Public Safety Counselor - SR-26

Public Safety Counselor - SR-26

Salary

$80,736.00 Annually

Location

Future vacancies with immediate vacancy in Hilo, HI

Job Type

Permanent & Temporary Positions

Job Number

2026-00160

Department

Police

Division

Administration

Opening Date

11/01/2026

Closing Date

11/10/2026 11:59 PM Hawaii

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Duties Summary

Serves as a staff counselor for the Hawai'i County Police Department and its members including individual, couples and family counseling, assessment-related activities, operational support, and organizational/management consultation; and performs other related duties as required.

There is one (1) immediate permanent full-time vacancy with the Hawaii Police Department - Administrative Services Division in Hilo.

The eligible list may be used for other permanent and temporary vacancies as they arise during the life of the list. Temporary appointment may lead to conversion to permanent appointment.

Examples of Duties

• Provides counseling and aids department personnel in reaching community mental health services in crisis advocacy, e.g. crisis lines and law enforcement response hotlines.
• Provides professional brief counseling for law enforcement employees and their families.
• Responsible for developing policies and procedures for providing counseling services as necessary to support the Hawai'i County Police Department (HPD).
• Provides counseling intervention services when necessary for department personnel including on location at police and/or fire incidents, crime scenes, divisions/unit offices, etc. as necessary.
• Provides comprehensive principles, methods and techniques of counseling theories and modalities. Uses various counseling measurements and resources available to help individuals, couples, and families build coping and resiliency skills.
• Provides 24 hour, on-call emergency counseling services (via telephone or in-person on scene), consultation, and assistance to HPD command, employees, and police operations. Provides recommendations and referrals for individuals to seek further treatment.
• Researches, develops, and implements material used for counseling, e.g., trauma work, activities for children, parenting skills, couples work, workplace conflict management and resolution, etc.
• Develops and provides training to Hawai'i County employees in the areas of counseling skills, stress management, suicide prevention, etc.
• Assists the PEER Support and Chaplin Corp. services as necessary.
• Coordinates care with other health care providers and agencies, as necessary.
• Makes referrals for treatment when beyond the scope of service for the County of Hawai'i.
• Maintains relevant documentation of services provided in accordance with the Manual of Operations.
• Maintains the psychological evaluation of the pass/fail testing results of recruits.
• Operate a motor vehicle to perform work-related travel.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Training and Experience:

A combination of education and experience substantially equivalent to:

• graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Social Work, Clinical Psychology, or a related field (scan and attach a copy of your official college transcript to your application), and
• two (2) years of work experience in a mental health program providing counseling and crisis intervention,
• of which shall have included some experience working with first responders.

License Requirement:

• possession of a valid State of Hawai'i Driver License (Class 3) or any other valid comparable drivers license. (You will be required to submit your valid drivers license at time of hire), and
• possession of a current State of Hawai'i Social Worker License (LSW) or current State of Hawai'i Mental Health Counselor License (MHC) at time of filing (scan and attach a copy of your valid LSW or MHC license to your application).

Note: Foreign transcripts must be accompanied by an official transcript or credential evaluation to determine U.S. equivalency. (Scan and attach a copy of your official transcript or credential evaluation to your application).

Examination: All applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements will be assigned a score of 70 points. An education and experience evaluation will be conducted based on the applicants training, education and experience as presented in the application.

Please read the minimum qualification requirements carefully. Be certain to list all pertinent training and experience, as this may be important in determining your examination score. It is essential that the applicant describe fully the duties and responsibilities of each position held, specify the date of each position held (from and to, month and year), and indicate the number of hours worked per week.

Attach all required documentation (e.g. official transcript, professional license(s)/certification(s), DD-214, etc.) at the time of submitting your application.

Note: In-person interviews and/or further testing in Hawaii County may be required at the discretion of the hiring department/agency. If in-person interviews and/or further testing are required, applicants who are referred to the hiring department/agency must be available to participate in person and at their own expense at that phase of the selection process.

Knowledge of: the essential functions of public safety personnel and organizations, working conditions unique to their respective positions, and common stressors inherent in public safety work; normal and abnormal adaptation and responses to occupational stress and trauma; research pertinent to resilience and recovery in public safety personnel, and the unique and legal aspects of confidentiality and testimonial privilege when providing services to public safety personnel and/or agencies; interactive theories and principles in complex and volatile situations, appropriate solutions, and appropriate response techniques to emotionally distressed individuals; community mental health and crisis services; applicable state and federal laws related to individual's rights; applicable community resources and referral services, and third-party rights to private information.

Ability to: work independently with minimal supervision; work with first responder personnel and have empathy to identify with and understand another person's experience and point of view; communicate orally and in writing to department personnel, community members, other law enforcement agencies, other first responder agencies, and vendor representatives; communicate effectively and sensitively in person, by phone, and in writing with peers, supervisors, citizens, other law enforcement agencies and entities, and various community resources; understand first responder culture, procedures, and general orders; function effectively within a paramilitary environment; develop and implement standards, policies and procedures concerning the evaluation, counseling and referral of employees having personal, family or work related issues, and use equipment and machinery requiring simple but continuous adjustments, such as computer terminal, video equipment for telehealth, tape recorders, photocopier, fax machine, police radio, typewriter, telephone.

Physical Requirements: Persons seeking appointment to positions in this class must meet the health and physical condition standards deemed necessary and proper to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.

Physical Effort Grouping: Light

Benefits of County employment: The County of Hawai'i offers a competitive compensation package. Your total compensation is comprised of your salary and a generous range of valuable benefits, subject to eligibility requirements.

• Flexible Working Arrangements: Options may include alternate work schedules (4-10) and flexible working hours. (Not all Departments/Agencies participate and not all positions are eligible.)
• Vacation: Start accruing paid vacation time immediately upon hire - up to 21 days per year.
• Sick Leave: Start accruing paid sick leave time immediately upon hire - up to 21 days per year.
• Holidays: The County provides 13 paid holidays per year (plus General Election Day when applicable).
• Training and Development: The County has a variety of training and development opportunities for employees.
• County Tuition Reimbursement Program: This scholarship program rewards employees who take the initiative to advance their education and learning.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program: You may be eligible for this federal program which forgives portions of federal student loans for individuals working in public service.
• Retirement Plan: The Employees' Retirement System is a qualified defined benefit public pension plan that provides retirement, disability, survivor and other benefits to all eligible full-time and part-time county employees in the State of Hawaii as well as their beneficiaries.
• Deferred Compensation: Save additional money for retirement - this voluntary supplemental retirement savings plan allows for the investment of tax-deferred contributions.
• Flexible Spending Plan: Use pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified dependent care and/or medical expenses, as well as insurance premiums.
• Health Benefit Plans: The County of Hawai'i offers a variety of health benefit plans for eligible employees.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): This voluntary assistance program provides employees and their family members with free professional and confidential assistance in overcoming personal and work-related problems.
• Group Life Insurance: Free life insurance policy for active employees.
• Credit Union Membership
• Other Leaves: You may be eligible for other leaves, including Family Leave, Funeral Leave, Leave Sharing, Military Leave, Donor Leave, Victims Protection Leave, as well as leave for Parent-Teacher Conferences, Disaster Relief, Blood Bank Donations, and Jury Duty.

All benefits are subject to eligibility requirements and change due to legislative actions and/or changes negotiated through collective bargaining. Please check out the benefits tab for additional information.

Supplemental Information

Please scan and attach these supporting documents to your on-line application, if required:

• an official college transcript,
• a valid drivers license,
• a temporary assignment verification,
• professional licenses, and/or
• certificates.

Veterans applying for veterans preference points shall also scan and attach their DD-214 form and as needed, their VA claim letter to the on-line application.

ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATION TO APPLICANTS:

Please ensure that the email address and mobile phone number you provide is current, secure, and readily accessible to you. We will not be responsible in any way if you do not receive our emails and text messages or fail to check your email box or NEOGOV account INBOX in a timely manner. Checking your NEOGOV account INBOX daily is recommended and is the most secure method to check on notices sent to you. This is a new feature created by our vendor, NEOGOV.

Please add info@governmentjobs.com to your contact list. Open your NEOGOV account using your user name and password. In the upper right hand corner of the account is your name, and under your name, click on INBOX to view all notices sent you. The notices will appear here in the INBOX even in the event you dont receive it on your cell phone, computer, or other electronic device. This is the best way to check and view all notices sent to you.

You will receive a confirmation email upon successfully submitting your application. Failure to receive this confirmation email, indicates that your application was not submitted.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE AT:

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/countyhawaii

E-mail: jobs@hawaiicounty.gov

Benefits of County employment: The County of Hawai'i offers a competitive compensation package. Your total compensation is comprised of your salary and a generous range of valuable benefits, subject to eligibility requirements.

• Flexible Working Arrangements: Options may include alternate work schedules (4-10) and flexible working hours. (Not all Departments/Agencies participate and not all positions are eligible.)
• Vacation: Employees start accruing paid vacation time immediately upon hire. 14 hours are earned after a full month of service, which equals to 21 days per year, with a maximum accumulation of 90 working days.
• Sick Leave: Employees start accruing paid sick leave time immediately upon hire. 14 hours are earned after a full month of service, which equals to 21 days per year, with no limitation on the amount of sick leave that may be accumulated.
• Holidays: The County provides 13 paid holidays per year (plus General Election Day when applicable).
• Training and Development: The County provides a variety of training and development opportunities for employees.
• County Tuition Reimbursement Program: Scholarship program for employees who take the initiative to advance their education and learning, subject to eligibility requirements and reimbursement limits.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program: A federal program forgiving the balance of federal student loans for individuals working in public service. For program requirements and additional information, please visit https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
• Retirement Plan: The Employees' Retirement System is a qualified defined benefit public pension plan covered under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. It provides retirement, disability, survivor and other benefits to all eligible full-time and part-time county employees in the State of Hawaii as well as their beneficiaries. For more information visit https://ers.ehawaii.gov
• Deferred Compensation: Eligible employees may participate in the Island Savings Plan (a deferred compensation plan as provided under Section 457 of the Internal Revenue Code.) This is a voluntary supplemental retirement savings plan that allows for the investment of tax-deferred contributions into a variety of investment options.
• Flexible Spending Plan: Eligible employees can use pre-tax dollars to pay for their portion of insurance premiums, qualified dependent care and/or medical expenses.
• Health Benefit Plans: The County of Hawai'i offers the following health benefit plans for eligible employees:
• Medical Plan (HMO or PPO)
• Vision Plan
• Dental Plan
• Prescription Drug Plan

These benefits are administered by the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund. For more information about current employee contribution rates and plans see the EUTF website (https://eutf.hawaii.gov).

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): The County offers a voluntary assistance program which provides its employees and their family members with free professional and confidential assistance in overcoming personal and work-related problems.
• Group Life Insurance: The County provides a free life insurance policy for active employees.
• Credit Union Membership
• Other Leaves: You may be eligible for other leaves, such as: Family Leave, Funeral Leave, Leave Sharing, Military Leave, Victims Protection Leave, Parent-Teacher Conferences, Disaster Relief, Blood Bank Donations, Donor Leave, and Jury Duty.

All benefits are subject to eligibility requirements and to legislative and/or changes negotiated through collective bargaining.

01

REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS. The information provided to these Supplemental Questions may be used in combination with your application to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements and/or your final score. Failure to provide detailed and complete information may result in your application being rejected or you receiving a lower score. Please do not submit a resume in place of completing the Supplemental Questions. Any information you submit may be verified.

When applying for this position, I understand that I must thoroughly complete the Education and Work Experience Sections of my application and the Supplemental Questions. This includes a detailed description of each position that I feel qualifies me for the job I am seeking.

I have read the above statement and understand that failure to provide sufficient detailed information may result in my application being rejected or my receiving a lower examination score. I also understand that I may not submit resumes in lieu of filling out the application or answering the Supplemental Questions. However, I may attach a resume to the application to provide additional information.

• I acknowledge that I have read and understand the above information.

02

Applicants must meet all the requirements for the position they are seeking as of the closing date of the recruitment, unless otherwise specified. Your possession of the required amount of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification for the position. Overall paid or unpaid experience must be of such scope and responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that you have the ability to perform the duties of the position. It is essential that you describe fully the duties and responsibilities of each position held, specify the date of each position held (from and to, month and year), and indicate the number of hours worked per week.

Note: Calculation of experience is based on full-time, 40-hour work weeks. Part-time experience must be pro-rated. Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours per week is equivalent to six months of experience. In addition, hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week, per work experience, will not be credited. Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours per week is equivalent to one year, not one and one-half years.

• I acknowledge that I have read and understand the above information.

03

Did you graduate from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Social Work, Clinical Psychology, or a related field? Note: Foreign transcripts must be accompanied by an official credential evaluation report to determine U.S. equivalency. (Scan and attach a copy of your official credential evaluation report to your application.)

• Yes
• No

04

Did you scan and attach a copy of your official college transcript to your application?

• Yes
• No

05

Do you have two (2) years of work experience in a mental health program providing counseling and crisis intervention?

• Yes
• No

06

If you answered "Yes" to question #5, please describe where you gained your work experience. Treat each change in employer or position separately. Include the following information:

A. Employers name

B. Your job title

C. Specific dates of employment (from month/day/year to month/day/year)

D. Hours worked per week

E. Your duties specific to your work experience in a mental health program providing counseling and crisis intervention.

F. The percentage of time you spent performing these duties

If you answered "No," enter N/A.

Be specific and complete ALL questions for ALL experience you are claiming. The following are unacceptable responses:

• See above
• Refer to resume
• See attached

07

If you answered "Yes" to question #5, does it include some experience working with first responders?

• Yes
• No

08

If you answered "Yes" to question #7, please describe where you gained your work experience. Treat each change in employer or position separately. Include the following information:

A. Employers name

B. Your job title

C. Specific dates of employment (from month/day/year to month/day/year)

D. Hours worked per week

E. Your duties specific to your experience working with first responders.

F. The percentage of time you spent performing these duties

If you answered "No," enter N/A.

Be specific and complete ALL questions for ALL experience you are claiming. The following are unacceptable responses:

• See above
• Refer to resume
• See attached

09

Do you have a valid State of Hawaii Social Worker License (LSW) or a valid State of Hawaii Mental Health Counselor License (MHC) at time of filing? (Scan and attach a copy of your valid LSW or MHC to your application.)

• Yes
• No

10

Do you have a valid State of Hawai`i drivers license (Class 3) or any other valid comparable drivers license at the time of filing? (You will be required to submit your drivers license at time hire.)

• Yes
• No

11

The following questions are required to be answered in order to proceed with the Hawaii Police Department application process. These questions are designed to assess your skills, knowledge, and abilities in relation to the specific job requirements. Your responses will help the Hawaii Police Department determine your ability to successfully perform the duties of the position for which you are applying. Please answer all questions completely and accurately. Where applicable, provide detailed responses in the space provided.

• I acknowledge that I have read and understand the above information.

12

IDENTIFYING/PERSONAL INFORMATION

Please provide your complete residential address.

Residence Address:

13

IDENTIFYING/PERSONAL INFORMATION

Please provide your physical residence location and/or directions if your address is not easily identifiable by standard mailing address.

Directions/Additional Location Details (if applicable):

14

IDENTIFYING/PERSONAL INFORMATION

Have you ever been known by or used another name?

• Yes
• No

15

If you answered "Yes" to question #14, please list all other names used.

16

IDENTIFYING/PERSONAL INFORMATION

Please provide information for your closest living relative:

A. Name:

B. Address:

C. Telephone:

17

MILITARY HISTORY

Have you ever served in the U.S. Armed Forces? (If yes, scan and attach a copy of your DD214 Form.)

• Yes
• No

18

MILITARY HISTORY

If you answered "Yes" to question #17, please provide the following information:

A. Which Branch:

B. Location of Last Assignment/Station:

C. Date(s) of Service:

19

CRIMINAL RECORD

Have you ever been convicted of a criminal or traffic offense?

• Yes
• No

20

CRIMINAL RECORD

If you answered "Yes" to question #19, please provide the following details for each offense:

A. Offense:

B. Date of Offense:

C. Date of Conviction:

D. Location of Offense:

E. Disposition:

21

PERSONAL REFERENCES

Please list three (3) persons not related to you who have known you and can attest to your character and personal attributes. Provide complete and accurate contact information for each reference.

PERSONAL REFERENCE #1

A. Name:

B. Contact Phone:

C. Email Address:

D. Complete Mailing Address:

E. Complete Residence Address:

F. Location/Directions (if necessary):

22

PERSONAL REFERENCE #2

Provide complete and accurate contact information for each reference.

A. Name:

B. Contact Phone:

C. Email Address:

D. Complete Mailing Address:

E. Complete Residence Address:

F. Location/Directions (if necessary):

23

PERSONAL REFERENCE #3

Provide complete and accurate contact information for each reference.

A. Name:

B. Contact Phone:

C. Email Address:

D. Complete Mailing Address:

E. Complete Residence Address:

F. Location/Directions (if necessary):

24

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES

Please list two (2) professional references that are not listed in your employment history who can attest to your character and personal attributes. Provide complete and accurate contact information for each reference.

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE #1

A. Name:

B. Contact Phone:

C. Email Address:

D. Complete Mailing Address:

E. Employer:

F. Occupation:

G. Business Phone:

H. Business Mailing Address:

25

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES

Provide complete and accurate contact information for each reference.

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE #2

A. Name:

B. Contact Phone:

C. Email Address:

D. Complete Mailing Address:

E. Employer:

F. Occupation:

G. Business Phone:

H. Business Mailing Address:

26

V. DECLARATION

I understand that misrepresentation or the purposeful omission of facts called for on this form is reason to disqualify me from further consideration and is grounds for termination if such items are a business necessity.

• I acknowledge that I have read and understand the above information.

Required Question

Employer County of Hawai`i

Address Department of Human Resources

101 Pauahi Street, Suite 2

Hilo, Hawaii, 96720

Phone 808-961-8361

Website http://jobs.hawaiicounty.gov