Mental health technicians, also often referred to as psychiatric technicians, are entry-level mental health workers who care for patients with mental illness or developmental disabilities. These technicians play an important role in outpatient and inpatient clinics.
This Mental Health Technician Certification course will take you from no experience to being qualified for an entry-level mental health technician position. The course, which includes medical terminology, focuses on objectives that include the role and responsibilities of the technician, as well as important need-to-know processes and procedures, and how to identify and approach patients with common psychosocial needs. Real-world scenario assignments provide you opportunities to receive direct feedback from your instructor, so you can be ready to deliver proper assistance and tools when providing support and interventions for patients with mental health disorders.
The medical terminology course introduces key concepts of medical language and human anatomy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of body systems in health and disease. Students with prior knowledge can optionally test out by achieving a minimum score of 80%, replacing course content if desired. It is important to understand that this course feature only applies to the online Medical Terminology course.
Upon completion of the certified mental health technician training course, you will be prepared to sit for the Mental Health Technician Certification (MHTC) exam offered by the American Medical Certification Association (AMCA). Enrollment fees include a voucher for the MHTC exam. As a bonus, within this Mental Health Technician course, you will be able to apply to attend a Red Cross workshop to obtain your CPR/BLS certification.
This online mental health technician certification course does not meet state requirements for students intending to work in AR, CA, CO, and KS. Ensure that the Mental Health Technician course meets your state's requirements.
Funding Disclaimer: For Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funded students, please consult with your funding source representative before taking advantage of the Medical Terminology test-out feature. Different funding programs may have specific requirements and/or restrictions. If you attempt the test-out feature(s) in the Medical Terminology course without getting approval, your funding benefits may be jeopardized.
Instructor(s):Heather Morton
Heather Morton, PhD is an educator and coach. She holds a PhD and Master's in psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences. Over the years, Heather has developed and taught many healthcare and psychology learning programs. As an educator, she uses a variety of strategies to help each learner relate the content to their lives while providing constructive and positive feedback.
Gail Hubbard
Gail Hubbard, MSN, RN, RMA, has worked in the medical field for more than 30 years. Before earning her RN, she worked as a medical records technician, administrative and clinical medical assistant, EKG technician, and billing and coding specialist.
As an RN, Gail has worked in ICU/Stepdown, psychiatric mental health nursing, ambulatory surgery, infection control, and staff development. Gail has over ten years of experience teaching medical assisting, nursing, nurse assistant, EKG, and phlebotomy. After completing her master's degree in Nursing Leadership and Management from Western Governors University, Gail was the Nurse/Quality Improvement Manager for a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center.
Medical Terminology Instructors
Our medical terminology course section is taught by multiple experienced instructors. See here for a full list of these instructors.
Requirements:
Hardware Requirements:
- This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.
- To participate in the competency activities and receive feedback from your instructor, you will need to have access to a video camera (on the phone or other device of familiarity) and be able to upload the video as an .mp4 file to the assignment pages for review. These activities are required to pass the course successfully.
Software Requirements:
- PC: Windows 10 or later.
- Mac: macOS 12 or later.
- Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
- Microsoft Word Online
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
Other:
- Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
Instructional Material Requirements:
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment.
The following digital textbook for the Medical Terminology course is accessed via links in the course lessons:
- Comprehensive Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 1st Edition (eBook)
The following textbooks will be shipped to you approximately 7-10 business days after enrollment the Mental Health Technician course:
- Foundations of Mental Health Care
Please note: You will receive a digital book if the physical book is on backorder.
Hide Syllabus
Lesson 1
- Medical Terminology
- Getting Started
- How to Take This Course
- Test-Out Exam 1: Lessons 1–Midterm Exam
- Introduction to Medical Terminology and the Human Body in Health and Disease
- The Musculoskeletal System
- The Cardiovascular System
- The Lymphatic and Immune Systems
- The Respiratory System
- The Digestive System
- The Urinary System
- Midterm
- Test-Out Exam 2: Lessons 8–Final Exam
- The Nervous System
- Special Senses: The Eyes and Ears
- The Integumentary System
- The Endocrine System
- Mental Health
- Male and Female Reproductive Systems
- Diagnostic Procedures, Nuclear Medicine, and Complementary Medicine
- Final Exam
- Mental Health Technician
- Career Glimpse: The Mental Health Technician
- Fundamentals of Mental Health
- Patient Rights and HIPAA Fundamentals
- Being a Professional
- Communication Skills
- Developing Cultural Competencies
- Domains of Psychology
- Mental Health Problems and Disorders
- Common Psychosocial Problems
- Therapies for Managing Patient Care
- The Therapeutic Relationship and Assessment
- Pharmacology Basics and Guidelines
- Special Considerations in Patient Care
- Record Keeping and Practice Settings
- Examination and Intervention Skills
- Course Reflections and Exam Preparation
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