Please note: Effective October 1, 2025, the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services has transitioned to its new name—the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health. This change reflects our continued commitment to providing comprehensive, person-centered care that addresses the full range of behavioral health needs for Ohioans. All positions and services now fall under the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health as we move forward in serving individuals, families, and communities across the state.
What you’ll do at DBH:
At the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), our psychologists play a critical role in supporting the mental health and well-being of patients while contributing to the agency’s mission. Specifically, they would:
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Conduct psychological evaluations and develop treatment plans tailored to the needs of patients.
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Provide individual and group therapy for mental health and substance use disorders, including issues such as trauma, self-injury, and interpersonal conflicts.
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Assess and manage suicide risks, offering crisis interventions and coping strategies.
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Perform court-ordered forensic evaluations, such as competency to stand trial and sanity assessments.
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Prepare detailed forensic reports and provide expert testimony in legal proceedings.
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Consult on cases involving guardianship, risk assessments, and discharge planning.
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Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to design and implement mental health and addiction treatment programs.
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Provide training, guidance, and technical support to staff and treatment teams.
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Recommend policies and procedures to improve patient care and program outcomes.
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Coordinate mental health services with community providers to ensure continuity of care.
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Act as a liaison between the institution, legal professionals, families, and case managers.
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Conduct research on psychological assessment and treatment approaches to inform best practices.
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Provides clinical support & instruction to graduate students & support staff.
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Deliver educational workshops, in-service training, and staff development programs.
In this role, the psychologist would contribute to improving patient outcomes and supporting DBH’s mission to provide innovative, evidence-based care and services.
This is an hourly position covered by the Ohio Health Care SEIU/1199 bargaining unit (union), with a pay range of # 15 on the Ohio Health Care SEIU/1199 Pay Range Schedule. Normal working hours are 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, hours may vary. This position is located within Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare Campus at 100 Hospital Drive, Athens, Ohio 45701.
Unless required by any applicable union contract and/or requirements of the Ohio Revised Code, the selected candidate will begin at Step 1 of the pay range schedule listed above, with an opportunity for pay increase after six months of satisfactory performance and then a yearly raise thereafter.
Additional Salary / Appointment Information:
Flexible weekday schedule
Collegial work environment where learning is encouraged
GENEROUS recruitment/retention supplements available
Voluntary on-duty coverage [after hours] opportunities at 80% of total hourly rate
Physician loan repayment program [up to$30k per year]
Health benefits trade-off monthly lump sum supplement available
Free malpractice insurance
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Must be able to complete a 2 week (business days Monday-Friday) full time orientation
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May be exposed to communicable diseases and unpredictable patient behavior
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Training and development required to remain in the classification after employment
At DBH we strive to attract and sustain a diverse workforce by recruiting, hiring, developing and retaining high-performing employees who work collaboratively to balance efforts toward providing prevention and recovery supports and fostering inclusion that inspires innovation, encourages respect and promotes unlimited success.
Why Work for the State of Ohio
At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:
- Medical Coverage
- Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
- Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
- Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
- Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
- Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)
- Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.
Qualifications
Position Qualifications
License to practice psychology as issued by Ohio State Board of Psychology per Section 4732.12 or 4732.15 (A) of Ohio Revised Code.
- Applications of those who meet the minimum qualifications will be further evaluated against the following criteria:
All eligible applications shall be reviewed considering the following criteria: qualifications, experience, education, active disciplinary record, and work record.
Job Skills: Behavioral Health
Technical Skills: Mental Health, Behavioral Health, Basic Documentation, Communications, Therapy/Therapeutical Services, Risk Assessment
Professional Skills: Critical Thinking, Building Trust, Confidentiality, Teamwork, Verbal Communication, Written Communication, Adaptability
Required Educational Transcripts
Official transcripts are required for all post-secondary education, coursework, or degrees listed on the application. Applicants must submit an official transcript before receiving a formal employment offer. Failure to provide transcripts within five (5) business days of the request will result in disqualification from further consideration. Transcripts printed from the institution’s website will not be accepted. DBH reserves the right to evaluate the academic validity of the degree-granting institution.
Supplemental Information
Application Procedures
To be considered for this position, you must apply online through this posting website (careers.ohio.gov). We no longer accept paper applications. When completing your online Ohio Civil Service Application, be sure to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications outlined on this job posting. We will not give credit for your qualifications, experience, education, and training in the job selection process if there is no evidence provided on your application. In addition, “see resume” is not a substitution for completing supplemental questions. Answers to the supplemental questions must be fully supported by the work experience/education sections of your application. You may check the status of your application by signing into your profile on this website (careers.ohio.gov). We will communicate with you through the email you provided in your profile and job application. Be sure to check your email regularly.
Background Check Notice
The final candidate selected for this position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant’s prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.
Rule 5122-7-21, “Background check on applicants,” outlines disqualifying offenses that will preclude an applicant from being employed by the Department of Behavioral Health.
If you require a reasonable accommodation for the application process, assessment &/or interview, please contact Andrew Seifert, EEO/ADA Administrator at [email protected] or 614-466-8884.
All final applicants tentatively selected for this class will be required to submit to urinalysis to test for illegal drug use prior to appointments. An applicant with a positive test shall not be offered employment.
ADA Statement
Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.
Drug-Free Workplace
The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.
