Division Chief, Peer Support Network

Texas Division of Emergency Management•Austin, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) is an emergency response entity, and this status can affect working hours, travel, and change in duties as needed. The Division Chief, Peer Support Network is responsible for the strategic leadership, development, and statewide implementation of Texas’s First Responder Peer Support Network. This position oversees the design, governance, and operationalization of a comprehensive peer support framework serving first responders, and agency disaster response emergency management professionals across Texas. The Division Chief, Peer Support Network ensures the network provides confidential, evidence-informed, trauma-aware peer support services, aligned with nationally recognized best practices for first responder wellness, resilience, and suicide prevention. This includes establishing standards for peer selection, training, certification, activation protocols, confidentiality protections with integration across relevant state agencies, and integration with clinical and crisis-response resources when escalation is required. The Division Chief, Peer Support Network leads statewide coordination with partner agencies and stakeholders, including but not limited to fire and EMS agencies, public health partners, behavioral health providers, higher education institutions, states agencies and nonprofit organizations supporting first responder mental health. This position works under minimal supervision with extensive latitude for initiative and independent judgment, requiring a high level of discretion, leadership maturity, and credibility within the first responder communities. This position is considered at-will and serves at the discretion of the Chief. Salary is a fixed rate and is non-negotiable. This position is located on-site and not subject to telecommuting.

Requirements

Education – Master’s or bachelor’s degree in public administration, community health, psychology, social work, behavioral sciences, public health, or a closely related field.
Licensure – Texas DSHS Paramedic, TCFP Advanced Structural Firefighter, or SFFMA Master Firefighter Certification
Experience – Fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible positions within the first responder community, with a minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience.
Keen understanding of the agency’s unique policy and priorities, and the history and environment that shape them.
Demonstrated experience working with first responder populations (e.g., emergency management, fire, EMS, dispatch, disaster response personnel); knowledge of emergency management systems, first responder culture, occupational stressors, and disaster-related psychological impacts.
Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, or overseeing peer support, wellness, resilience, or mental health–adjacent programs, including policy or program governance.
Knowledge of and experience working within confidentiality and ethical frameworks applicable to peer support, employee wellness, or human services programs.
Well-spoken with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, models best practices in a work environment, driven to succeed through collaboration and diplomacy.
Knowledge of management and supervisory methods and principles, performance and productivity standards, and fiscal/budget management.
Keen demonstration of poise, tact, and diplomacy, while establishing and maintaining effective working/professional relationships with internal and external customers.
Develops and ensures adherence to plans, policies, and procedures for efficient workflow and overall effectiveness.
Provide clear direction to subordinates; promote teamwork and motivate others to accomplish goals.
Ability to be organized, flexible, and effectively prioritize activities in a multi-demand and constantly changing environment.
Exhibit creative reasoning and effective decision making in the absence of/or under minimal supervision.
Scrutinize data/information, discern variations/similarities, and identify trends, relationships, and causal factors, as well as grasp issues, draw accurate conclusions, and solve problems.
Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
Responsible in the handling of sensitive and confidential information, and situations, and adhere to applicable laws/statutes/policies related to access, maintenance, and dissemination of information.
Must complete the following training courses: IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800, and the Professional Development Series within the first twelve (12) months of employment.

Responsibilities

Developing and implementing the statewide Peer Support Network governance structure required under HB 35, including policies, protocols, and performance measures.
Overseeing recruitment, vetting, training, and sustainment of peer supporters to ensure credibility, cultural competence, and adherence to confidentiality and ethical standards.
Establishing activation and deployment models for peer support during disasters, critical incidents, prolonged operations, and post-incident recovery phases.
Ensuring coordination between peer support services and potential clinical pathways, crisis lines, employee assistance programs, and licensed behavioral health professionals, while preserving the non-clinical nature of peer support.
Collaborating with mental health experts and licensed clinicians, including the agency Medical Director, to understand and incorporate best practices and protocols for mental health peer support models, including knowledge of trauma-informed care principles and suicide prevention strategies.
Monitoring compliance with applicable statutes, confidentiality protections, and risk-management requirements, and recommending policy or procedural improvements as needed.
Assessing program effectiveness through data-informed evaluation, utilization metrics, and continuous improvement processes consistent with program evaluation principles.
Collaborating with department heads and senior executives to integrate peer support into broader workforce wellness, operational readiness, and responder resiliency strategies.
Providing input into long-term strategic planning, funding strategies, sustainability models, and budgetary initiatives related to responder mental health and wellness.
Serving as a subject-matter expert and advisor to TDEM leadership, the Texas Emergency Management Council, and external partners on first responder peer support and resilience.
Build and maintain a departmental structure, operating standards, and practices that are responsive and adaptable to evolving business needs.
Identify opportunities for improved emergency management efforts in coordination with and/or supported by the broader first responder community.
Represent the agency at business meetings, hearings, conferences, and seminars or on boards, panels, and committees.
Compile executive-level communication, including briefings, legislative coordination, and written reports for senior leadership.
May plan, assign, and supervise the work of others.
Face-to-face and person-to-person interactions are required.
Perform related work as assigned.
Maintain a regular work schedule and work extended hours when needed.