Licensed Clinical Therapist; Call Center

Job Description

New Hanover County is seeking to hire a Licensed Clinical Therapist for a new mental health program within the county. The position will be a member of the Public Health Department and work within the 911 Public Safety Communications Center location. The Clinician will triage 911 calls from individuals experiencing crisis, mental health, and/or substance use needs to determine the appropriateness of a clinical intervention in addition to or in lieu of law enforcement and emergency medical services.

The team will use evidence‑informed intervention models rooted in harm reduction and trauma‑informed response principles to provide behavioral health crisis response services.

• Provide short‑term crisis counseling to clients in behavioral health crises utilizing harm reduction and trauma‑informed care principles in a variety of community settings.
• Support clients in urgent crisis situations requiring immediate attention over the phone by evaluating needs, assessing risks, stabilizing callers, and dispatching appropriate resources.
• Co‑respond to calls as appropriate.
• Effectively triage a call to the appropriate level of care.
• Perform lethality, environmental risk, and safety assessments and relay this information to responding resources.
• Engage with individuals that are intoxicated or under the influence of controlled substances.
• Engage with individuals experiencing acute mental distress.
• Refer and link patients, clients, or family members to community resources.
• Develop appropriate follow‑up.
• Maintain confidentiality and respect the boundaries of clients experiencing emotional distress.
• Follow training and protocols to safely de‑escalate behavioral health crisis situations over the phone.
• Obtain appropriate paperwork and maintain strict adherence to confidentiality, documentation, and record‑keeping requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned that may be inherent to the position.
• Perform work during emergency/disaster situations.

• Coordinate referrals to services and related agencies to meet the identified needs.
• Develop personal knowledge of topics related to mental health, crisis interventions, and evidence‑based practices.
• Participate in training opportunities to maintain competency and professional licensing requirements.
• Attend staff and office meetings, and coordinate services with other community partners.
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation according to agency standards.

Tasks involve extensive keyboarding and attentive listening to telephone calls and radio transmissions. Candidates must exert very moderate physical effort, including stooping, kneeling, carrying, pushing, and pulling objects of moderate weight (12–20 pounds), and be able to work any shift assignment, including nights, weekends, holidays, overtime, up to 12‑hour shifts. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

General call center environment with air conditioning and fluorescent lighting. Noise level is high due to active phone calls, radio transmissions, signals, and equipment sound.

New Hanover County is a single county agency providing Public Health and Social Services throughout the county. The Public Health Department is a fast‑paced environment dedicated to superior public health and safety, offering services in nutrition, personal health, environmental health, school health, maternal health, child health, community health, counseling, epidemiology, lactation, health education, and health administration.

Our values of professionalism, equity, innovation, integrity, stewardship, and accountability guide us. We celebrate diversity and support inclusive policies and growth opportunities. We invite you to join our team.

Enjoy the county’s exceptional quality of life with picturesque coastal location, beaches, water activities, recreational opportunities, vibrant culture, diverse dining, historical landmarks, strong community, excellent schools, thriving arts scene, good governance, and customer service focused environment.

Scheduled hours vary by…