State of Ohio logo
State of Ohio
Massillon, Ohio

General Activities Therapist 2

Counselor / TherapistNo callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$22.59-$32.73/hr

The week · per this posting · Monday – Thursday

Ask the employer about weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 52m ago · Verified live

Job Description

All job postings will expire at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the application deadline.

Organization: Youth Services - Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility

Agency Contact Name and Information: Corrine Sanders corrine.sanders@dys.ohio.gov

Work Location: 2775 Indian River Road

Massillon, Ohio, 44646-7975

United States

Compensation: $22.59 hourly

Schedule: Permanent - Full Time

Work Hours: Hours Vary Based on Need

Classified Indicator: Classified

Union: OCSEA

Primary Job Skill: Therapy/Therapeutical Services

  • Futures Start Here!
  • Connection | Collaboration | Commitment | Correction
  • About Us…

We are a dedicated team of juvenile justice professionals committed to transforming and saving young lives. We believe in a future where every young person thrives and contributes to a safer, stronger Ohio!

DYS is the juvenile corrections system for the state of Ohio. DYS is statutorily mandated to confine felony offenders, ages 10-21, who have been adjudicated and committed by one of Ohio's 88 county juvenile courts. During their stay with DYS, youth are engaged in programming that is designed to address their criminological and behavioral needs. DYS reaches thousands of youth in facilities and those on parole.

Our Values…

  • Connection: We respect everyone. We don’t tear them down.
  • Collaboration: We work together. We don’t go alone.
  • Commitment: We step up. We don’t give up.
  • Correction: We create change. We don’t stay the same.
  • To learn more about DYS, please visit our website here.
  • What You'll Do…

The Opportunity

We are seeking a dedicated, energetic, and structured General Activities Therapist 2 to join our team. In this role, you will play a vital part in youth habilitation by serving in an instructional capacity, planning engaging recreational activities, and collaborating with a multidisciplinary team. The ideal candidate is highly organized, committed to fostering growth in youth, and skilled at tracking progress to support overall goals.

Core Responsibilities

Instruction and Activity Planning: Serve in an instructional capacity for youth, directly leading, planning, and implementing structured recreational activities designed to promote teamwork, skill-building, and personal growth.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Act as an active member of the interdisciplinary treatment team. Recommend specific group and/or individual treatment goals and activities tailored to the needs of youth.

Reporting Progress and Tracking: Prepare, update, and maintain detailed reports for the treatment team regarding youth behavior, participation levels, and overall progress.

Logistics and Administration: Prepare and organize weekly activity schedules. Manage operational efficiency by maintaining precise inventory records of all recreational equipment and program materials.

  • Months of Employment
  • At Hire
  • 6 Months
  • 18 Months
  • 30 Months
  • 42 Months
  • 54 Months
  • 66 Months
  • 78 Months
  • Pay Range OCSEA / 27
  • Step 1
  • Step 2
  • Step 3
  • Step 4
  • Step 5
  • Step 6
  • Step 7
  • Step 8 Hourly
  • $22.59
  • $25.61
  • $26.54
  • $27.56
  • $28.76
  • $30.03
  • $31.35
  • $32.73
  • Annual
  • $46,987
  • $53,269
  • $55,203
  • $57,325
  • $59,821
  • $62,462
  • $65,208
  • $68,078

Job Skills: Therapy/Therapeutical Services, Juvenile Corrections, Collaboration, Customer Focus, Verbal Communication, Adaptability

PRE-Service Training

All new candidates hired to the Department of Youth Services must complete a paid, mandatory 6 weeks of training. Week 1 is held at the facility, weeks 2 through 4 are held at DYS Training Academy in Orient, Ohio, Monday through Thursday, 7:00 am - 5:00 pm. (travel, lodging, and meals are provided). Weeks 5 - 6 are on the job training held at the facility.

Background Check Notice

The final candidate selected for this position will be required to undergo a criminal background check and pre-employment drug screening. 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.

DYS is a “qualifying employer” for purposes of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness [PSLF] program.

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

30 mos. exp. with coaching, personal training, &/or fitness instruction or 30 mos. exp. providing work direction to incarcerated persons & training &/or development.

  • Or completion of associate degree in recreation 12 mos. exp. in activity therapy or recreation.
  • Or completion of undergraduate core program in recreation 6 mos. exp. in activity therapy or recreation.
  • Or 6 mos. exp. as General Activities Therapist 1, 44211.
  • Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications for Employment noted above.

Job Skills: Therapy/Therapeutical Services

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.

Key Responsibilities

Lead, plan, and implement structured recreational activities that support youth teamwork, skill-building, and personal growth, while contributing to interdisciplinary treatment planning. Maintain youth progress reports and activity schedules, and manage accurate inventories of recreational equipment and program materials.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Therapy ServicesRecreation ProgrammingTreatment Goal SettingProgress ReportingBehavior TrackingInventory Management

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates General Activities Therapist 2 at State of Ohio a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) — ranked against 7,863 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties.

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 46% are remote, 38% have no call, 62% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Ohio is 92.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$58k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $62k in an average-cost state. 61.3% of Ohio clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.4 / 10 · above average in mental health therapy (counseling)ranked against 7,863 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$47k–$68kMental Health Therapy median $62k (middle half $55k–$68k)20 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$62k in purchasing powerOhio index 92.8 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in Ohio420 active7,835 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 46% remote · 38% no call · 62% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (7,863 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

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Salary Distribution

34 jobs · 26 employers
14
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$120k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

29 jobs · 26 employers
401k / retirement match
93%
CME allowance
52%
Sign-on bonus
45%
Loan repayment
28% this job
PSLF eligible
10% this job

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 6.4
Better work-life than 60% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,863 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No call
  • On-site
State of Ohio logo

About State of Ohio

Law Enforcement
Columbus, Ohio
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical Coverage
Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance
Paid time off (vacation, personal, sick leave)
11 paid holidays
Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
Education and Development Opportunities
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
Public Retirement Systems (OPERS, STRS, SERS, HPRS)

Living in Massillon

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$217k
Typical market rent
$1,085/mo
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
89.4
State income tax
Up to 4%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Canton-Massillon, OH metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.