California Code of Regulations
Title 16 - Professional and Vocational Regulations
Division 25 - Board of Vocational Nurse and Psychiatric Technician Examiners of the State of California
Chapter 2 - Psychiatric Technicians
Article 5 - Schools for Preparation of Psychiatric Technicians
Section 2581 - Procedure for Approval

Universal Citation: 16 CA Code of Regs 2581

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024

(a) To begin the approval process, the institution shall submit a completed Letter of Intent meeting the requirements of this section to the Board. A completed Letter of Intent shall include a completed "Letter of Intent to Submit Application for Initial Approval of New School or Program -- Psychiatric Technician," Form 56M-1 (Revised Revised 02/2024), which is hereby incorporated by reference, and written narrative statements and documentation prepared by the director as required by Form 56M-1.

(b) Upon receipt of a completed Letter of Intent, the Board shall send written notice to the institution acknowledging receipt, informing the institution of the next steps in the approval process in accordance with section 4531.1 of the Code, and providing an estimated wait time until active assignment to a nursing education consultant. Within 60 days of the date of written notice by the Board of active assignment of a nursing education consultant, the institution shall submit a completed initial application for approval, which includes all of the following:

(1) a completed "Application for Approval of a New Psychiatric Technician School or Program," Form 56M-2 (Revised 02/2024), which is hereby incorporated by reference;

(2) a completed "Clinical Facility Verification Form -- PT," Form 56M-3A (Revised 02/2024) for each applicable health care facility, which is hereby incorporated by reference;

(3) a completed "Vocational Nursing or Psychiatric Technician Program Curriculum Content -- Instructional Plan" Form 55M-2W (Revised 02/2024), which is hereby incorporated by reference;

(4) a completed "Summary of Instructional Plan Program Hours Psychiatric Technician Program," Form 56M-2E (Revised 02/2024), which is hereby incorporated by reference;

(5) "Verification of Faculty Qualifications," Form 55M-10 (Revised 02/2024) for each faculty member as described in section 2584, which is hereby incorporated by reference; and,

(6) the nonrefundable initial application fee required by section 2590.2.

(c) Within 30 days of the date the Board receives an initial application for approval, the Board shall provide written notice regarding whether the application is complete or what additional documents or fees are required to make the application complete. The written notice shall also specify that the institution has 60 days from the date of the Board's written notice ("60-day submission period") to provide the missing information and the consequences of failing to submit the required fee or information as specified in section 4531.1 of the Code. If requested by the institution prior to the expiration of the 60-day submission period, the Board may provide an institution with an additional 30 days to complete its application for good cause shown as specified in section 2580.

(d) An institution may commence a new psychiatric technician program upon Board approval.

(e) A Board representative shall complete an inspection or review prior to graduation of the initial class. A program shall not commence another class without prior Board approval.

(f) Approval will be granted by the Board when a psychiatric technician program meets all requirements as set forth in this Chapter and in Chapter 10, Division 2, of the Business and Professions Code and that no grounds for denial exist pursuant to this Chapter or section 480 of the Code.

(1) Within six months from the date the Board receives the completed initial application, the Board shall provide written notice to the institution of the action taken on the application in accordance with section 4531.1 of the Code and the effective date of that action.

(2) The written notice shall also include all of the following, as applicable:

(A) an invoice detailing the reasonable costs incurred by the Board in the approval process for the institution,

(B) if the Board proposes to approve the application, that the Board's approval is contingent upon payment of the final approval fee specified in the invoice and calculated in accordance with the provisions in section 2590.2,

(C) the deadline for providing the final approval fee in response to the Board's request in accordance with section 4531.1 of the Code; and

(D) if approved, the consequences for failing to respond and provide the fee in accordance with the provisions of section 4531.2 of the Code.

(g) If, after the submission of any application required by this section, but prior to the Board's decision to approve or deny an application for approval or continuing approval, there is any material change in circumstances affecting any information contained in the application or submitted by the institution in support of the application, the institution shall immediately inform the Board in writing. For the purposes of this section, a change in circumstance is "material" if, without the inclusion of the new or different information into the application, the information contained in or the supporting documentation to the application would be false, misleading, or incomplete.

(h) The approval period shall be for a term of four years and shall expire at 12 midnight four years from the date of issuance by the Board unless the Board grants continuing approval or the approval period is extended as provided in this section. Provided that a completed application for continuing approval as set forth in subsection (i) is received by the Board prior to the expiration date of the approval, a current approval shall be automatically extended until the Board has acted upon the application in accordance with subsection (i). An institution that fails to apply for continuing approval prior to the expiration date of its approval period must apply as a new applicant in accordance with this section and section 4531.2 of the Code if they seek to again offer a course of instruction as an approved school of psychiatric technicians.

(1) Continuing approval may be granted when the program demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that it is in full compliance with all requirements as set forth in this Chapter and in Chapter 10, Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code and that no grounds for denial exist pursuant to this Chapter or section 480 of the Code.

(2) Continuing approval may be granted for a period not to exceed four years.

(i) Six months prior to the date of approval expiration, a program may apply for continuing approval by submitting a completed application for continuing approval to the Board, which includes all of the following:

(1) a completed "Continuing Approval Application for a Psychiatric Technician School or Program," (Form 56M-15, Revised 02/2024), which is hereby incorporated by reference;

(2) "Clinical Facility Verification Form -- PT," Form 56M-3A (Revised 02/2024), which is hereby incorporated by reference, for each applicable health care facility;

(3) "Vocational Nursing or Psychiatric Technician Program Curriculum Content -- Instructional Plan," Form 55M-2W (Revised 02/2024), which is hereby incorporated by reference;

(4) a completed "Verification of Faculty Qualifications Form," 55M-10 (Revised 02/2024), which is hereby incorporated by reference, for each faculty member as described in section 2584;

(5) a completed "Summary of Instructional Plan Program Hours Psychiatric Technician Program," Form 56M-2E (Revised 02/2024), which is hereby incorporated by reference; and,

(6) the application fee of $5,000, which may be reduced in accordance with the procedures set forth in section 2590.2 and this section. A subsequent inspection or review may be conducted by a Board representative.

(j) Within 60 days of the date the Board receives a completed continuing approval application, the Board shall provide written notice regarding whether the application is complete or what additional information, documents or fees are required to make the application complete. For an institution that fails to submit a completed application, the institution shall be advised that the required information must be submitted within 30 days of the date of the written notice and that failure to submit a completed application prior to the expiration date of the approval will render the institution ineligible for continuing approval.

(k) Within 90 days of the date the Board provides written notice to the institution that its continuing approval application is complete, the Board shall act to approve, grant provisional approval in accordance with section 2581.1, or notify the institution that the application is denied and provide the effective date of such actions. The written notice shall also include the following:

(1) A fee payment statement detailing the reasonable costs incurred by the Board in processing the continuing approval application and providing oversight and review of the institution calculated in accordance with section 2590.2; and,

(2) if the costs incurred by the Board are less than initially required to be paid upon submission of the application or the institution qualifies for a fee reduction based upon a reduction in enrollment capacity as provided in subsection (d) of section 4531.1 of the Code, a statement detailing the refund that will be provided and the anticipated date when the refund will be issued.

(l) A material misrepresentation of fact by a program for preparation of psychiatric technicians in any information submitted to the Board is cause for denial or revocation of approval or provisional approval.

(m) To obtain or maintain Board approval, an applicant or approved school or program for preparation of psychiatric technicians shall meet the following alternate student criteria if the institution elects to admit alternate students to its programs:

(1) A school may admit alternate students in each new class to replace students who may drop out.

(2) The number of alternate students admitted may not exceed 10% of the school's Board-approved number of students per class.

(3) Prior to admission, alternate students must be informed in writing of their alternate status and that they may be dropped from the program.

(4) Alternate students may participate in classes until the commencement of scheduled clinical experience at approved clinical facilities.

(5) Upon commencement of clinical experience at approved clinical facilities, the actual number of students in the class may not exceed the number of students approved by the Board for that particular class.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 4504 and 4531.1, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Sections 4511, 4515, 4530, 4531, 4531.1, 4531.2 and 4532, Business and Professions Code.

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