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.
Relevant CTE Program:
Health Science
Job Description:
Capital District Psychiatric Center is looking for motivated, nurturing, and supportive individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare.
Mental Health Therapy Aides are part of the treatment team and are responsible for providing direct care and support to adults with serious mental illness and children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances.
Company Name:
Capital District Psychiatric Center
Application Deadline:
Continuous Recruitment
Contact:
Apply online at New York State Office of Mental Health
Skills Needed:
Mental Health Therapy Aides provide direct services, treatment, rehabilitation, and support to individuals diagnosed with mental illness that receive services in an institutional or community-based setting. They:
- participate in games and recreational programs;
- coach and encourage individuals to develop daily living skills;
- provide a clean, safe, and comfortable environment;
- work with other staff to develop, carry out and record care plans.
In accordance with special instructions, Mental Health Therapy Aides may administer medication.
This position may be physically demanding. Mental Health Therapy Aides need to be prepared to act to ensure the health and safety of patients and staff in emergency situations.
They must be able to do such things as bend, stretch, and stand for long periods of time.
Age Requirement:
Certification Or Education Required:
High School Diploma or High School Equivalency Diploma or similar equivalency such as a General Education Development Certification or higher degree AND 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.
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).
Hourly Wage:
$36,772
Benefits:
Generous New York State employee benefits include:
- 30 paid vacation days the first year of employment
- Paid sick leave
- Dental, vision and healthcare coverage
- Retirement pension plan
- Access to tuition assistance programs
Hours:
Determined based on placement.
Full Time or Part Time:
Full Time
Mental health aides, also known as mental health technicians, behavioral health aides, and psychiatric aides, receive medical and psychiatric training that enables them to help people in a variety of settings. Read on to learn about these professionals’ job duties, educational requirements, essential skills, and career prospects.
Job Duties
While working as a mental health aide, you provide direct care to patients in hospitals, mental health facilities, and treatment programs. Patients need your help to carry out their daily living activities, such as eating, bathing and getting dressed. You also monitor their behavior and activities and provide a safe and clean environment in the treatment unit.
When patients go out of the facility for tests, treatments or appointments, you may accompany and assist them in any manner necessary. You may also be asked to plan, observe, facilitate and document group activities and outings. When a crisis occurs, you must be able to intervene and calm the patient down.
Important Facts About This Occupation
Median Salary (2020) $31,570 Job Outlook (2019-2029) 11%Certification Voluntary certification availableSimilar Occupations Home health aide, childcare worker, medical assistant
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Educational and Training Requirements
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov), psychiatric aides are required to have either a GED or a high school diploma. They must also complete on-the-job training (typically lasting several months to a year) with a supervisor before they can be cleared to work on their own. However, no licensure is needed.
Various community colleges and technical schools offer programs that are relevant to this career. Mental health or psychiatric aide training programs often cover psychology, nursing, crisis intervention, medications, substance abuse, and personal care skills. Some employers also offer classes, in-services, and workshops to prepare you to work with mental health patients. You may also need to learn on-the-job by observing experienced mental health aides at work.
Other Essential Skills
In addition to the training requirements, mental health aides must be healthy, both physically and mentally. You must also be free from communicable diseases and pass a background check. Working as a mental health aide requires that you are compassionate and willing to help your patients. You should have good interpersonal skills and be able to observe behavioral changes. In addition, this career requires that you are patient and able to handle stressful situations.
You also need to be physically strong enough to help your patients move and to restrain them when needed. You are also frequently on your feet for extended periods of time, so you must be physically active and have a lot of stamina to get through the workday.
Job Outlook and Salary Information
The BLS expects much-faster-than-average job growth of six percent for psychiatric aides over the 2019-2029 decade. Nonetheless, residential facilities, correctional facilities, and outpatient care centers will demand these professionals. Now that health insurance plans have to cover mental health issues, there will be a demand for more mental health services and a need for more of these professionals.
According to the BLS, psychiatric aides earned a median salary of $31,570 in May 2020. The top ten percent in the field earned $48,880 or over, while the bottom ten percent earned $21,840 or less. Facilities that employed the highest number of aides included psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals and state governments, which offered respective average wages of $35,290 and $32,580, respectively.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: These duties involve carrying out routine therapeutic techniques and procedures as part of an overall therapy program prescribed by the professional Mental Health Staff. A Mental Health Therapy Aide assists clients in activities of daily living and encourages them to become self-sufficient. The work is performed under the close supervision of higher ranking professional or paraprofessional staff members. A Mental Health Therapy Aide also does related work, as required.
TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:
Applies basic therapy techniques and procedures to compliment an overall therapy program;
Assists clients in the activities of daily living, teaching them and encouraging them to become self-sufficient;
Assists and participates in structured group meetings of a therapeutic or problem solving nature;
Keeps professional and paraprofessional staff informed of reactions to therapy programs;
Maintains progress notes, reports and other data for purposes of evaluation;
Confers with members of clients’ families concerning home treatment and day care;
Takes clients on shopping trips and other errands, teaching them to become more confident and self-reliant in dealing with community life;
Assists clients in utilizing local services available to them;
Assists and participates in group meetings, activity groups and recreation programs.
The above examples of duties are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.
FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND/OR PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Working knowledge of the needs and interests of the mentally ill; working knowledge of the basic principles, practices and terminology involved in the treatment of the mentally ill; working knowledge of arts, crafts, games and other activities employed in the treatment of the mentally ill; ability to communicate effectively with the mentally disabled; initiative and resourcefulness; ability to communicate orally and in writing; physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to stand for long periods of time, walk, talk and hear.
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, adjust focus and visually observe clients.
The work environment characteristics describe here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions,.
The noise level in the work environment is generally quiet, occasionally noisy.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: EITHER:
- Possession of a high school or equivalency diploma AND one year of full-time experience in a position involving the delivery of human services (Part-time experience may be pro-rated);
OR: - Completion of sixty credit hours of post-high school education, with specialization in human services;
OR: - A combination of training and experience equivalent to 1 and 2 above.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR ACCEPTANCE AND CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT.
Possession of an appropriate valid NYS Driver’s License.
