Exam Bulletin - Psychiatric Technician Assistant

Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters

Exam Code: EX-2224

Examination Plans Included:

  • PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT - Open

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Classification Details

PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT: $3,108.00 - $4,070.00 per Month

View the PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT classification specification.

Application Instructions

This is not a timed exam. If you request a Reasonable Accommodation your account will be locked and you will not be able to proceed with the exam until the request is processed.

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 9 months:

Exam Code(s):

    2224

For PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 9 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-02224

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00107425 - PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT

Education: Equivalent to completion of the 12th grade. and

Possession of a valid certificate issued by the California Department of Health Services to practice as a Certified Nursing Assistant. [Enrollment in a Psychiatric Technician training program or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program will allow applicants admittance into the examination, but they cannot be appointed until they possess a valid CNA certificate issued by the California Department of Health Services.]

Drug Testing Requirement

Applicants for positions in this class are required to pass a drug- screening test. Testing of current employees who are applicants in an examination or who are transferring is permitted only if the person does not have a current appointment to a class for which drug testing is a requirement.

Position Description

00107425 - PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT

Assist licensed staff in carrying out activity and training programs for developmentally or mentally disabled clients/ patients; assist clients/patients with feeding, toileting skills, grooming, and appearance; help keep clients/patients and their clothing, beds, and living areas clean; assist and motivate clients/patients to develop self-reliance in daily living; assist in group and individual activities for clients/patients; assist in occupational, leisure, recreational, vocational, and educational training programs for clients/patients; assist with providing community-based training for clients/patients; escort clients/ patients as needed; perform basic nursing duties, such as taking and recording vital signs, and measuring and recording intake and output, height, and weight; attend unit and staff conferences to develop an understanding of and reasons for treatment being given; and under the direct supervision of a licensed staff and after receiving appropriate training, may assist with observing clients/patients in time out, restraint, or on special observation.

Special Personal Characteristics

An interest and willingness to work in a developmental center, State hospital, or other State-owned or operated facility for residential care; emotional stability; patience; tact; alertness; neat personal appearance; hearing and vision required for successful job performance.

For information regarding position location(s), please refer to the Eligible List Information section.

Examination Information

We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, or Edge for optimal performance when accessing the examination.

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1CalHR Online ExamN/A100%

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of:
  1. Basic nursing care methods and techniques

Ability to:
  1. Apply basic level-of-care services to clients/ patients 
  2. Analyze situations accurately 
  3. Take effective action 
  4. Follow directions 
  5. Communicate effectively in English

Eligible List Information

A Departmental Open eligible list for the PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT Classification will be established for:

  • Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State of California.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

  • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
  • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Psychiatric Technician Assistant Training and Experience Exam Preview

Instructions:
Rate your experience performing specific job-related tasks.

Respond to each of the following task statements by indicating how the statement applies to you. You are required to respond to every question and provide relevant examples. Also, indicate the references who can verify the information provided.

In responding to each statement, you may refer to your WORK EXPERIENCE, whether paid or volunteer, your EDUCATION, and/or FORMAL TRAINING COURSES you have completed.

PLEASE NOTE: This examination is designed to gain an overall assessment of your education, training, and experience as it directly relates to the duties and the knowledge, skills and abilities required for this position. Possession of specific education is not required to be successful in this examination; however, such achievements may substitute for desirable levels of experience. All components of this examination have been carefully validated by tying them directly to job requirements and documenting their relevance to the position.

  1. Performing basic nursing care (e.g., taking and recording vital signs, recording weight/height, documenting client’s status and symptoms) as needed for health record keeping.
  2. Assisting licensed staff in handling medical emergencies (e.g., seizures, choking, cardiac issues, strokes) by providing emergency care (e.g., CPR, First Aid, Heimlich Maneuver).
  3. Documenting client behaviors and interactions through observations made during therapeutic activities.
  4. Assisting clients in performing daily activities (e.g., escorting, grooming, dining, keeping living area clean) to encourage clients’ self-reliance.
  5. Assisting with the facilitation of therapeutic activities (e.g., music, recreational, vocational, educational, occupational) for clients to maintain their mental and physical stability.
  6. Observing changes in clients’ behavior and/or health status in order to detect needs for assessment.
  7. Communicating hazardous/unsafe concerns (e.g., abuse, security breach, needed repairs, unusual activities) to appropriate staff to maintain the safety of the facility and the client.

Testing Departments

  • Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters

Contact Information

Technical questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

California Department of Human Resources
CalCareer Service Center
1810 16th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (866) 844-8671
CalCareer@CalHR.CA.GOV

Administrative questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters
Department of Developmental Services
Exam Unit
1215 O Street, MS 10-40
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 322-9335

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Drug Free Statement

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

General Information

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)