On-site

Psychological Services Specialist, DHS (1st Shift) - Warren State Hospital

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, PAvia Commonwealth of PA

Build a meaningful career as a Psychological Services Specialist, DHS with the Department of Human Services at the Warren State Hospital. In this role, you can help individuals with serious and persistent mental illness take important steps toward recovery. Each day brings opportunities to provide guidance, support growth, and make a lasting difference. Join a team that values compassion, clinical skill, and positive outcomes.


This position provides direct psychological services to patients with serious and persistent mental illness while supporting their recovery and treatment goals. The role includes treatment, assessment, consultation, and participation in interdisciplinary care planning. As a Psychological Services Specialist, DHS, you will perform the following duties:

  • Individual Treatment: Provide individual psychological treatment services that follow best-practice guidelines and established departmental protocols
  • Psychoeducational Groups: Lead psychoeducational groups that teach skills for managing psychiatric conditions and supporting recovery
  • Psychological Assessments: Conduct assessments that evaluate intelligence, cognition, personality traits, neuropsychological functioning, and mental health conditions
  • Behavior Programs: Develop and implement behavioral contingency programs that support treatment goals and improved behavior management
  • Treatment Planning: Evaluate newly admitted and annually reviewed patients to support treatment plan development and goal setting
  • Care Coordination: Coordinate interdisciplinary treatment team activities, consult with families and community representatives, and provide expertise for hospital committees and projects

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

  • Full-time employment, 37.5 hours per week
  • Work hours are 1st shift (8:00 AM to 4:00 PM), Monday - Friday, with a 30-minute lunch from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM.
  • Overtime and travel as needed
  • Free parking
  • Telework: You will not have the option to telework in this position.
  • Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable. 
  • You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

  • A master’s degree in a behavioral science, counseling education, rehabilitation, human development or a closely related field.
  • Applicants will be considered to have met the educational requirements once they are within 3 months of graduating with a qualifying degree.

Other Requirements:

  • You must meet the PA residency requirement. For more information on ways to meet PA residency requirements, follow the link and click on Residency Guidelines. 
  • You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements: 

  • A conditional offer of employment will require a medical examination.
  • This position falls under the provisions of the Older Adult Protective Services Act.
    • Under the Act, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports, including but not limited to, PA State Police and FBI clearance.

How to Apply:

  • Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
  • If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. 
  • Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
  • Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position. 
  • All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant’s own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

Veterans:

  • Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS): 

  • 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

  • Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
  • Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions. 
  • Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
  • You must provide complete and accurate information or:
    • your score may be lower than deserved.
    • you may be disqualified.
  • You may only apply/test once for this posting.
  • Your results will be provided via email.
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