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Mental Health Therapy Aide (MHTA) - Direct Care Positions (NY HELPS), Buffalo Psychiatric Center, P27961

NYS Office of Mental Health · Buffalo, NY, US

Still listed on New York State civil-service employers — Region 5’s job board as of .

About this role

Details from the published listing. Values marked classified were read by a model with high confidence, not quoted from the posting.

Employer
NYS Office of Mental Health
Location
Buffalo, NY, US
Pay
From $54396 to $58773 Annually
Employment type
Full Time
Work mode
Not listed
Education
No degree required (classified)
Sector
Public Service
Occupation (O*NET)
Psychiatric Aides (classified)
Posted by employer
September 16, 2026
First seen on Buffalo Projects
October 25, 2026 · 1 day ago
Deadline
December 30, 2026
May have been open longer: the listing was already up when Buffalo Projects first read its source, on October 25, 2026.
Not published: work mode. Ask the employer about these details before applying.

Full description

Duties

Buffalo Center has immediate full time job opportunities for Direct Care Staff to work as Mental Health Therapy Aides. Previous psychiatric experience is not required. Candidates from outside or within State Service can apply

Mental Health Therapy Aides are part of a multi-disciplinary team focused on providing compassionate care to individuals with serious mental illness.

As a MHTA, you will provide direct care services and support to individuals, including:

• Supporting patient health and safety
• Assisting individuals with personal care tasks
• Teaching individuals’ daily life skills like personal hygiene and nutrition
• Accompanying individuals to treatment, activities, and appointments on and off facility grounds
• Observing individuals' responses to treatment and documenting observations.
• Attending treatment team meetings and sharing observations on progress toward recovery goals
• Assisting in crisis and emergency situations to protect the welfare of individuals, staff, and others.

Minimum qualifications

Candidates from outside or within State Service can be considered for hire under the Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement – Statewide (NY HELPS) program as a Mental Health Therapy Aide if they have a High School or High School Equivalency Diploma.

OR

Candidates within State Service can be considered for transfer to a competitive class position if they have one year of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service in a title eligible for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law.

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

All OMH employees receive a generous benefits package including:
• NYS medical, dental, & vision insurance
• Access to tuition assistance programs
• Excellent opportunities for advancement & professional growth
• Paid time off – 13 paid vacation days in the first year, 5 paid personal days, 13 paid holidays, & paid sick leave
• NYS Retirement programs

Background checks will be required.

Posted hiring rate includes the sum of the statutory hiring rate for PS&T Grade 09 ($44,560), an Increase Hiring Rate ($5,836), Geographic Pay Differential ($4,000). The posted job rate is the sum of the statutory job rate ($54,773) and Geographic Pay Differential ($4,000).

NOTE:
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.

In addition:
1. You must be able to communicate and follow oral and written instructions and directions in English in order to perform the duties of the position.

2. If you are selected for appointment, you may be required to attend a physical exam. 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 drug screening test. Failure to meet the standards may result in your disqualification. A complete statement of the physical and medical standards is available at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/ehs/forms.cfm.

3. 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.

Civil service details
  • Jurisdictional class: Non-competitive Class
  • Appointment type: Permanent
  • Salary grade: 09
  • Bargaining unit: ISU - Institutional Services Unit (CSEA)
  • NY HELPS: Yes

Includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Buffalo Projects has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.