Inland Empire has New Psychiatric Techs on the Block

San Bernardino Valley College’s Psychiatric Technician program graduated 17 people the week before Christmas, who completed a rigorous, year-long program that covered topics such as basic nursing skills and mental disabilities, along with 1,530 hours of clinical experience. In alphabetical order, the graduates are: Alfred Addison, Highland; Festus Alabi, Moreno Valley; Jamie Alcarez, San Bernardino; Dejahnea Avila, Rialto; Sandra Bernal, San Bernardino; Cassandra Coffey, San Bernardino; Jonathan Comer, Loma Linda; Binh Tang, Highland; Savannah Gonzalez, Redlands; Olusegun Ijibayiwa, Colton; Francis Leonicio, Redlands; Terra Lucas, Fontana; Dyanna Machado, Redlands; Sara Miranda, Colton; Brandy Ott, Rialto; Crystal Sanchez, Monrovia; and Christina Thermidor, San Bernardino. “The Psych Tech field is growing,” said Valley College faculty member Dennis Jackson, “and our graduates are filling a need in the mental health field.” Once they have passed their state licensing examination they can launch a career in fields such as mental and developmental disabilities working for various state agencies, acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and specialty care facilities, with starting salaries up to $60,000 per year.