Crisis Counselor l (67402)

Volunteers Of America Western Washington•Everett, WA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

This full-time, hourly position provides crisis intervention, suicide prevention, information & referral, and brief supportive counseling to clients who are in emotional distress and/or seeking information about mental health services. Crisis Counselor I work in a call center and all interactions with clients are by telephone. Crisis Counselor I also provide professional consultation to determine what less restrictive options are appropriate and triages requests for face-to-face mental health evaluations and dispatch the appropriate teams to conduct the evaluation.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Social Work, or related field required.
At least 1 year of experience in a healthcare contact center and/or in mental health counseling.
Agency Affiliated Counselor Registration is required within 30 days of employment, or equivalent, and must remain in active status during employment
Fluency in the English language, both oral and written
Courteous, empathic, and professional manner
Motivational interviewing
Active listening skills to establish collaborative relationship with clients
Efficiency with information-gathering, and problem-solving to facilitate positive case resolutions
Superior communication skills to convey information to clients clearly, accurately, and completely
Ability to simultaneously talk and type while utilizing multiple screens and/or windows
Ability to quickly and accurately document chart notes in an electronic medical record
Efficiency with balancing pace and flow of conversation and call time

Nice To Haves

Suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and/or mental health information and referral services experience preferred
Applicants should be comfortable working independently and as part of a team in a collegial group environment

Responsibilities

Provide crisis intervention, suicide prevention and brief supportive counseling to clients who are in emotional distress
Conduct assessments of clients per regional and program policies and procedures
Manage interactions with clients to ensure appropriate level of support is provided in an efficient manner
Adhere to policies & procedures
Accurately and efficiently document client interactions
Meet or exceed established key performance indicator goals
Utilize current technologies to interact with clients and members of the community
Provide professional assessment, consultation, and coordination
Attend staff meetings and trainings on local and regional levels
Act as mentors and coaches to new staff
Provide back-up coverage to other Regional Crisis Line and 988 programs as needed