Nevada Revised Statutes Section 433.279 - Mental Health

Program for certification of mental health-mental retardation technicians.

1. The Division shall carry out a vocational and educational program for the certification of mental health-mental retardation technicians, including forensic technicians:

(a) Employed by the Division, or other employees of the Division who perform similar duties, but are classified differently.

(b) Employed by the Division of Child and Family Services of the Department.

ĘThe program must be carried out in cooperation with the University and Community College System of Nevada.

2. A mental health-mental retardation technician is responsible to the director of the service in which his duties are performed. The director of a service may be a licensed physician, dentist, podiatric physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, rehabilitation therapist, social worker, registered nurse or other professionally qualified person. This section does not authorize a mental health-mental retardation technician to perform duties which require the specialized knowledge and skill of a professionally qualified person.

3. The Division shall adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of this section.

4. As used in this section, “mental health-mental retardation technician” means an employee of the Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services or the Division of Child and Family Services who, for compensation or personal profit, carries out procedures and techniques which involve cause and effect and which are used in the care, treatment and rehabilitation of mentally ill, emotionally disturbed or mentally retarded persons or persons with related conditions, and who has direct responsibility for:

(a) Administering or carrying out specific therapeutic procedures, techniques or treatments, excluding medical interventions, to enable clients to make optimal use of their therapeutic regime, their social and personal resources, and their residential care; or

(b) The application of interpersonal and technical skills in the observation and recognition of symptoms and reactions of clients, for the accurate recording of such symptoms and reactions, and for carrying out treatments authorized by members of the interdisciplinary team that determines the treatment of the clients.

Last modified: February 27, 2006