Alternate Response Team Crisis Counselor

Compensation Range

$ $34.47

Please note: This job opening may close earlier than the stated date, due to high candidate volume. If interested, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Who We Are:

At the High Point Police Department, we are committed to protecting our city and building relationships with our community. Our team includes over 300 officers and professional staff who are passionate about serving others.

As a proactive, data-driven agency, we take pride in being nationally recognized for excellence. Our department offers some of the finest in-house training in the country, along with numerous opportunities for growth, development, and career advancement.

A rewarding career awaits you here. Join our team and play a vital role in keeping High Point a safe place to live, work, and visit.

What We Offer:

The High Point Police Department offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. We also offer generous benefit package for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed monthly pension upon retirement, vested after 5 years of service

• 401K and 457B Retirement Plans

• Paid Vacation and Sick Time

• Paid Holidays

• Tuition Reimbursement Plan

• Competitive medical, dental, and vision plans effective day one

What You'll Do:

The High Point Police Department is seeking an experienced crisis counselor needed to provide evidenced based behavioral health and substance use interventions to individuals identified by City of High Point first responders and other city employees. Responsibilities will include responding to emergency and non-emergency calls with police officers to engage clients that are experiencing mental/behavioral health crisis, meeting clients in the community, assessing clients for safety, determining appropriate level of care, and providing clinical or non-clinical treatment. The Crisis Counselor will be providing services in real time with the support of the High Point Police Department. Works closely with multiple departments and community members on special projects, programs, and referrals. Work also involves a follow-up component to connect identified individuals with available community resources. Work is performed under the regular supervision of the Community Division Commander.

Essential Tasks & Responsibilities:

Respond to referral requests from the police department or other designated partners. 

•Respond within 30 minutes to calls for service where an alternate response team is requested. Depending on the call type and safety assessment, response may be independent or co-response with a police officer.  

•Determine the type of response needed including field-based crisis intervention, phone counseling, information, follow-up, and/or referral.

•Engage with clients to develop rapport and gain cooperation for the completion of assessments. 

•Conduct clinical assessments to determine the appropriate safety plan and level of service referral interventions needed by collecting information from clients, providers, supports, and advocates.  

•Provide evidence based therapeutic interventions as indicated on the assessment (clinical or non-clinical). 

•Conduct limited case management services for high service utilizers as directed by the Lead Clinician. 

•Establish and maintain healthy work relationships with community partners and resources.  

•Participate in an after-hours on-call schedule.  

•Provide accurate documentation within allocated time frames.

•Operate standard office equipment including calculator, copier, personal computer,
printer, and related software.

•Enter and edit data in databases, spreadsheets or word processing software as needed.

•Utilizes specialized software to ensure HIPAA compliance and maintain case management notes. 

•Work outside the office and within the community as needed.

•Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

•Master's degree in mental health counseling, social work or human related fields. OR

•Bachelor's degree in human service-related fields with a minimum of 5 years' experience.

•Crisis intervention training with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of principles, practices, and various techniques / best practices for mental health, trauma and child abuse / neglect intervention, harm reduction, trauma-informed care, clinical social work, etc. 

•Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, standards, and regulations. 

•Substantial knowledge regarding motivational interviewing and engagement techniques. 

•Comprehensive knowledge of DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders). 

•Ability to assess clients and the environment to make safe clinical judgments. 

•Motivation to work with clients in crisis that may have high acuity, aggressive and/or offensive behaviors.

•     Strong assessment and counseling skills. 

•     Strong written and spoken communication skills. 

•     Time management, organizational, and networking skills. 

•     Ability to work flexible schedule. 

•     Valid Driver's License.

Preferred Qualifications:

•     LMHC, LCSW preferred but not required. 

•     Experience in crisis response / emergency services preferred.  

Physical Requirements:
Hearing/Speaking - Expressing and/or receiving information by means of spoken word are both necessary to converse with internal and external customers including co-workers, citizens and applicants.
Visual Abilities – the ability to perceive via eyesight is required for this position:

•Acuity, far – clarity of vision at 20 feet or more. Must be able to see from a distance when administering and observing employment tests, operating a motor vehicle, or addressing an audience.

•Acuity, near – clarity of vision at 20 inches or less. Must be able to see work-related business documents close at hand.

•Depth perception – Three-dimensional vision and the ability to judge distance and space relationships.

•Field of Vision – the area that can be seen up and down or to the right or left while eyes are focused on one point. Must be able to see a wide span of area.

•Accommodation – Must be able to adjust the eye lens to glance quickly.

•Color Vision – Ability to identify and distinguish between colors.   
Physical Strength – degree of physical demands typically associated with this position include:

•Light Work

•Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally; and/or

•Exerting up to 10 pounds of force frequently; and

•A negligible amount of force constantly to handle or move materials related to the position.

•Type of Physical Demands

•Reaching - Extending the hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction.

•Handling - Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with hand(s).

•Employees must reach to answer the telephone, work with computer terminal, etc. 

•Handles various forms, documents, pencils, pens, etc. requiring use of hands and fingers. 

•Talking and/or Hearing: (Talking – Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken word.)  (Hearing – Perceiving nature of sounds by ear.)

•This is a clerical support position which requires contact with other City Personnel and the public, so it is necessary for the employee to be able to communicate with people effectively in person and via telephone.  
Mental Activity/Requirements:
Reasoning:

•Ability to apply principles of logical thinking combined with knowledge of principles and practices of public personnel and employment laws to work tasks and handle practical situations, comprehend, and respond to a variety of situations in a timely fashion and exercise good judgment.
Mathematics Ability:

•Using arithmetic and/or Statistics: Ability to direct and oversee the use of arithmetic and/or statistics in the preparation of a variety of tests and reports.
Language Ability:

•The ability to speak, read and write the English Language are required for this position.

The work location of this job will be 1730 Westchester Dr High Point, North Carolina.

Our Commitments

The City of High Point is dedicated to fostering a work environment that values individuals from all backgrounds and seeks to attract and retain the most qualified partners in service to the citizens of High Point. As an at-will employer, the City allows employees to terminate their employment, or be terminated at any time, with or without cause, as long as it is not prohibited by law. 

The City of High Point is committed to classifying and compensating its employees fairly for the work they do, weighing both the internal capabilities and the external market. While the job description is not intended to and does not create a contract of employment, we are excited to use this "living document" as a guide for managing performance and positions to ensure job descriptions are reflective of the current work required by the incumbent or expected by any candidate to whom an offer of employment is extended. 

The City of High Point is committed to providing a safe, comfortable working environment for all employees. To that end, we are proud to comply with all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements, as well as make reasonable accommodations to candidates and employees as we are able in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Candidates selected for employment must undergo (a.) a drug screening, in accordance with the City's drug and alcohol policy and (b.) a background screening to determine whether there is any current, pending, or previous charge, conviction or other infraction deemed incompatible with service in the capacity for which the candidate is being hired. In lieu of or in addition to background screening, candidates selected for employment in a position that requires working with children in any capacity must be fingerprinted and undergo a criminal history record check conducted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Certain positions are considered so critical to the health and safety of others that a candidate cannot be placed in any such position without passing a pre-placement physical exam. The City offers employment to successful candidates conditioned upon the City's receipt of satisfactory results from all required screenings, checks, and exams, as applicable.

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