Behavioral Health Specialist

Date Opened: Thursday, June 25, 2026 12:00 AM

Close Date: Sunday, July 05, 2026 12:00 AM

Department: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Salary: $68,455.00 - $98,404.3 Commensurate with Experience

Welcome to the City of Charlotte

Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Here you will find a safe, family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive. The mission of the City of Charlotte is to deliver quality public services and promote the safety, health, and quality of life for all residents.

Our guiding principles include:

• Attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce

• Valuing teamwork, openness, accountability, productivity, and employee development

• Providing all customers with courteous, responsive, accessible, and seamless quality services

• Taking initiative to identify, analyze, and solve problems

• Collaborating with stakeholders to make informed decisions

SUMMARY

The employee will assess, evaluate, perform crisis intervention techniques, and develop a crisis plan for continuation of services. They will be responsible for all incident documentation and will be the on-site resource for any relevant clinical information. They will act as the liaison for collaboration with other involved parties including families, friends, and other community providers. This position will work as part of a police-based team, which will include partnering with an officer.

This role requires non-traditional work hours of 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct comprehensive assessments in the community, including danger, crisis, environmental, and lethality assessments.
• Monitor dispatch and radio channels for service requests involving individuals in behavioral health crises.
• Perform on-scene assessments and develop treatment plans.
• Execute effective crisis interventions, de-escalation, crisis planning, and brief therapeutic interventions.
• Develop appropriate referral recommendations utilizing available community resources.
• Make informed decisions regarding the need for emergency petitions or alternative psychiatric evaluations.
• Provide support to diverse populations, including children, adolescents, adults, those with dual diagnoses, and the elderly.
• Collaborate with police, families, and other stakeholders to de-escalate, create crisis plans, and secure cooperation with recommended treatments.
• Deliver accurate clinical information to families and involved parties regarding treatment options and recommendations.
• Ensure follow-up contacts are completed as needed for the implementation of treatment plans.
• Offer consultation to police, fire, and other community agencies and coordination with team members.
• Work effectively with first responders, understanding their culture and operational protocols.
• Document interactions according to established procedures.
• Participate in and complete all required training programs.
• Educate the community about the agency and its crisis response services.
• Monitor and manage team communication across all platforms.
• Adhere to state, local, and HIPAA-related policies to maintain compliance.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in the Human Services field of study AND two (2) years of experience working with the population preferred.
• NC State clinical license, provisionary accepted.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Principles and practices of clinical and psychology.
• Methods of diagnostic assessment of psychological health needs.
• Psychological treatment methods of acute stress disorders, trauma and related illnesses.
• Best practices, trends and emerging technologies.
• Principles and applications of critical thinking and analysis.
• Principles and practices of group facilitation and building consensus.
• Applicable federal, state and local laws, codes, regulations (based on assignment).
• Customer service principles.
• Specialized equipment relevant to area of assignment.
• Modern office technology.
• High levels of oral and written communication skills including the ability to articulate ideas, concepts, findings, results as well as interpretations and evaluations of data.
• Outstanding multi-tasking and problem-solving skills
• Ability to deal tactfully, courteously, and effectively with citizens, officers, co-workers, and other personnel from a broad range of governmental and public safety organizations
• Demonstrate and maintain good judgment
• Ability to respond independently and quickly
• 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.
• Researching industry trends, solutions and best practices.
• Exercising political acumen, tact and diplomacy.
• Maintaining confidential assessment and treatment files and records.
• Interpreting and applying applicable laws, codes, regulations and standards (based on assignment).
• 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 to receive work direction.

ADA and Other Requirements:

Positions in this class typically require: grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.

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
• Adequate vision, hearing, and speech required.
• 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. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.

Working Conditions:

Work in this position is field based. In this role; employees will frequently be exposed to various weather conditions and may encounter a high noise level in their work environment. The position may require extended periods of vehicle travel and walking to different locations for assessments. May be required to work outside of normal business hours.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email Careers@ci.charlotte.nc.us

The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.

BENEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.