Bon Secours Mercy Health logo
Bon Secours Mercy Health
Portsmouth, Virginia

Behavioral Health Specialist - Adult Psychiatrist Unit - Maryview Medical Center

Healthcare AdministrationFull-Time

Listed compensation

$18.11-$27.17/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

Thank you for considering a career at Bon Secours Mercy Health!

Scheduled Weekly Hours

36

Work Shift

  • Evenings/Nights (United States of America)
  • Bon Secours

About Us

As a faith-based and patient-focused organization, Bon Secours exists to enhance the health and well-being of all people in mind, body and spirit through exceptional patient care. Success in this goal requires a culture of compassion, collaboration, excellence and respect.

Bon Secours seeks people that are committed to our values of compassion, human dignity, integrity, service and stewardship to create an environment where associates want to work and help communities thrive.

Behavioral Health Specialist – Maryview Medical Center

Job Summary

The Behavioral Health Specialist provides direct patient care under the supervision of a designated healthcare professional in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations, and within policies, procedures, and guidelines of Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH).

Essential Functions

Ensures quality patient care, provides vital sign measurement, maintains patient hygiene, assists with mobility, and supports unit-based specialty duties.

  • Acts as liaison between the patient and nurse to report changes and share pertinent information.
  • Provides accurate, precise, timely documentation when applicable for patient care.
  • Completes patient rounding, 15-minute patient checks, and patient safety companion services as assigned.
  • Collects patient data and completes patient screenings as applicable.
  • Participates in continued education and in-service training.

This document is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. Employees may be required to perform other job-related duties as required by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation.

Education

  • High School Diploma/GED (required)
  • Bachelor’s Degree, related field (preferred)

Licensing & Certifications

Basic Life Support (BLS) American Health Association (preferred upon hire, must obtain from approved source prior to direct patient care)

  • State Tested Nursing Aide (STNA) (preferred)
  • Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) (preferred)
  • Registered Social Work Assistant (SWA) (preferred)
  • Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA) (preferred)
  • Counselor in Training (preferred)
  • Human Services-Board Certified Practitioner (HS- BCP) (preferred)
  • American Association of Psychiatric Technicians (AAPT) (preferred)

Experience

1 year of experience in a mental health or health care setting (preferred)

Skills

  • Critical thinking
  • Conflict resolution
  • Patient and family engagement and relationship building skills
  • Teamwork
  • Active listening
  • Monitoring patient's condition
  • Communication with nursing and physicians regarding any patient changes and/or concerns
  • Timely and concise patient documentation
  • Patient confidentiality
  • Attention to detail

Deescalating Patients

  • Understanding patient event codes, and role during a code.
  • Physical restraint and deescalating skills
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Facilitating group training & treatment team meetings
  • Supporting family meetings

Range

  • Minimum: $18.11
  • Maximum: $27.17
  • Bon Secours Mercy Health is an equal opportunity employer.

As a Bon Secours Mercy Health associate, you’re part of a Mission that matters. We support your well-being – personally and professionally. Our benefits are built to grow with you and meet your unique needs, every step of the way.

What We Offer

  • Competitive pay, incentives, referral bonuses and 403(b) with employer contributions (when eligible)
  • Medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage, HSA/FSA options, life insurances, mental health resources and discounts
  • Paid time off, parental and FMLA leave, short- and long-term disability, backup care for children and elders
  • Tuition assistance, professional development and continuing education support
  • Benefits may vary based on the market and employment status.

Department: Adult Psychiatric Unit - Maryview

It is our policy to abide by all Federal and State laws, as well as, the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a).

Accordingly, all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetic information, or protected veteran status, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

If you’d like to view a copy of the affirmative action plan or policy statement for Mercy Health– Youngstown, Ohio or Bon Secours – Franklin, Virginia; Petersburg, Virginia; and Emporia, Virginia, which are Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, please email recruitment@mercy.com.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact The Talent Acquisition Team at recruitment@mercy.com.

Key Responsibilities

The Behavioral Health Specialist provides direct patient care, including vital sign measurement, hygiene assistance, and patient safety monitoring. They act as a liaison between patients and nursing staff while maintaining accurate and timely clinical documentation.

Requirements

Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED, with a bachelor's degree in a related field preferred. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is required, and experience in a mental health or healthcare setting is preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Certifications

BLS (preferred)Board Certification (preferred)

Key Skills

Patient engagementPatient monitoringGroup training facilitation

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Behavioral Health Specialist - Adult Psychiatrist Unit - Maryview Medical Center at Bon Secours Mercy Health a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Physician roles — ranked against 22,241 active Physician roles listings on WeekdayDoc.

Healthcare Administration — Physician Career Context

Physician pay on WeekdayDoc is down 1.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$47k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $47k in an average-cost state. 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Physician by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.6 / 10 · top 25% in physician rolesranked against 22,241 Physician roles listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$47k in purchasing powerVirginia index 101.1 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
All physician listings in Virginia741 active22,319 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedVirginia physician listings (all specialties): 35% state a sign-on bonus (median $50k) · 26% offer loan repayment741 active listings, Nov 2026
Healthcare Administration hiring demandnot ranked this monthpostings stay open a median 21 daysWeekdayDoc Hiring Index, October 2026 · 0 postings, 36 closed
Physician pay trend (all specialties)−1.5% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (22,241 Physician roles listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024), WeekdayDoc Hiring Index; as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page. Virginia figures use all physicians: too few Virginia Healthcare Administration postings state pay.

Top Healthcare Administration Jobs

1 matches · ranked by pay
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Physician Success Manager

MDpanel · United States

$78k-$96k

Work-life snapshot

median 4.8this job 6.6
Better work-life than 80% of Physician roles listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 22,241 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
Bon Secours Mercy Health logo

About Bon Secours Mercy Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Cincinnati, Ohio
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Competitive pay
Incentives
Referral bonuses
403(b) with employer contributions
Medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage
HSA/FSA options
Life insurance
Mental health resources

Living in Portsmouth

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$268k
Typical market rent
$1,642/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

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

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