Psychiatric Rehabilitation—Career Opportunities

Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible to be employed as psychiatric technicians in site hospitals, psychiatric aids in private hospitals, security therapy aids in forensic settings, residential aids/supervisors, case managers, and mental health staff working in psychiatric rehabilitation and support services programs.

Potential employers of graduates of this program include: psychiatric rehabilitation agencies, Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois Department of Mental Health, private psychiatric hospitals, counseling centers, Illinois State mental hospitals.

Major Employers

• Community mental health centers

• Hospitals

• Residential care facilities and group homes

• Schools for the mentally retarded

• Social service agencies

Related Job Titles

• Psychiatric technicians working in state hospitals

• Security therapy aides in forensic settings

• Aides working in nursing homes with patients who have serious mental illness

• Psychiatric aides working in private psychiatric hospitals

• Residential program staff

• Case managers

• Staff working in psychiatric rehabilitation

• Staff working in Support services programs

Employment Outlook
In Illinois, the median wage for psychiatric technicians is $11.97 per hour.

Nationally, the median wage for psychiatric technicians is $10.56 per hour. Half of all psychiatric technicians earn between $8.31 and $13.32 per hour.

Wages vary by the employer and the technician's level of education and experience.

Technicians who work full time usually receive benefits. Common benefits include paid vacations, sick leave, and health insurance.

Nationally, the number of jobs for psychiatric technicians is expected to grow as fast as average through the year 2008.

Employment of technicians in community mental health centers is expected to grow. This is because people are more accepting of treatment of drug abuse, alcoholism and psychological problems. Thus, more people will go to these centers and technicians will be needed to treat them. Employment in hospitals will decline. The main reason for this decline is that hospitals are trying to reduce the number of psychiatric patients they treat.