Mental health technician training in Virginia

4 mental health technician programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

3 schools offer these mental health technician programs, and Virginia has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Psychiatric technicians and aides care for people who have mental conditions or developmental disabilities. Technicians typically need a postsecondary certificate and aides a high school diploma, both learn on the job, and some states require technicians to be licensed.¹

In Virginia, all 4 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent.

All 4 are the same kind of program: mental health technician certificate or course.

See the 4 programs

How much does mental health technician certification cost in Virginia?

$700 to $6,600

is what the 4 programs with a price cost if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not reported; None of the 4 programs report it
Working 6 months later: Not reported; None of the 4 programs report it
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported; None of the 4 programs report it
Length: Not enough data; 4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Virginia may also offer mental health technician training. How these figures are made

Is there free mental health technician training in Virginia?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $700 to $6,600.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 4 mental health technician programs in Virginia approved for WIOA funding

4 programs

Mental health technician certificate or courseHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
HI-7200 Mental Health Support Specialist
MedCerts, LLC
Livonia, MI
High school diploma or equivalent
MedCerts, LLC, Livonia, MIMental health technician certificate or courseHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Classes are outside Virginia; Virginia approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$2,500
More details about HI-7200 Mental Health Support Specialist at MedCerts, LLC
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
14 weeks, 50 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
49
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$2,500
Mental health technician certificate or courseHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
HI-7300 Mental Health Support Professional
MedCerts, LLC
Livonia, MI
High school diploma or equivalent
MedCerts, LLC, Livonia, MIMental health technician certificate or courseHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Classes are outside Virginia; Virginia approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$4,000
More details about HI-7300 Mental Health Support Professional at MedCerts, LLC
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
18 weeks, 50 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
13
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$4,000
Mental health technician certificate or courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Qualified Para Professional for Mental Health
New Leaf AHEC
Danville
High school diploma or equivalent
New Leaf AHEC, DanvilleMental health technician certificate or courseIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$700
More details about Qualified Para Professional for Mental Health at New Leaf AHEC
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
16 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$700
Mental health technician certificate or courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Qualified Paraprofessional Mental Health M-101
EDTUNITY Institute (formerly Capital Commitment of Virginia)
Norfolk
High school diploma or equivalent
EDTUNITY Institute (formerly Capital Commitment of Virginia), NorfolkMental health technician certificate or courseIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$6,600
More details about Qualified Paraprofessional Mental Health M-101 at EDTUNITY Institute (formerly Capital Commitment of Virginia)
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
8 weeks, 15 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$6,600

How to pay for mental health technician training in Virginia

WIOA funding can pay for mental health technician training in Virginia

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for mental health technician training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁶⁷

GI Bill for mental health technician training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Mental health technician training in Detroit, Danville, Virginia Beach and other Virginia cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Virginia

How mental health technician training compares with the rest of education and social services: Child care and social services training in Virginia

Where the Virginia mental health technician program numbers come from

Which Virginia mental health technician programs are on this list?

These are the mental health technician programs Virginia approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁹ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Virginia offers.

How the prices and results of Virginia mental health technician programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about mental health technician training in Virginia

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