Behavioral Health Careers

At Valleywise Health, we’re known for our world-renowned Arizona Burn Center and Level I Trauma care, but there’s another critical side to our mission: our dedication to behavioral health. For over 50 years, we’ve stood as a lifeline for individuals facing the most serious mental health challenges in Maricopa County. If you're looking for a career with deep purpose and real impact, here you’ll find more than a job. You'll find support, purpose, and a path to grow.

Why Behavioral Health at Valleywise?

We care for patients many systems overlook — those living with severe mental illness, often involuntarily admitted, frequently in crisis, and always in need of compassion, skill, and consistency. From integrated care at outpatient clinics to high-acuity inpatient units, Valleywise Health provides hope and healing when it’s needed most.

As the largest provider of court-ordered inpatient mental health care in Arizona, with over 400 licensed beds, and some of the lowest psychiatric readmission rates in the nation, our work is evidence-based, team-driven, and community-focused. We believe everyone deserves a chance at recovery.

Inpatient Behavioral Health Careers

Inpatient care at Valleywise Health is for those who thrive in high-acuity settings. Our team supports individuals experiencing acute psychiatric crises — including those with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression — most of whom are under court-ordered evaluation or treatment.

If you're resilient, resourceful, and grounded in compassion, this is where your career can take root. Our inpatient professionals:

  • Provide trauma-informed care in safe, secure, and respectful environments.
  • Work on dedicated units for adults, adolescents, and elderly patients.
  • Collaborate within supportive interdisciplinary teams, including nurses, techs, social workers, and psychiatrists.
  • Train and mentor through our robust “grow your own” program and the Creighton University Psychiatry Residency.

Come prepared. Our patients may not always be grateful in the moment, but their progress is powerful. And here, you’re never alone — you’ll always have your team.

Outpatient & Community-Based Behavioral Health Careers

Valleywise Health’s outpatient behavioral health clinics, including our newest facilities in Maryvale and Mesa, serve some of the most underserved populations across the Valley. We take pride in getting people out of hospitals and back into life.

Outpatient professionals here:

  • Transport patients to appointments, housing resources, and job opportunities.
  • Navigate community-based systems to deliver whole-person care.
  • Provide therapy, psychiatric medication management, peer support, and care coordination.
  • Work with specialized populations through programs like our Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams and First Episode Centers.

Flexibility, empathy, and deep clinical insight are essential. You’ll need to be familiar with the resources and know how to build trust. But if you’re passionate about recovery, relationships, and meeting people where they are, you just might find your calling here.

Integrated Behavioral Health

Our Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) teams bring physical and mental health care together — because whole-person wellness requires both. Across our community health centers, IBH professionals support patients of all ages and backgrounds, from children to seniors, offering compassionate care that treats the body and mind in unison.

We’re currently hiring for IBH roles at multiple locations, where you’ll play a vital part in helping patients navigate challenges like adolescent psychosis, serious mental illness, and co-occurring conditions. Our IBH teams deliver services including mental health assessment and treatment, integrated primary care, Assertive Community Treatment, and more — all within a collaborative, mission-driven environment.

If you're looking for a role where clinical skill meets meaningful connection, IBH at Valleywise Health offers an opportunity to make a lasting impact.

What You’ll Need — and What You’ll Get

Behavioral health careers at Valleywise require more than credentials.

You’ll also need:

  • Emotional strength – to handle ego injuries, verbal outbursts, or unpredictability.
  • Belief in recovery – to remind patients that hope isn’t out of reach.
  • Team mentality – to lean on peers and grow together.

And in return, you'll get:

  • Competitive pay and generous sign-on and retention bonuses.
  • A 100% match employer pension and benefits that reward longevity.
  • Opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and advancement.
  • A deeply human sense of reward that few careers can match.

“At the Valleywise Health First Episode Center in Avondale, I assist young people who have experienced their first episode of psychosis. The positive outcomes we see come from truly living our values—treating every patient with compassion and delivering excellent care. Across every department I’ve worked with, those same values shine through. I’m always met with respect and collaboration, and it’s a blessing to be part of a company where staff, patients, and families see our values in action every day.”

Yolanda Johnson
Team Specialist
Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic

“To say that I’m grateful to be working at Valleywise is an understatement. I am richly blessed! From the people, leadership, consistency in policies, and members, I have found great joy in being part of a company where there is so much growth and opportunity. I love my job as the Supported Employment and Education Specialist because I often find myself humbled and inspired by our wonderful members who come from all walks of life and love nothing more than to help them engage in a meaningful activity. I love working at Valleywise!”

Amie Wright, BHT
Supported Employment and Education Specialist
Outpatient Specialty Behavioral Health

This work calls for a special kind of heart.

Working in behavioral health at Valleywise Health demands courage, compassion, and commitment. We do what others can’t — or won’t. Not for recognition or revenue, but because it’s right. Because lives depend on it.

If you’re ready to make a lasting impact in a field that challenges and changes you, we want to meet you.