Butler Behavioral Health Services, Inc. is in the process of adding 65 jobs in the Hamilton and Middletown areas as it looks to achieve substantially improved health outcomes with a lower cost of care.

Butler Behavioral Health Services is one of the oldest private providers of outpatient services in Ohio, according to the agency’s website. Their mission since 1948 has been to provide exceptional service through educated professionals. To insure this mission, BBHS utilizes staff from the Counseling, Medicine, Nursing, Psychology and Social Work fields.

45 of the 65 jobs created will be located in an office building that currently houses Primary Health Solutions at 210 South Second Street in Hamilton.

Additionally, the remaining 20 jobs will be created at the agency’s Middletown locations at 1490 University Blvd and 1131 Manchester Ave.

The 65 new jobs are expected to bring approximately $4 million in additional payroll to the county's economy. With 45 of the new jobs created in Hamilton, the city is expected to account for around $3.5 million of the overall anticipation of $4 million, according to Kimball Stricklin, CEO of Butler Behavioral Health Services.

With the agency looking to be fully operational by the end of the year, there is a significant amount of hiring to be done in a short time period.

Both the Hamilton and Middletown offices will offer a comprehensive array of health services for children and adult patients. Four Ohio mental health service providers were selected to transform the approach to state Medicaid beneficiaries with both a severe mental illness and chronic medical illness, of these Butler Behavioral Health Services was selected.

Over 100 agencies from every county in Ohio applied to be one of the first to assume this initiative. Due to its already established partnership with Primary Health Solutions, Butler Behavioral Health Services had a strong case for selection.

Primary Health Solutions is a non-profit federally qualified health center serving Butler County patients that would otherwise go without medical or dental treatment.

The expansion of the agency is part of Hamilton’s Strategic Plan to revitalize its downtown area, as well as repopulate downtown with skilled, educated workers, according to Hamilton City Manager Joshua Smith.

Sources: Middletown Journal, BBHS, Fox 19 Hamilton-Middletown