Direct Care Careers
Direct care staff at the Office of Mental Health (OMH) are part of a treatment team. They support hope and recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances. The job titles for these positions include Mental Health Therapy Aide and Security Hospital Treatment Assistant.
Direct Care Staff:
- Support patient health and safety.
- Accompany patients to treatment, activities, and appointments on and off facility grounds.
- Teach patients daily life skills like personal hygiene and nutrition.
- Teach, model, and promote acceptable behaviors and verbal skills.
- Write notes describing patient activities and their progress toward recovery goals.
Benefits
All OMH employees receive a generous benefits package including:
- 13 paid vacation days the first year of employment.
- 5 paid personal days and 13 paid holidays each year.
- Paid sick leave.
- Dental, vision, and healthcare coverage.
- A retirement pension plan.
- Access to tuition assistance programs.
Please Note: Mental Health Therapy Aide and Security Hospital Treatment Assistant positions located at OMH facilities require employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. For more information see mandatory vaccine requirement.
Employment Opportunities
Mental Health Therapy Aides
Mental Health Therapy Aides work in OMH:
- hospitals
- clinics
- group residential settings
These positions are available in locations throughout New York State.
Security Hospital Treatment Assistants
Security Hospital Treatment Assistants work in one of these four Forensic facilities/program units:
- Central New York PC, Oneida County
- Kirby Forensic PC, NYC
- Mid-Hudson Forensic PC, Orange County
- Rochester PC
*Your answers to the test are subject to verification. Additional information provided after you submit this test will not be accepted.
Contact OMH Center for Human Resources Management for comments or questions related to Direct Care Careers.
Minimum Qualifications This posting is to advertise our Mental Health Therapy Aide examinations. You must take the Mental Health Therapy Aide examination to be considered for future job openings.
Mental Health Therapy Aide (MHTA) and Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee (MHTAT) are entry-level direct care positions in the Office of Mental Health (OMH).
The minimum qualifications for these direct care positions are:
Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee, SG-7:
Candidates must have a High School Diploma, High School Equivalency Diploma, or similar equivalency such as a General Education Development Certification (GED) or higher degree.
AND
Candidates must be on the Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee eligible list and be reachable for appointment.
To be added to the eligible list, you must take the online, continuous recruitment, examination.
Copy and paste this link into an internet browser to access the examination:
https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/employment/mhta.html
As a Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee, you would participate in a 12-month traineeship. At the successful conclusion of your traineeship, you would advance without further examination to Mental Health Therapy Aide, SG-9.
Resumes are not being accepted. You must take the examination to be considered for a job. After completing and submitting the examination, your name will be added to an eligible list. If there is a job opening, the facility may contact you for an interview.
Mental Health Therapy Aide, SG-9
Candidates must have a High School Diploma or High School Equivalency Diploma or similar equivalency such as a General Education Development Certification (GED) or higher degree
AND
Have had one (1) year of full-time direct patient** care experience working in a mental health setting.
**Qualifying direct patient care experience includes but is not limited to the following: attending to patient’s personal hygiene, grooming, nutrition, and daily living needs; assisting and participating in physical, social, therapeutic or recreational programs; case management, service coordination activities, or discharge planning.
Non-qualifying experience includes but is not limited to the following: housekeeping, food service, pharmacy technician or aide, receptionist, scheduler, medical biller and/or transportation.
Mental Health setting is defined as: a psychiatric inpatient unit within a general hospital, psychiatric hospital, psychiatric clinic, community or county mental health clinic, center, or other service; residential mental health treatment center; or Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP).
AND
Candidates must be on the Mental Health Therapy Aide eligible list and be reachable for appointment.
To be added to the eligible list, you must take the online, continuous recruitment, examination.
Copy and paste this link into an internet browser to access the examination:
https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/employment/mhta.html
Resumes are not being accepted. You must take the examination to be considered for a job. After completing and submitting the examination, your name will be added to an eligible list. If there is a job opening, the facility may contact you for an interview.
Duties Description As a Mental Health Therapy Aide or Mental Health Therapy Aide Trainee, you would provide direct care services, treatment, rehabilitation, and support to individuals diagnosed with mental illness that receive services in an institutional or community-based setting. You would help individuals to participate in games and recreational programs; coach and encourage individuals to develop daily living skills; and provide a clean, safe, and comfortable environment. You would work with other staff to develop, carry out, and record care plans, and, in accordance with special instructions you may administer medication. This position may be physically demanding. You would need to be prepared to act to ensure the health and safety of patients and staff in emergency situations. You must be able to do such things as bend, stretch, and stand for long periods of time.
Additional Comments Background Investigation/Justice Center Review: Prospective appointees will be: 1) Checked against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Prospective employees whose names appear on the SEL as having been found responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse or neglect will be barred from appointment and may have their names removed from the eligible list(s) for the title(s) if applicable. 2) Investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC), which includes State and federal Criminal History Record Checks. All convictions must be reported; conviction of a felony or misdemeanor, or any falsified or omitted information on the prospective appointee’s employment application, may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of State and federal laws, rules, and regulations. Prospective employees will be fingerprinted in order to obtain a record of their criminal history information and may be required to pay any necessary fees. 3) Screened against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Prospective employees may be required to pay any necessary fees. Additionally, prospective employees whose names are indicated on the SCR may be barred from appointment.
Medicaid and Medicare: In order to be eligible for appointment and to maintain employment, you cannot be listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of the Federal and/or State Medicaid and Medicare exclusion lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program). If you are appointed and subsequently listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of these lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program), you may be terminated from your employment.
If you are selected for appointment, you may be required to attend a pre-placement physical exam. This exam includes:
Physical/Medical Requirements: Your physical and medical condition will be evaluated to ensure that you are able to satisfactorily perform the duties of this position with or without reasonable accommodation. The physical/medical standards include a medical standards evaluation and a substance abuse screening. A complete statement of the physical and medical standards is available at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/ehs/forms.cfm. A medical examination will be required prior to appointment. Appointees to this position may be required to undergo periodic medical examinations to reassess their ability to perform the essential duties of the position.
Drug Testing: Prior to appointment, you will have to participate in a drug screening test. Failure to meet the standards may result in your disqualification.
License Requirement: Depending on assignment, you may be required to possess a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State at the time of appointment and continuously thereafter.
Additional Comments:
Salary range reflective of hiring rate of a MHTAT, (SG-7), through job rate of MHTA (SG-9).
Candidates must be willing to work any shift and pass days.
To learn more and apply for a direct care (Mental Health Therapy Aide) position, please copy and paste the following link into an internet browser:
https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/employment/mhta.html
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Careers with New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
If you are compassionate, motivated and interested in making a difference, a career with OMH may be right for you. OMH is actively recruiting individuals with the desire to promote the mental health and well-being of all New Yorkers. We offer generous benefits, paid days off, and opportunities for professional growth. Positions are available in a variety of settings at locations across the state.
About OMH
OMH operates the largest state mental health system in the country, including two world class research institutes. OMH hospitals are all Joint Commission accredited and recognized as among the best in the nation.
Careers in Demand
OMH is continuously recruiting for these positions:
Job Openings
OMH offers a variety of employment opportunities. Each job posting provides specific information on duties, qualifications, salary, and the application process.
Contact Us for more information regarding career opportunities with OMH.
Please Note: OMH has a vaccine requirement that may apply depending on the nature and location of the position. For more information see mandatory vaccine requirement.
About State Government Employment
Many of the jobs at OMH are filled by people who have taken and passed Department of Civil Service examinations. Exams are either written or involve evaluations of the applicant’s education and experience. For a listing of upcoming and continuous recruitment examinations, please visit the Department of Civil Service State Examinations webpage.
For information about the hiring process please see Civil Service FAQs or these Civil Service videos:
Employment for Persons with Disabilities
OMH is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for qualified persons with disabilities. For more information see the Governor’s Program to Hire Individuals and Veterans with Disabilities.
Student Internships
Individual OMH programs sponsor Student Internship experiences. For more information see the New New York Leaders Student Intern Program.
Comments or Questions? Please contact the OMH Center for Human Resources Management.
