Remote-Based Bilingual Crisis Counselor (Contingent on Grant-funding)

CONTACT Care Line•Knoxville, TN

2d•$18 - $24•Remote

About The Position

CONTACT Care Line is East Tennessee’s first crisis hotline. Our 988 Crisis Program provides text and phone-based support for individuals experiencing emotional distress or suicidal crisis. Crisis Counselors are responsible for assessing suicide risk, offering compassionate support, ensuring timely documentation, and collaborating with visitors to create safety plans. In addition to responding on the front lines, counselors are expected to engage in follow-ups, maintain communication standards, and adhere to all clinical, legal, and operational guidelines. CONTACT’s team culture values mutual support, professional growth, and a shared mission to make a difference—every single day. This is a fully remote position contingent on grant approval. Schedules are to be determined, and we are seeking potential Crisis Counselors for all schedules. IMPORTANT NOTE: At this time, we are only hiring employees from the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Requirements

Must be 18 years of age or older
Must not be a current or recent (within the past 3 years) client of any CONTACT Care Line crisis program
Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution with a minimum of 120 college credits in Social Work or a related mental health field, or equivalent experience required
Minimum of 1 year of experience in mental health, crisis intervention, or a related field
Fluent in both Spanish and English, with the ability to provide culturally responsive care in both languages
Strong empathic listening and reflective communication skills
Ability to remain calm and apply logical reasoning in high-stress or high-risk situations
Skilled in identifying and responding to imminent risk, with appropriate urgency and clinical awareness
Demonstrated proficiency in using web-based applications, navigating websites, and troubleshooting basic technical issues
Growth mindset with a willingness to receive and implement feedback promptly
Commitment to non-judgmental, compassionate support for all visitors, regardless of personal, political, or philosophical differences
Resourceful, solution-focused mindset with the ability to make independent decisions under pressure
Commitment to open, timely, and respectful two-way communication
All clinical staff at CONTACT Care Line are required to complete CONTACT Crisis Counselor Basic Training within the first two weeks of employment
Physical requirements include the ability to remain in a stationary position for prolonged periods and work continuously from a computer with high speed, secure internet.
A hardwired Ethernet connection is required for this position to ensure consistent call and chat quality.

Responsibilities

Respond to 988 telephone and/or chat and text interactions in Spanish in a timely, compassionate, and culturally sensitive manner
During chat-focused shifts, manage two concurrent chat interactions in alignment with the two-chat policy, while maintaining accuracy, professionalism, and timely responses.
Assess and mitigate suicide risk using established protocols and safety planning procedures
Deliver emotional support utilizing active listening and de-escalation skills
Provide referrals to appropriate community resources as needed
Follow all clinical and operational protocols, including making outbound calls to high-risk visitors and conducting independent follow-ups
Initiate and conduct follow-up outreach based on visitor needs, program and services guidelines, and clinical judgment
Participate in and complete training for crisis counseling services in both Spanish and English; maintain readiness to support Spanish-speaking visitors at all times
Accurately and thoroughly document all visitor interactions in accordance with organizational procedures
Complete documentation within 8 minutes per interaction, ensuring clinical details are clear, timely, and aligned with documentation standards
Engage in SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) consultations for escalated visitor cases and mandatory reporting (MR) conversations
Use Slack as the virtual home office, maintaining an active presence and responding promptly and professionally to all work-related messages within 3 minutes during scheduled shifts. This include shift-chat consults, DMs from staff and your supervisor during your shift. Social or update channels do not require a response within 3 minutes.
Participate in meetings and supervision sessions on Microsoft Teams and be prepared to join video calls professionally when requested during scheduled shifts or for pre-arranged meetings
Read and appropriately engage with all communications and updates from leadership, including the #updates and #paid-staff-topics channels on Slack
Attend monthly staff meetings and actively participate in team-wide discussions and initiatives
Be knowledgeable of and adhere to all mandatory reporting requirements, policies, and procedures
Assist in the completion of reports involving suspected child or vulnerable adult abuse
Keep current with Title VI training and ensure adherence to non-discrimination and equity standards
Comply fully with all policies and procedures outlined in the Operations Handbook, Clinical Policy Documents, Clinical Operating Procedures, and Lifeline metrics.
Complete all required continuing education, including clinical refreshers, Mind Meld sessions, and other assigned trainings
Attend regular supervision sessions and implement feedback from supervisors
Participate in performance reviews, including probationary and ongoing evaluations
Meet or exceed performance benchmarks for quality, productivity, attendance, and ethical conduct
Support the onboarding of new team members through mentoring when requested