Training focuses on psychic functions, psychopathological phenomena in different age groups, psychiatric foundations, interventions and cognitive-behavioral techniques of psychiatric rehabilitation, with integration of different theoretical paradigms of reference in rehabilitation practice. The course is organized in semesters, with face-to-face and non-face lectures, internships and workshops, and attendance is compulsory.

The internships take place in university or contracted National Health Service locations, in accredited private sector locations at semi-residential or residential facilities, such as mental health centers, day care centers, hospital wards, therapeutic communities.

During the three-year period, the student can experience the reality of at least five different locations alongside users and professionals.

Health facilities, public or private, on a dependent or freelance basis, at locations such as Departments of Mental Health and Addiction, REMS, Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Services, Psychogeriatric Services, private facilities. Graduates can work in rehabilitation or preventive settings and can contribute to training and research.

Psychiatric rehabilitation is based on the principles of integrated treatment for the person in a continuum between prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. In the first year, the course teaches the fundamentals of the professional discipline; in the following two years, it focuses on clinical and specialized insights, professional rehabilitation skills, and gradual assumption of responsibility.

You will learn to:

• evaluate needs-resources, risk and protective factors, psychological disability, repercussions on psychosocial functioning related to psychopathological course in different ages of life
• execute in psychosocial treatment functional, symptomatological, cognitive assessment
• design and implement habilitative/rehabilitative interventions 
• implement structured interventions, e.g., psychoeducational and cognitive remediation
• operate in the preventive field
• establish and maintain helping relationships, applying the fundamentals of relational dynamics
• support recovery processes and empowerment
• integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to deliver effective, evidence-based rehabilitation interventions
• apply research findings in the rehabilitation field
• make decisions with a scientific problem-solving approach and critical thinking skills
• act consistently with ethical and deontological principles.
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Coordination Office
. San Martino Polyclinic Hospital
Psychiatric Clinic
Largo Rosanna Benzi, 10
16132 Genoa

Director of Professional Teaching
Dr. Annapaola Mazza
annapaola.mazza@edu.unige.it

Educational Secretariat
. Neurological Clinic
Largo P. Daneo, 3
didatticadinogmi@unige.it

1) What job does a graduate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician (TeRP) do?
. On March 29, 2001, Ministry of Health Decree No. 182 identified the professional figure of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician (TeRP). The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician is the health worker who, in possession of the qualifying university diploma, carries out, as part of a therapeutic project developed by a multidisciplinary team, rehabilitative and educational interventions on individuals with mental disabilities. In particular: 1) collaborates in the assessment of mental disability and the potential of the subject, analyzes needs and developmental instances and detects the resources of the family and socio-environmental context; 2) collaborates in the identification of the educational-therapeutic and psychiatric rehabilitation objectives as well as in the formulation of the specific intervention program aimed at the recovery and development of the subject under treatment; 3) implements interventions aimed at the habilitation/rehabilitation of subjects to self-care and interpersonal relationships of varying complexity as well as, where possible, to a work activity. To this end, it operates in the context of primary prevention in the territory, on the families and social context of the subjects, in order to facilitate their reintegration into the community. To these skills must be added those that emerge from clinical practice: to carry out assessments of the cognitive sphere and use neurocognitive rehabilitation techniques for pathologies that are not strictly psychiatric (dementia); to implement rehabilitative interventions in the field of child neuropsychiatry; and to implement counseling and case management strategies.
 
2) What does a graduate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician (TeRP) not do?
. The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician does not make medical diagnoses or prescribe medications, and does not engage in entertainment or recreational activities. Specifically, anything that is not stipulated in Ministerial Decree No. 182 of March 29, 2001.
 
3) What kind of motivations do people have who choose to graduate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technology (TeRP)?
. A person's motivations for choosing to major in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technology can be diverse and may include: 1) a desire to help people suffering from mental health problems; 2) an interest in mental health in general and a desire to learn more about psychiatric illnesses and behavioral disorders; and 3) a flair for science and clinical work.

 
4) Where can I get a job with a degree in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician (TeRP)?
. The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician can work in: 1) inpatient facilities such as Psychiatric Diagnostic and Treatment Services (SPDCs); 2) other inpatient facilities that need to care for patients with mental disorders; 3) mental health centers that offer diagnostic and treatment services for patients with mental disorders; 4) therapeutic communities i.e., residential facilities that offer support and care to patients with mental disorders; 5) day care centers that offer support and activities to patients with mental disorders living at home: 6) associations and nonprofit organizations that deal with mental health; 7) professional practices.
 
5) What types of users does a graduate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technology (TeRP) work with?
. A graduate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technology works primarily with individuals suffering from psychiatric and mental disorders but also with families and context and in preventive settings. These individuals may have a wide range of mental health problems, such as mood disorders, personality disorders, psychosis, eating disorders, and addictions.
 
6) In what public agencies can a graduate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician (TeRP) work?
. The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician finds its place in complex facilities dealing with mental health and addiction, in rehabilitation centers of hospital and territorial services.

 
7) What outlets does a graduate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician (TeRP) have?
The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician can find employment in private facilities affiliated with the National Health System, service cooperatives, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private prevention services. In addition, current regulations allow freelance work to be carried out in individual or associated professional practices.
 
8) What further studies can a graduate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technology (TeRP) have access to?
. Once a Bachelor's Degree in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technology has been obtained, it is possible to further one's education through first-level Master's degrees or to continue one's studies by attending the Master's Degree Program in Rehabilitation Sciences of the Health Professions, which aims to develop cross-curricular skills in the areas of research, training and management. After completing the Master's Degree, it is possible to enter second-level Master's and PhD programs.
 
9) How many chances does a graduate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technology (TeRP) have to find a job?
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technology (TeRP) graduates have high chances of finding a job after graduation, the situation has objectively improved in the last 5 years. From the analyses of the last few years, the percentage of graduates who found a job within one year after graduation is always above 95 percent.
 
10) What career opportunities does a graduate in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technology (TeRP) have?
. For Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician (TeRP) graduates, the career path evolves through specialization through Master's degrees, which broaden professional skills but do not guarantee advancement in role or salary. One avenue for vertical career advancement is the position of Health Services Coordinator, which requires participation in a competition and completion of a Master's degree in Coordination as requirements under civil service regulations. Another opportunity for vertical advancement is through management roles, for which a Master's Degree is required.

DINOGMI Teaching Secretariat
. Neurological Clinic, L.go P. Daneo 3
didatticadinogmi@unige.it
tel. 010 353 7090/7035