SECTIONS 4500-4509.5 - California Statutes

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE

SECTION 4500-4509.5

4500. This chapter is known and may be cited as the "Psychiatric
Technicians Law."

4501. (a) "Board," as used in this chapter, means the Board of
Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. (b) This section
shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2012, and as of that
date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted
before January 1, 2012, deletes or extends that date.

4501.1. Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for
the board in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary
functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with
other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public
shall be paramount.

4502. As used in this chapter, "psychiatric technician" means any
person who, for compensation or personal profit, implements
procedures and techniques which involve understanding of cause and
effect and which are used in the care, treatment, and rehabilitation
of mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, or mentally retarded persons
and who has one or more of the following:
(a) Direct responsibility for administering or implementing
specific therapeutic procedures, techniques, treatments, or
medications with the aim of enabling recipients or patients to make
optimal use of their therapeutic regime, their social and personal
resources, and their residential care.
(b) Direct responsibility for the application of interpersonal and
technical skills in the observation and recognition of symptoms and
reactions of recipients or patients, for the accurate recording of
such symptoms and reactions, and for the carrying out of treatments
and medications as prescribed by a licensed physician and surgeon or
a psychiatrist.
The psychiatric technician in the performance of such procedures
and techniques is responsible to the director of the service in which
his duties are performed. The director may be a licensed physician
and surgeon, psychiatrist, psychologist, rehabilitation therapist,
social worker, registered nurse, or other professional personnel.
Nothing herein shall authorize a licensed psychiatric technician
to practice medicine or surgery or to undertake the prevention,
treatment or cure of disease, pain, injury, deformity, or mental or
physical condition in violation of the law.

4502.1. A psychiatric technician, working in a mental health
facility or developmental disability facility, when prescribed by a
physician and surgeon, may administer medications by hypodermic
injection.

4502.2. A psychiatric technician, when prescribed by a physician
and surgeon, may withdraw blood from a patient with a mental illness
or developmental disability if the psychiatric technician has
received certification from the board that the psychiatric technician
has completed a prescribed course of instruction approved by the
board or has demonstrated competence to the satisfaction of the
board.

4502.3. (a) A psychiatric technician, when prescribed by a
physician and surgeon, may perform the following activities on a
patient with a mental illness or developmental disability:
(1) Tuberculin, coccidioidin, and histoplasmin skin tests,
providing the administration is within the course of a tuberculosis
control program.
(2) Immunization techniques, providing the administration is upon
the standing orders of a supervising physician and surgeon or
pursuant to written guidelines adopted by a hospital or medical group
with whom the supervising physician and surgeon is associated.
(b) In performing activities pursuant to subdivision (a), the
psychiatric technician shall satisfactorily demonstrate competence in
all of the following:
(1) Administering the testing or immunization agents, including
knowledge of all indications and contraindications for the
administration of the agents.
(2) Recognizing any emergency reactions to the agent that
constitute a danger to the health or life of the patient.
(3) Treating those emergency reactions by using procedures,
medication, and equipment within the scope of practice of the
psychiatric technician.

4503. (a) The board shall administer and enforce this chapter. (b)
This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2012, and
as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is
enacted before January 1, 2012, deletes or extends that date.

4504. The board may adopt rules and regulations to carry out the
provisions of this chapter.

4505. Except as provided by Section 159.5, the board may employ
whatever personnel is necessary for the administration of this
chapter.

4507. This chapter shall not apply to the following:
(a) Physicians and surgeons licensed pursuant to Chapter 5
(commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2.
(b) Psychologists licensed pursuant to Chapter 6.6 (commencing
with Section 2900) of Division 2.
(c) Registered nurses licensed pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing
with Section 2700) of Division 2.
(d) Vocational nurses licensed pursuant to Chapter 6.5 (commencing
with Section 2840) of Division 2.
(e) Social workers or clinical social workers licensed pursuant to
Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 9000) of Division 3.
(f) Marriage and family therapists licensed pursuant to Chapter 13
(commencing with Section 4980) of Division 2.
(g) Teachers credentialed pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with
Section 44200) of Chapter 2 of Part 25 of the Education Code.
(h) Occupational therapists as specified in Chapter 5.6
(commencing with Section 2570) of Division 2.
(i) Art therapists, dance therapists, music therapists, and
recreation therapists, as defined in Division 5 (commencing with
Section 70001) of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, who
are personnel of health facilities licensed pursuant to Chapter 2
(commencing with Section 1250) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety
Code.
(j) Any other categories of persons the board determines are
entitled to exemption from this chapter because they have complied
with other licensing provisions of this code or because they are
deemed by statute or by regulations contained in the California Code
of Regulations to be adequately trained in their respective
occupations. The exemptions shall apply only to a given specialized
area of training within the specific discipline for which the
exemption is granted.

4508. This chapter does not prohibit provisions of the services
regulated herein with or without compensation or personal profit,
when done by the tenets of any well-recognized church or
denomination, so long as they do not otherwise engage in the practice
set forth in the chapter.

4509.5. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent
persons from performing services described in Section 4502 for
purposes of training to qualify for licensure under a program
approved by the board or for training in another allied professional
field.