Public Safety Therapist/Counselor

Description

Come join a team dedicated to making a positive impact in our community, where the well-being of our residents is always our top priority. We offer flexible scheduling options (based on position) and foster professional growth through comprehensive training programs and learning opportunities. Shape your future in a career that empowers you to make a difference and thrive in a collaborative, purpose-driven environment.

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Chief of Police, the Public Safety Therapist is to provide mental health support to individual clients who have been exposed to work place trauma, or who would benefit from immediate access to mental health treatment and therapy, providing access to immediate psychotherapy and mental health therapy for those individuals, facilitating referrals to the appropriate resources in the community, and finding creative solutions to make public safety employees as whole as possible in the most efficient way possible.

This is an appointed position as stated under City Policy (Part 3, Section D, Appointed Employees).

Starting Pay

$82,667 - $111,150 annually depending on qualifications

FLSA Status

Exempt

Schedule

Full-time, 40 hours per week, flexible schedule. Some evenings, weekends, and call outs on critical incidents as needed.

Benefits

• Full Benefits; health, dental, vision, and life insurance, paid time off, paid holidays, paid parental leave, education assistance program

Retirement

• Utah Retirement Systems, Pension and/or 401(k)

Posting Close Date

May close any time after October 27, 2026

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Discuss areas of concern, interest, improvement, and operation of the Health and Wellness program. Attend all meetings and training as assigned. Assess, diagnose and treat personnel with mental health/emotional distress as a result of job-related stressors. Provide referrals to community mental health and other resources as necessary. Provide consultation and education to the community, employees, and other groups as needed. Conduct individual and group therapy with employees as needed. Provide quality individual therapy as needed. Diagnose, develop treatment plans, and develop/measure goals as needed. Maintain knowledge of psychotropic medications as it relates to therapeutic goals and treatment. Maintain positive working relationship with referral source and community organizations. Position may require some evening and weekend hours as well as being available for call out on officer involved critical incidents. Coordinate and implement Police Department Peer Support Program. Given the nature of work of the clients, a high level of confidentiality must exist within the position; strict adherence to the policies and procedures is required.
• Therapist shall meet with every police department employee a minimum of twice a year, up to weekly, depending on the needs and presentation of the individual employee. Intensity and nature of the sessions will vary greatly depending on the needs of the individual.
• Therapist oversees tracking and scheduling appointments with employees.
• Therapist is reasonably accessible to employees on a crisis basis.
• Therapist may assist in department trainings as requested by other department heads.

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

• Master's degree in Clinical Social Work, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, or related field.
• Two (2) years experience is preferred.
• Preferred experience, with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness, Client-Centered Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy (SFT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Interpersonal Processing Therapy.

Language Skills

• Must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills in the English language.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• Possess a valid Utah driver's license or have the ability to obtain one.
• State of Utah Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Professional Counselor, CMHC, or Licensed Psychologist.

Other

• The knowledge and proficient use of MS Office software and programs specific to departmental functions. Ability to provide counseling and mediation. Ability to persuade, convince and train others. Ability to advise and interpret regarding the application of policies, procedures and standards to specific situations. Ability to utilize a variety of advisory data and information such as officer incident reports, investigator reports, other agency reports, personnel records, a variety of law enforcement forms, legal documents, technical operating manuals, statutes, procedures, guidelines and non-routine correspondence. Ability to communicate orally and in writing with citizens, Department personnel, and other law enforcement agency personnel. Ability to interpret basic descriptive statistical reports. Ability to use functional reasoning in performing influence functions such as managing, leading, teaching, and directing.
• Ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the direction, control and planning of an entire program or multiple programs. Maintain a high level of professional practice and promote positive customer relations. Knowledge and practice of confidential and ethical principles. The ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing. The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, members of law enforcement agencies, and the public. The ability to organize, develop and implement long-term goals for the progression of the department. Ability to write and execute curriculum through a variety of presentation mediums in training or classroom setting.
• Ability to work independently.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk or hear.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment

Indoor environment. Requires light physical effort in an office setting. Exposure to varying levels of stress due to human behavior, workload, deadlines and multiple tasks and assignments. Ability to stay extended, irregular hours when necessary.