselor or social worker and participates in the basic nursing care and therapeutic treatment plans for patients with mental health, substance abuse, and addiction issues.

Students will complete Florida's mandatory training requirements for individuals entering a healthcare field and also specific career-based training in physical assessment, psychiatric and substance abuse disorders, developmental disabilities, health and wellness education, emergency and crisis intervention, and basic nursing assistant skills. Courses will cover the spectrum of interventions and treatment for mental health, substance abuse, and addiction issues, focused on the patient's stabilization and rehabilitation.

Admission is limited each term and requires a separate application process in addition to the general EFSC application process. The 16-week program can be taken in either the Fall or Spring Terms, with all on-campus coursework taking place in the Health Sciences Institute on the Melbourne Campus. The program's initial six weeks focus on the first two courses, and will meet Monday - Thursday, 8 AM to 4 PM, with a combination of on-campus lectures and labs, plus community based clinicals. The second ten weeks cover the third course in the program of study with the same four-day, eight-hour per day weekly schedule (one day of on-campus lectures and labs and three days of off-site clinicals).

The clock-hours program leads to a vocational Career and Technical Certificate. Once students have completed the program's first 165 clock hours, they are eligible to take the Florida Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) examination. After graduation and further work experience of 1,000 hours in the fields of mental health or substance abuse, students may also be eligible for the Florida Certification Board (FCB) exam to become credentialed as a Certified Behavioral Health Technician (CBHT); Certified Recovery Peer Specialist (CRPS-A Adult, CRPS-F Family, CRPS-V Veteran); or Certified Community Health Worker.