Welfare and Institutions Code section 4320

To ensure an adequate supply of licensed psychiatric technicians for state hospitals, the State Department of State Hospitals, to the extent necessary, shall establish in state hospitals a course of study and training equivalent, as determined by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California, to the minimum requirements of an accredited program for psychiatric technicians in the state. No unlicensed psychiatric technician trainee shall be permitted to perform the duties of a licensed psychiatric technician as provided by Section 4502 of the Business and Professions Code unless the trainee performs the duties pursuant to a plan of supervision approved by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California as part of the equivalency trainee program. This section shall not be construed to reduce the effort presently expended by the community college system or private colleges in training psychiatric technicians.

Source: Section 4320, https://leginfo.­legislature.­ca.­gov/faces/codes_displaySection.­xhtml?lawCode=WIC§ionNum=4320.­ (updated Jan. 1, 2015; accessed Jun. 18, 2026).

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Verified:
Jun. 18, 2026

§ 4320's source at ca​.gov