Since it was founded more than 125 years ago, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, an academic medical center located in Baltimore, MD, has been at the forefront of discovery, innovation and medical advances. Its reputation for excellence has earned a ranking among “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News and World Report for more than two decades.
The Mental Health Occupational Therapy fellowship program enables the completion of professional milestones in just one year, which may take several years to attain. It aligns with the AOTA Standards for continuing competence, emphasizing knowledge, critical thinking, interpersonal skills, performance abilities and ethical behavior. The program prepares fellows for career advancement, surpassing the level of their peers who are not board certified. As a Johns Hopkins Health System employee, fellows receive a salary and full-time employee benefits, including medical and paid time off. Graduates of the program will earn more than the 36 competency assessment units required for National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy certification renewal.
This fellowship, accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association, incorporates the following core elements:
- Specialized mental health knowledge and skills
- Advanced clinical practice throughout care continuum
- Delivery of evidence-based, high-quality services
- Opportunities for advocacy, teaching and mentorship
- Involvement in research or quality improvement projects
Program benefits:
- Salary and full-time benefits, including paid time off
- One-on-one clinical mentoring
- Variety of unique didactic experiences
- Participation in scholarly activities
Details:
The 12-month fellowship program includes mentored advanced clinical practice and didactic experiences in the following areas (across inpatient, outpatient and day-hospital settings):
- General Psychiatry Service
- Schizophrenia Service
- Adult and Young Adult Mood Disorders Services
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service
- Geriatric Psychiatry Service
- Motivated Behaviors Service
- Pain Treatment Service
- Eating Disorders Service
Duration: 12 months
Accreditation: AOTA Accredited
Application open: November 1, 2026
Application deadline: January 31, 2027
Interview date: March 2027
Admission decision: April 2027
Program start: Late August 2027
Diverse and inclusive, Johns Hopkins Medicine:
- Educates medical students, scientists, health care professionals and the public
- Conducts biomedical research
- Provides patient-centered medicine to prevent, diagnose and treat human illness.
The Johns Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has been helping patients recover function since 1992. Our twenty convenient locations form the Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network, which provides comprehensive rehabilitation services and continuum of care to patients throughout Maryland.
For more information, check out: About Johns Hopkins Medicine, About Us | Johns Hopkins Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (hopkinsmedicine.org).
**This is a position with Johns Hopkins Hospital. This application is for the Fellowship position. Invited candidates will undergo an additional application process with Human Resources at which time salary will be finalized. Benefits are available. More information can be found at Johns Hopkins Benefits Enrollment | Your benefits virtually (mybenefitsjhhs.com)
Qualifications
Eligibility Criteria:
- Graduate from an ACOTE-Accredited occupational therapy program
- Occupational therapy license in Maryland (or eligible for licensure)
- CPR certification from approved company
- AOTA Membership
Applicant must be eligible to work in the United States without visa sponsorship by the PMR department.
Application Instructions
Please complete the following application which includes uploading your resume, the Experience Form, a typed personal statement, 2 letters of reference, and a $50 application fee.
Resume
Please upload a resume that speaks to your most relevant experiences and accomplishments.
Experience Form
Please complete the "Experience Form" and upload it in the required documents section of the application as "other documents".
Letters of Reference
Your letters of reference must be submitted on this form.
You will have the opportunity to send a message to your reviewers. You may attach the form or include the link in your message. Your references will receive your message along with instructions on how to upload the form. The references are not confidential, so your reference may choose to send the letter to you and you may upload it in your application. Please ensure at least one of your references includes a former Supervisor/Instructor from an accredited occupational therapy program and/or a clinician/therapist that has worked with you in the past. We strongly suggest that you include individuals who are able to comment on your academic and clinical abilities.
Personal Statement
Please answer all of the following questions, limiting your responses to approximately 300 words per question and upload.
- Drawing from our program's philosophy to "educate, advocate, and promote our unique role" in mental health, describe a specific clinical or personal experience that solidified your commitment to this specialized field. How is the Johns Hopkins Mental Health OT Fellowship the critical next step in your professional journey?
- Our educational approach is grounded in adult learning theories, designed to progress fellows toward higher-order thinking and the use of evidence for best practice. Describe a complex clinical situation where you had to move beyond foundational knowledge. Detail your process for analyzing the case, synthesizing information from multiple sources (e.g., evidence, client factors, context), and creating an intervention plan. What did you learn about your own clinical reasoning process? If you have mental health experience, please speak to that specifically.
- The fellowship is designed to be an immersive experience, built on an “active learning” philosophy that requires intentional engagement. Describe a time you faced a significant professional challenge or a steep learning curve. How did you take ownership of your learning and demonstrate resilience to overcome this challenge?
- A key fellowship goal is to provide opportunities in advocacy, outreach, and education to advance the profession. Looking five years beyond this fellowship, what specific contribution do you hope to make to the field of mental health occupational therapy? How will the specialized skills and mentorship gained at Johns Hopkins uniquely prepare you to achieve this vision?
Application Fee
Please make your payment here by clicking on "pay Application Fee" button.
Your application will be reviewed after all components are submitted and the $50 application fee is paid.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Salary Range
The referenced salary range represents the minimum and maximum salaries for this position and is based on Johns Hopkins University's good faith belief at the time of posting. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. The actual compensation offered to the selected candidate may vary and will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, internal equity, market conditions, education/training and other factors, as reasonably determined by the University.
Total Rewards
Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected characteristics. The University is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors or demographic characteristics that are irrelevant to the program involved.
Pre-Employment Information
If you are interested in applying for employment with Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office at jhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations at Johns Hopkins University for disabilities, medical conditions (including medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), accessibility, or religious reasons, please visit accessibility.jhu.edu.
Background Checks
After receiving a conditional offer, the successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check including education verification. When deciding whether a candidate’s conviction history is job-disqualifying, the University considers the nature and gravity of the offense, the time that has passed since the conviction, and the nature of the job being sought.
EEO is the Law
https://www.eeoc.gov/employees-job-applicants
Vaccine Requirements
Johns Hopkins University strongly encourages, but no longer requires, at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This change does not apply to the School of Medicine (SOM). SOM hires must be fully vaccinated with an FDA COVID-19 vaccination and provide proof of vaccination status. We still require all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine.
Exceptions to the seasonal flu vaccine or COVID-19 vaccine (for SOM) requirement(s) may be provided to individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs or medical conditions that preclude them from receiving the vaccine. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/ and all other JHU applicants should visit https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/.
The following additional vaccine requirements may apply, depending upon your campus. Please contact the hiring department for more information.
The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those candidates who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.
