Agency
Safety
Division
70000075 Dept of Public Safety
Job Classification Title
Licensed Mental Health Professional (NS)
Position Number
65029577
Grade
NC14
About Us
The Department of Public Safety's mission is to safeguard and preserve the lives and property of the people of North Carolina through preparation, prevention, and protection with integrity and honor. Our agency houses many public safety divisions, including Emergency Management, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Alcohol Law Enforcement, Samarcand Training Academy, and the North Carolina National Guard. Join us along with our more than 3,000 employees and 12,000 National Guard members in providing exceptional public safety services to the citizens of North Carolina.
Description of Work
About NCEM:
The mission of North Carolina Emergency Management is to enhance North Carolina’s resiliency through active collaboration, communication, and coordination of protection, prevention, mitigation, response and recovery measures.
NCDPS has implemented a program, the Responder Assistance Initiative (RAI), that resides within the NC Division of Emergency Management (NCEM) as means for bolstering access to mental health and wellness (MHW) resources with NCDPS and first responder agencies throughout NC. RAI is comprised of a team of highly experienced and culturally competent providers and support staff regionally situated throughout the state. The RAI team includes licensed mental health professionals; professionally trained peer support consultants; and wellness coordinators. The program is designed to provide a mechanism for standardizing best practices in prevention and intervention that address impacts of potentially traumatic events, critical incidents, and professional and personal stressors characteristic of this high-risk work environment. Through an established continuum of care, this program provides access to information and resources including the highest quality behavioral healthcare, wellness initiatives, peer support/intervention, and consultation for larger systems support for public safety organizations. As part of a strategic and progressive business plan, the program is in the process of expanding eligibility for these services to various, external to NCDPS, law enforcement and first responder entities with the potential to extend programs to support the family members of responders who also endure impacts of secondary trauma related to public safety incident exposure.
About the Position:
This Licensed Mental Health Professional position with the NC Responder Assistance Initiative is a regional position and will be based in Fayetteville. The selected candidate is required to travel within the Fayetteville County region which is comprised of Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, , Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, and Wake counties with occassional travel in other parts of the State.
The Responder Assistance Initiative (RAI) program is seeking a behavioral health professional to address the mental health needs of Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) employees and external partner agencies (police, fire, EMS, dispatch) emergency management who are exposed to traumatic evetns and critical incidents related to the type of work inhent in First Responder occupational settings. This program is composed of licensed mental health providers, wellness coordinators, and peer support professionals who are situated across the state as regional proividers.
Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Providing direct counseling services and care coordination at an advanced level.
• Conducting individual, couples, and family therapy; program briefings; community outreach; training; and crisis intervention.
• Providing behavioral health screening, consultation, and crisis intervention on a regular basis via telephone and face to face meetings.
• Conduct biopsychosocial evaluations, individual, couple, family, and group treatment with participants and eligible family members.
• Deliver outcomes driven, evidence based and best practice clinical interventions.
• Develop and implement treatment plans, collaborate with providers, prepare clinical and discharge summaries, develop, and facilitate
referrals as appropriate.
• Provide regional critical incident response.
• Consuilt with clinical and adminstrative leadership regarding clinical or organizational problems to obtain recommendations concerning resolution of concerns with individuals or agencies as means for addressing problematic patterns and trends within the specific setting.
• Travel to various responder organizational units to provide outreach, education, and services within region and across the state as needed
NOTE: We will consider candidates licensed at the Associate or Provisional level if supervision is available. If selected, the candidate will be considered a Trainee and their salary will be assessed according to the months of experience obtained at the date of application. They will progress through the phases and receive salary increases as they reach each additional level of experience until they become fully licensed to practice without Board-mandated supervision.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences
**Please note that this posting will close at 11:59pm on 10/28/2026**
**All new hires are required to report in-office/on-site for the first 90 days of hire.**
This is a full time permanent position (40 hours per week) with State Benefits.
DPS uses the Merit-Based Recruitment and Selection Plan to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act with the most qualified individuals.
The Minimum Education and Experience (E&E) is REQUIRED to qualify for this position. Management Preferences, including Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs), are not required but may be used to determine the pool of most qualified applicants. Managers may also choose to interview/select applicants who demonstrate Management Preferences.
All work history and education (including accurate dates of employment/attendance) must be documented on the application. Work experience may include internships, volunteerism, and full and part-time work. A complete, all-inclusive application maximizes an applicant’s potential to qualify for the position, as well as receive the highest possible salary if selected for the position. Salary will be based on relevant qualifications, internal equity, and budgetary considerations for the advertised position. Click here for more information and application resources.
Resumes may be attached as a supplement to the application but are not a substitute for a complete application.
Management Preferences:
- Experience conducting clinical assessments or diagnosis; developing or implementing treatment plans; conducting individual, couples or family therapy; or providing crisis intervention.
- Experience providing interventions on complicated cases.
- Skilled in administering and interpreting selected screening/assessment instruments.
- In-depth knowledge of theoretical approaches to treatment, as well as a working knowledge and utilization the DSM-5-TR.
- Considerable knowledge of the range of trauma symptoms contributing to physical, emotional, and psychological distress with specific experience as it relates to the population served by RAI.
- Skilled in determining and conducting appropriate therapeutic intervention.
- Skilled in supporting and/or engaging in critical incident debriefings and provide psychoeducational training on a variety of behavioral health topics associated with victimization/trauma/stress reactions to small and medium sized groups.
Applicants must be licensed in one of the following credentials:
• Health Services Provider - Psychologist (HSP-P)
• Licensed Psychologist (LP)
• Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSW-A)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFT-A)
• Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC)
• Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHC-A)
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (DPS) is an Equal Opportunity Employer who embraces an Employment First philosophy which consists of complying with all federal laws, state laws and Executive Orders. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we are committed to full inclusion of qualified applicants and will review requests for reasonable accommodation to perform essential job functions during the hiring process or while on the job.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
For applicants with student loans, becoming a state employee may include eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Visit www.studentaid.gov to learn more.
Transcripts
· Attaching transcripts is optional; however, we recommend applicants attach unofficial transcripts to assist in providing credit for education including in substituting education gained for experience. Additionally, qualifying for some positions may require validating hours of coursework in a specific field of study and
transcripts are crucial to awarding credit. Degrees and transcripts must be achieved from an appropriately accredited college or university.
· Applicants who earned college credit hours but did not complete a degree program must attach an unofficial transcript to receive credit for education.
· International degrees and transcripts must be evaluated for accreditation by a recognized evaluation service by the closing date of this posting. Failure to provide documentation may result in ineligibility. The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) has several options to provide credential verification: https://www.naces.org/members.
Military Experience
· Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a DD-214 Form (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty that includes Character of Discharge - Member 4 or Service 2 form) to the application.
· Applicants seeking National Guard Preference:
o A current member of the North Carolina National Guard in good standing must attach a NGB 23A (RPAS).
o A former member of the North Carolina National Guard who served for at least 6 years and was discharged under honorable conditions must attach either a DD256 or NGB 22.
The NC Dept. of Public Safety must adhere to the US Dept. of Justice Final Rule on the "National Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Prison Rape." PREA Hiring and Promotion Prohibitions. Selected applicants for positions which are subject to PREA will undergo a PREA-specific background check. Our agency supports second-chance employment for individuals who were previously incarcerated, or justice involved, and we invite all potential applicants to apply for positions for which they may be qualified. Due to the nature of work performed in our agency, prior convictions and/or charges may prohibit employment for positions which are subject to PREA or other position-specific background checks.
Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of your application. Please log in to your Workday account to check the status of your application. If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted by the hiring manager. If you are no longer under consideration, you will receive an email notification when the position is filled. For more information about the application process, please visit State Application Resources/Frequently Asked Questions. For technical issues related to your Workday applications, please place a support ticket. For basic information regarding employment with North Carolina State Government, please call (984) 236-0800. If there are any questions about this specific vacancy other than your application status, please contact ncemhr at ncemhr@ncdps.gov.
Minimum Education and Experience
Some state job postings say you can qualify by an “equivalent combination of education and experience.” If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the Education and Experience Equivalency Guide for details.
Master's degree in psychology, clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, clinical counseling or human services related field from an appropriately accredited educational institution. Necessary Special Qualification Requirements Must hold an independent license to practice as a mental health clinical practitioner in North Carolina or have met the requirements to be licensed in North Carolina at the associate or provisional level as a mental health clinical practitioner.
EEO Statement
The State of North Carolina is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free from all forms of unlawful employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. The state provides reasonable accommodation to employees and applicants with disabilities; known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.
Recruiter:
Ashley Minnick
Recruiter Email:
ASHLEY.MINNICK@NCDPS.GOV
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