Resume guide · Job Zone 3

Psychiatric Techniciansresume guide.

Care for individuals with mental or emotional conditions or disabilities, following the instructions of physicians or other health practitioners. A strong Psychiatric Technicians resume shows social perceptiveness, active listening and monitoring, and names the tools you have worked with, such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software and Microsoft Excel.

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01Also called

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BHT (Behavioral Health Technician)Health Care Technician (Health Care Tech)LPT (Licensed Psychiatric Technician)Mental Health AssociateMental Health SpecialistMental Health Technician (MHT)MHA (Mental Health Assistant)MHW (Mental Health Worker)Psychiatric Technician (PT)Residential Aide (RA)

02Skills employers expect

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Importance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.

SkillImportanceLevel
Social PerceptivenessVery highAdvanced
Active ListeningVery highAdvanced
MonitoringVery highAdvanced
CoordinationHighIntermediate
SpeakingHighIntermediate
Reading ComprehensionHighIntermediate
Critical ThinkingHighIntermediate
Service OrientationHighIntermediate
InstructingHighIntermediate
WritingHighIntermediate

03Knowledge areas

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  • Psychology
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • English Language
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Education and Training
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Law and Government
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Sociology and Anthropology

04Common responsibilities

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Ordered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.

  1. Provide nursing, psychiatric, or personal care to patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.
  2. Encourage patients to develop work skills and to participate in social, recreational, or other therapeutic activities that enhance interpersonal skills or develop social relationships.
  3. Restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required.
  4. Lead prescribed individual or group therapy sessions as part of specific therapeutic procedures.
  5. Monitor patients' physical and emotional well-being and report unusual behavior or physical ailments to medical staff.
  6. Observe and influence patients' behavior, communicating and interacting with them and teaching, counseling, or befriending them.
  7. Take and record measures of patients' physical condition, using devices such as thermometers or blood pressure gauges.
  8. Aid patients in performing tasks, such as bathing or keeping beds, clothing, or living areas clean.
  9. Collaborate with or assist doctors, psychologists, or rehabilitation therapists in working with patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities to treat, rehabilitate, and return patients to the community.
  10. Develop or teach strategies to promote client wellness and independence.

05Software and tools

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13 tools across 6 categories. Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.

Medical software8
  • GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
  • Allscripts Sunrise
  • Cerner ProFile
  • Epic EpicCare Inpatient Clinical System
  • ICANotes
  • ADL Data Systems OptimumClinicals Electronic Health Record
  • MEDITECH Behavioral Health Clinicals
  • Netsmart Technologies Avatar Clinical Workstation CWS
+ 3 more
Electronic mail software1
Inventory management software1
  • InfoLogix HealthTrax Engine
Office suite software1
Spreadsheet software1
Word processing software1

06Education and preparation

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Typical education
Some College Courses
40% of surveyed workers. Others report Bachelor's Degree (30%) and High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (20%).
Preparation level
Job Zone 3 · Medium preparation
Usually vocational training, an associate degree or a few years of related experience.

07Putting it on your resume

ResumeXRays guidance
BEE · How to show it

Lead with the credential and the record. Job Zone 3 roles usually ask for training, a license or a few years of related experience. Put those on the first screen, then show what you did with them.

List the software you have actually used. Employers scan for Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software and Microsoft Excel. Put the ones you know in a skills line, spelled the way the vendor spells them.

Show active listening and monitoring, not just social perceptiveness. Active listening and monitoring rank close to social perceptiveness for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.

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