State of North Carolina logo
State of North Carolina
Butner, North Carolina

Creative/Expressive Arts Therapist - Central Regional Hospital

Counselor / TherapistIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$43k-$65k

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Weekend work is also flagged as required; confirm which days and how often.

Ask the employer about the work setting and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

  • Agency
  • Dept of Health and Human Services
  • Division
  • Central Regional Hospital
  • Job Classification Title
  • Creative/Expressive Arts Therapist (S)
  • Position Number
  • Grade
  • MH08

About Us

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is one of the largest, most complex agencies in the state, and has approximately 17,000 employees. It is responsible for ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all North Carolinians, providing human service needs for special populations including individuals who are deaf, blind, developmentally disabled, and mentally ill, and helping poor North Carolinians achieve economic independence.

Description of Work

The primary purpose of this position is to provide art or music therapy, depending on the licensure of the employee, as well as other therapy groups for adult, children, and adolescent. This position provides both group and individual therapy.

This position reports directly to the PST Psychology/Social Work/Creative Arts Supervisor to ensure that the treatment components are clinically sound, evidence based and meet hospital and departmental clinical objectives and standards.

This position may also be required to supervise students and/or volunteers performing work or service during group treatments and will be required to be in direct observation of these students/volunteers during these activities.

This position will also participate in specialized activities to enhance patients’ well-being and treatment. This position may function as a liaison with a patient care unit, participate in treatment team planning, and complete patient enrollment in recommended groups.

  • Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences
  • Salary Range: $43,477.00 - $65,216.00

Candidates now meet the minimum qualifications of a position if they meet the minimum education and experience listed on the vacancy announcement.

The Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)/ Management Preferences are not required. Applicants who possess the following skills are preferred:

Experience with inpatient psychiatric setting preferred.

Previous work experience demonstrating the ability to instruct and supervise student interns and other medical and paraprofessional personnel in creative/expressive arts therapy methods and techniques.

Management prefers a candidate that possesses one of the following: 1) Board certified music therapist with the MT-BC credential. 2) Registration with ATCB (Art Therapy Credentialing Board) as an ATR-P, ATR, or ATR-BC. 3) Registration with DMTCB (Dance Movement Therapy Certification Board) as a R-DMT or BC-DMT. 4) Registration with NADTA (North American Drama Therapy Association) as a RDT.

This is a full-time position and is eligible for the full State benefits package including health insurance, paid sick/vacation/holidays, and retirement. The normal working hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 a. m. - 4:30 p. m., with occasional weekends as scheduled. Flexibility is required to meet hospital needs.

Compensation and Benefits

The state of North Carolina offers excellent comprehensive benefits. Employees can participate in health insurance options, standard and supplemental retirement plans, and the NCFlex program (numerous high-quality, low-cost benefits on a pre-tax basis). Employees also receive paid vacation, sick, and community service leave. In addition, paid parental leave is available to eligible employees. Visit the NC DHHS Benefits and Wellness website for more information.

About Central Regional Hospital (CRH): CRH is a State-of-the Art psychiatric hospital located in Butner, NC. Our location is ideal with four seasons, mild temperatures and provides an easy commute to the N.C. mountains or beaches.

Butner possesses small town charm but is within 30 minutes of a major metropolitan area including Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham, NC. The people we serve are at the heart of our facility. Our team is critical to the mission of the hospital.

We strive to create an environment in which every team member contributes to the overall success of the hospital to positively impact the lives of those around them and the individuals we serve.

Supplemental Contact Information

DHHS uses the Merit-Based Recruitment and Selection Plan to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act with the most qualified individuals. Hiring salary will be based on relevant qualifications, internal equity, and budgetary considerations pertinent to the advertised position.

Positions in the Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities shall be subject to pre-employment drug testing and criminal record background checks. Also, the use of tobacco products of any kind including vapor products are prohibited from our campuses. All employees are required to adhere to the facility's Vaccination Policy.

Application Process

Be sure to complete the application in its entirety. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing this application.

Information should be provided in the appropriate areas, to include the following: Education, including high school and all degrees obtained, Work Experience, and Certificates & Licenses. It is critical to our screening and salary determination process that applications contain comprehensive candidate information.

Answers to Supplemental Questions are not a substitute for providing all relevant information within the body of your application. To receive credit for the supplemental questions, you must provide supporting information within the "Work Experience" section of the application, to support your answers.

The posting will close at 11:59 p. m. the night before the end date.

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of your application over the phone. To check the status of your application, please log in to your account. Upon the closing date, applications are "Under Review" and will be screened by Human Resources for the qualified applicants. The hiring process may take several weeks.

Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions. Transcripts and degree evaluations may be uploaded with your application.

The State of North Carolina/Office of State Human Resources uses the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) as a referral resource for applicants who need to have their credentials certified as equivalent.

For a list of organizations that perform this specialized service, please visit the NACES membership website at naces.org.

Veteran’s and National Guard Preference

Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a DD-214 Member-4 Form (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to their applications.

Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach an NGB 23A (RPAS), along with the state application if they are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing.

Applicants who are former member of either the NC Army National Guard or the NC Air National Guard, with honorable discharge and six years of creditable service, must attach a copy of the DD 256 or NGB 22, along with the state application.

ADA Accommodations

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), DHHS is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, DHHS will ensure that people with disabilities, or known limitations covered by the PWFA, are provided with reasonable accommodation. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the person indicated below.

Applicants will be communicated via email only for updates on the status of their application. If there are any questions about this posting other than your application status, please contact HR at 919-764-7200.

Minimum Education and Experience

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an “equivalent combination of education and experience.” If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the Education and Experience Equivalency Guide for details.

Bachelor’s degree in music therapy which includes a six month internship from an appropriately accredited institution; or

Bachelor’s degree in music or music education with an equivalency in music therapy which includes a six month internship from an appropriately accredited institution; or

Bachelor’s degree in one of the creative/expressive arts areas (art, dance, drama, music) from an appropriately accredited institution and two years of experience in all phases of therapeutic programming; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Administering the class: if the creative/expressive arts degree program has a therapeutic equivalency or emphasis, the experience requirements will be waived.

EEO Statement

The State of North Carolina is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free from all forms of unlawful employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. The state provides reasonable accommodation to employees and applicants with disabilities; known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.

Recruiter

Theodora Bumpass Ramsey

Email

talentacquisition@dhhs.nc.gov

Key Responsibilities

Provide art or music therapy through group and individual sessions for adult, child, and adolescent patients in a psychiatric setting. Collaborate with treatment teams to ensure clinically sound, evidence-based care while supervising students and volunteers.

Requirements

Requires a bachelor's degree in music therapy, music education with equivalency, or a creative/expressive arts field. Candidates must meet specific credentialing requirements such as MT-BC, ATR, R-DMT, or RDT to be preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

Board Certification

Key Skills

Group therapyPsychiatric careTreatment planningStudent supervisionClinical documentationPatient assessmentCrisis interventionInterdisciplinary collaboration

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Creative/Expressive Arts Therapist - Central Regional Hospital at State of North Carolina a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 35% of all Mental Health Therapy counselor listings evaluated on our platform.

Counselor Career Context

State of North Carolina ranks #16 of 19 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 54% are remote, 32% have no call, 64% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$43k–$65kMental Health Therapy median $66k (middle half $62k–$75k)14 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$58k in purchasing powerNorth Carolina index 94.3 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in North Carolina275 active7,872 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 54% remote · 32% no call · 64% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedNorth Carolina Counselor listings: 15% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 14% offer loan repayment492 active listings, Oct 2026
Mental Health Therapy pay trend+1.6% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
State of North Carolina#16 of 19 for payTop Employers work-life index
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Counselor Jobs

32 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

32 jobs · 24 employers
13
<$75k
9
$75k-90k
6
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2
$105k-120k
2
$120k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

27 jobs · 24 employers
401k / retirement match
96% this job
CME allowance
33%
Sign-on bonus
22%
Loan repayment
15%
PSLF eligible
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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#4

Licensed Clinical Therapist (LSCSW, LCPC, LCMFT) Sign-on Bonus $5,000

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 6.0
Better work-life than 50% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,885 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends
State of North Carolina logo

About State of North Carolina

Government Administration
Raleigh, North Carolina
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Retirement Plan
NCFlex Program
Paid Parental Leave
Community Service Leave

Living in Butner

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$290k≈ 6.7× annual pay
Median resident rent
$1,307/mo≈ 36% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.6
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.