Mental health therapy aide trainee

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.

LEARN MORE APPLY NOW*

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

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*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

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.

Minimum Qualifications Mental Health Therapy Aide (MHTA) is an entry-level direct care position. Candidates must possess a high school diploma, High School Equivalency Diploma, or similar equivalency such as a General Education Development (GED) Certification or higher degree.

Appointment from the Eligible List
To be considered for a Mental Health Therapy Aide (MHTA) job, you must take the free online examination. To learn more about MHTAs and take the examination, copy and paste this link into your Internet browser: https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/employment/mhta.html Note:

Do not apply to this posting with a resume. You must take the examination.

After you complete the examination: Your score will be emailed to you and your name will be added to the MHTA eligible lists(s) for the facilities you selected. When positions are available, OMH canvasses the eligible lists to find candidates. Canvass letters are sent via email. If you do not respond to the canvass letter, you will not be considered for the position.

Transfer Opportunity
You must be a New York State employee with one year of permanent service currently serving in this title and eligible for transfer;

You must be a New York State employee eligible for transfer via Section 70.1 of Civil Service Law. To qualify for Section 70.1 transfer, you must have one year of permanent status in a title approved for transfer by the Department of Civil Service.

Transfer Opportunity
You must be a New York State employee with one year of permanent service currently serving in this title and eligible for transfer;

Duties Description As a Mental Health Therapy Aide, 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.

Additional Comments:
If you are selected for appointment, you may be required to attend a physical exam. This exam includes:

Drug Testing: 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.

Candidates must be willing to work any shift and pass days.

This posting is to advertise the direct care Mental Health Therapy Aide (MHTA) examination. To learn more and apply for the MHTA examination, copy and paste the following link into an internet browser:
https://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/employment/mhta.html

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

Office of Mental Health (OMH) hospital employees must be fully vaccinated or willing to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Candidates who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may not start working until two weeks after their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.