Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician (MHRT I)

Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician (MHRT I) provide daily living supports to persons with severe and persistent mental illness in residential settings. The MHRT I has two levels of certification: provisional and full. In order to qualify to apply for MHRT I certification you must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or a GED. You must have a provisional certification before you deliver MHRT I services.

ATTENTION AGENCY CONTACTS: We now have a booklet to assist you with the MHRT I certification process. Download: Simple Steps to MHRT I Certification. (UPDATED January 27, 2022)

When you become employed by a mental health agency as a Mental Health Support Specialist, your supervisor will ask you to complete the Provisional Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician I (Provo-MHRT I) Handbook (pdf). The Handbook is a brief version of the MHSS training required for full certification. Reading this handbook will help you learn about the role of the MHRT I.

Once you have read the handbook, your supervisor will submit a request to the Center for Learning for your provisional MHRT I certification. When the Center for Learning receives this request from your supervisor, they process, co-sign, and mail your provisional MHRT I certificate back to your agency.

Once you have earned your MHRT I provisional certification, you will have one year to work toward full MHRT I certification.

Within one year of receiving your provisional MHRT I certification, you will complete the four trainings required for full certification. Agency providers offer some of these trainings, or they may help guide you to other training offerings in your community.

The four trainings required for full MHRT I certification are:

• Mental Health Support Specialist (MHSS)*
• Accepted Behavioral Intervention Training
• Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• First Aid

Clicking on a requirement above will take you to a resource page for where to take that training.

* MHSS Waiver Policy:

You are not required to take the MHSS training if you have one of the following:

• Residential Care Specialist (RCS) certification;
• Current Full Mental Health Rehabilitation/Community (MHRT/C) Certification;
• Master’s Degree in Social Work; Master’s Degree in Counseling, Community Mental Health or other Master’s level education that reflects a counseling concentration;
• License as one of the following Master’s Level Clinicians: LMSW; LMSW-CC; LCSW, LCPC-CC; LCPC; APRN, CCS (Certified Clinical Supervisor);
• Psy. D/Ph.D. Psychologist; or MD/DO Psychiatrist

You must successfully complete all four trainings and earn full MHRT I certification within one year of receiving your provisional MHRT I. No MHRT I requirements can be waived, except for the MHSS course (see above).

To receive full MHRT I certification, all of the following must be received:

An application cover letter with the applicant’s current return address, email address, and a phone number at which the applicant can be reached during normal business hours;

Legible photocopies of current certificates (or official transcripts if using a degree) for completion of:

1) Mental Health Support Specialist training; OR ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

• Residential Care Specialist (RCS) certification;
• Full Mental Health Rehabilitation/Community (MHRT/C) Certification (Or MHRT II or III);
• Master’s Degree in Social Work;
• Master’s Degree in Counseling, Community Mental Health or other Master’s level education that reflects a counseling concentration;
• One of the following Master’s Level Clinician Licenses: LMSW; LMSW-CC; LCPC-CC; LCPC; APRN,CCS (Certified Clinical Supervisor); Psy. D/Ph.D. Psychologist; or MD/DO Psychiatrist

2) Accepted Behavioral Intervention Training, dated within one year of the date of application;

3) A First Aid training, completed within two to three years of date of application – depends on the training, the card must be current at time of application.

4) A CPR training completed within one to two years of date of application – depends on the training, the card must be current at time of application.

Submit the above information to the address or email below:

Trainings posted here are not required for the MHRT I certification, but may be of use to MHRT I staff.

Last updated November 1, 2021

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Training

Skill Development for Work in Residential Settings

Direct Service Worker Trainings

Maine’s Mental Health System 101

Certified Residential Medication Aide (stand-alone credential required only for staff who are passing medications)