Behavioral Health Specialist Senior

Salary: $89,552.00 - $128,730.99

About the role

The Senior Behavioral Health Specialist with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) provides a variety of professional services, including therapy for traumatized or distressed employees, training incident debriefing counselors, coordinating critical incident stress debriefs, group counseling sessions, teaching police academy courses, and maintaining confidential records. This position may require after-hours callback to support emergency response and other critical situations.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain a wellness program for employees considered high risk for secondary trauma due to the nature of their assignment in the department.
• Supervise employees, including handling all related personnel issues and concerns.
• Provide referral care for all employees; offer therapy to traumatized or distressed officers; perform diagnostic assessments and apply appropriate therapeutic techniques and intervention; continuously monitor therapy progress; provide referrals to other healthcare facilities or professionals as needed.
• Maintain security and confidentiality of information created or encountered in the performance of assigned duties in strict adherence with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Provide crisis counseling in the field and the office for individuals experiencing acute episodes; evaluate patients and arrange for voluntary or involuntary admission to facilities for observation and treatment.
• Conduct critical incident group debriefings with all involved personnel (sworn and civilian), as appropriate.
• Organize, develop, and serve as clinical advisor to the Department Peer Support Program, including participation in the selection and training of new members.
• Provide training and instruction to police employees; develop and present Police Psychology curriculum related to resilience and positive coping mechanisms.
• Conduct research and maintain knowledge on applicable therapy techniques and relevant reference materials related to police psychology.
• Perform other duties of a similar nature and level as assigned.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in psychology or related human service field with coursework in behavior analysis.
• Licensed Professional Counselor.
• Three (3) years of experience.
• Requires one of the following licensures with the ability to practice in North Carolina:
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
  • Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC)
  • Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor (LCMHCS)
  • or similar certifications and/or licenses issued by the State of North Carolina.
• Valid license from the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors, or equivalent, with no history of complaints or disciplinary action.

Skills

• Principles and practices of clinical and/or police psychology.
• Methods of diagnostic assessment of psychological health needs.
• Psychological treatment methods for acute stress disorders, trauma, and related illnesses.
• Principles and practices of program administration and management.
• Best practices, trends, and emerging technologies in behavioral health.
• Principles and methods of qualitative and quantitative research.
• Principles and applications of critical thinking and analysis.
• Principles and practices of group facilitation and building consensus.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Customer service principles.
• Specialized equipment relevant to the area of assignment.
• Modern office technology.
• Performing clinical psychological assessments.
• Providing psychological care and treatment related to traumatic stress and incidents.
• Providing appropriate therapeutic techniques and intervention, or making resource referrals as required.
• Providing consultation and serving as a department liaison and subject matter expert.
• Preparing and delivering training curriculum and related presentations.
• Researching industry trends, solutions, and best practices.
• Reading, analyzing, evaluating, interpreting, and summarizing written materials and statistical data.
• Exercising political acumen, tact, and diplomacy.
• Maintaining confidential assessment and treatment files and records.
• Interpreting and applying applicable laws, codes, regulations, and standards.
• Providing customer service.
• Utilizing a computer and relevant software applications.
• Utilizing communication and interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisors, the general public, and others to sufficiently exchange or convey information and receive work direction.

Physical Requirements

• Essential and marginal functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for sitting, standing, climbing, or walking for extended periods of time.
• Light to moderate lifting and carrying; some crouching, stooping, squatting, crawling, reaching, pushing, and pulling when performing tasks.
• Ability to see, hear, and communicate information effectively.
• Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

Sensory Requirements

• Concentrated and attentive use of one or more senses (visual, audio, and other sensory modalities) for proofreading, data entry, and tabulating data.
• Ability to operate in an environment with frequent interruptions from people and/or noises, which may result in stress, fatigue, or strain.
• Comprehend written information in work-related documents.
• Ability to hear, understand, and distinguish speech.

Working Conditions

• Work is routinely performed in an indoor office environment.
• May be required to be on call and/or work outside of normal business hours.

Benefits

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.