Nursing offers a fulfilling career path where you can positively impact lives every day.

• Make a Difference: Help individuals improve their mental well-being.

• Diverse Work Settings: Opportunities in hospitals, schools, and community centers.

• Team Collaboration: Work alongside doctors, therapists, and social workers.

• Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest in mental health care.

• Personal Fulfillment: Experience the joy of aiding someone's recovery journey.

• Lots of Options: Choose from a wide range of roles, from direct patient care to administrative roles.

This field offers a variety of roles, each contributing uniquely to patient well-being.

With an associate’s degree or higher:

• Registered Nurse (RN)

Registered Nurses in behavioral health care for people with mental health or substance use challenges. TBehavioral health nurses support people facing mental health and substance use challenges. But they do more than just offer emotional support—they also provide important medical care. This can include giving medications, monitoring vital signs, managing withdrawal symptoms, responding to health emergencies, and helping people understand their treatment plans. RNs also provide emotional support and teach patients healthy coping skills.

• Infant Mental Health Practitioner 

An Ohio Infant Mental Health Practitioner is an expert who works with babies, toddlers, and their families to support emotional and mental well-being. They assess and treat young children facing challenges like trauma or developmental delays, and may also guide other professionals in the field. These practitioners often work in clinics, schools, or community programs. [Learn more about Early Childhood Mental Health careers →]

• Harm Reduction Specialist 

Harm Reduction Specialists help people who use drugs stay safer and healthier. They give out supplies like clean syringes or naloxone (a medicine that can stop overdoses). They teach people how to lower their risk of getting sick or hurt, and they listen without judgment. They also help connect people to housing, health care, or treatment if they want it. Their goal is to support people no matter where they are in their journey.[Learn more about Substance Use Disorder Treatment careers →]

With a bachelor's  degree  or higher:

• Care Coordinator

Care Coordinators help patients move smoothly through the healthcare system. They schedule appointments, connect people to services like housing or counseling, and make sure everyone involved in a patient’s care is working together. [Learn more about Care Coordination careers →]

• Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant

Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants work with adults who care for young children, such as  parents,  teachers and child care workers. They help adults understand how to support children’s emotions, behavior, and development. If a child is having a hard time with big feelings or changes, the consultant provides tools and suggestions to help. They don’t usually work one-on-one with children, but they help create safe, caring places for kids to grow. [Learn more about Early Childhood Mental Health careers →]

• Chemical Dependency Counselor

Chemical Dependency Counselors work directly with people who are trying to stop using drugs or alcohol. They listen, give support, and help clients make a plan for recovery. They may lead group or one-on-one sessions and connect people to other services they need. [Learn more about careers in Substance Use Disorder Treatment →]

• Coalition Coordinator

Coalition Coordinators bring together people from different parts of the community—like schools, police, faith groups,, and parents—to work on one big goal: making their community safer and healthier. Coordinators lead meetings, plan events like community meetings and awareness days, and help the Coalition members stay on track with the community’s goals. They work with community members and organizations to host activities that promote prevention programming related to  youth drug use, suicide, cyberbullying and more. [Learn more about Prevention careers →]

• Prevention Consultant

Prevention Consultants are experts who support many programs at once. They don’t usually work directly with students or families, but they help enhance the skills of those that do. They train staff, look at data to see if programs are helping, and give advice on how to improve their skills. They may also help write public health plans or talk to government leaders about what communities need. [Learn more about Prevention careers →]

• Certified Health Education Specialist

Health Education Specialists teach people how to take care of their health and feel better in everyday life. They make lessons and materials about topics like stress, depression, substance use, and healthy habits. They may lead classes at schools, health fairs, or community centers. They also plan events, lead group discussions, and give people tools to improve their mental health and make safer choices. [Learn more about Community Health careers →]

• Behavioral Health Specialist

Behavioral Health Specialists work with people facing emotional or behavioral issues. They assess client’s needs, develop treatment plans, and provide counseling or therapy. They may work in schools, hospitals, or community centers to support their mental well-being.

• Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists are health detectives. In behavioral health, they study patterns of mental illness, substance use, and other health issues in communities. They look at data to figure out what is causing problems, who is most affected, and what can be done to help. Their research helps leaders create better programs, policies, and services to improve mental health in Ohio.  [Learn more about Prevention careers →]

• Program Manager

A Program Manager plays a vital role in helping to transform the lives of patients. They oversee the day-to-day operations in mental health and/or addiction treatment programs. They collaborate with staff to plan services, manage personnel, and ensure the program meets clients’ needs. In behavioral health, they also track program results and ensure the programs comply with ethical standards and state rules. [Learn more about Management careers→]

With a master's degree or higher:

• Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN)

Nurse Practitioners are advanced nurses who can diagnose mental health conditions, provide therapy, and prescribe medications. They often serve people facing serious mental health or substance use issues and help manage their overall care, teaching patients how to manage symptoms, build coping skills, and support recovery goals.

• Agency Director

An Agency Director provides the leadership and vision for the organization. They enforce best practices, accreditation, and ethical standards in all aspects of the work— from hiring staff and managing budgets to ensuring clients receive the care they need. They oversee clinical services, office operations, and work with local mental health and recovery boards to advance the mission of the agency to serve the community in the best way possible. [Learn more about Management careers→]

Other jobs titles you may see:

• Psychiatric Nurse

• Behavioral Health Nurse

• Clinical Nurse Specialist

• Mental Health Nurse

• Nurse Practitioner

• Utilization Review Nurse

Nurses play a crucial role in assessing, treating, and educating patients to promote optimal mental health.

• Patient Care: Monitor and support patients with mental health conditions.

• Crisis Intervention: Respond to urgent mental health situations.

• Education: Teach patients and families about coping strategies.

• Assess Patients: Understand what each person is going through by talking with them and observing their behavior.

• Create Care Plans: Work with other health professionals to plan treatments that help people feel better.

• Provide Therapy: Use special skills like talk therapy or coping strategies to help patients manage their mental health.

• Give Medication: Help patients take the right medicine safely and watch for side effects.

• Support Families: Teach families how to support their loved ones through recovery.

Opportunities are found in various settings, allowing nurses to choose environments that best match their interests.

• Psychiatric hospitals

• General hospitals (in mental health units)

• Emergency Rooms

• Community mental health clinics

• Schools and colleges

• In patient’s homes

• Prisons and correctional facilities

• Telehealth (online care)

• People with Mental Health Conditions: Including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

• Individuals with Substance Use Disorders: Supporting recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.

• Children and Teens: Helping young people manage emotions, behavior, and trauma.

• Older Adults: Assisting seniors with dementia, depression, and age-related mental health issues.

• People in Crisis: Providing care during emergencies or after traumatic events.

• Underserved Communities: Offering care to individuals with limited access to mental health services.

To become a nurse in Ohio, you need to complete an approved nursing education program* and pass a national licensing exam. You can be licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN) with either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN): Typically a 2-year program.

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): A 4-year degree offering broader opportunities.

• Continuing Education: Once licensed as an RN, ongoing learning to stay current on best practices in delivering nursing care. 

*Choose an educational program that is accredited by either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). 

Nurses are licensed by the Ohio Nursing Board:

• Registered Nurse (RN): Available with either an Associate or Bachelor Degree in Nursing and passage of the NCLEX-RN exam.

  • Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN): A 2-year college program.

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): A 4-year college degree that gives more job options.

• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN): For specialized roles like Nurse Practitioners, this licensure requires a Master of Nursing Science degree.

• Board Certification in Psychiatric Nursing (Optional but Recommended)You can become board certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). 

• PMHNP Credential (for Advanced Practice Nurses): After a master's or doctorate degree, you can apply for certification as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) from the national certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This allows you to diagnose, treat, and prescribe medication.

Multistate Licensure allows practice in multiple states under the Nurse Licensure Compact. Nurses that are licensed in Ohio with a compact license can practice nursing in close to 40 states!

Click here to learn more about licenses, credentials, and certifications.