Crisis Specialist, 988 Lifeline

FirstLink • Fargo, ND

1d • $20 - $22

About The Position

FirstLink is seeking compassionate and resilient individuals to join their team as 988 Crisis Specialists. In this role, you will provide life-saving support through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Specialists answer calls, chats, and texts from individuals experiencing various behavioral health crises, including suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, substance use concerns, grief, and loneliness. As the local 988 answering center for North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, FirstLink emphasizes connecting individuals with community-specific resources. Each interaction is viewed as an opportunity to reduce risk, restore hope, and offer support during difficult times.

Requirements

• Compassionate, emotionally steady, and genuinely curious about the people they serve.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Comfortable sitting with difficult emotions without feeling the need to immediately 'fix' them.
• Experience in customer service, contact centers, behavioral health, healthcare, human services, crisis intervention, or other helping professions.
• Demonstrate empathy, professionalism, and strong communication skills.
• Desire to continue learning and growing.

Responsibilities

• Answer calls, chats, and texts from people experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, substance use concerns, grief, loneliness, and other behavioral health crises.
• Provide life-saving support through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
• Connect individuals with community-specific resources.
• Reduce risk, restore hope, and remind individuals they don't have to face life's hardest moments alone.

Benefits

• Comprehensive training including national 988 Lifeline Core Clinical Training, suicide safety assessment, chat and text response, simulations, roleplays, live observation, and ongoing coaching.
• Certification opportunities.
• Monthly coaching.
• Quality improvement initiatives.
• Internal advancement opportunities.
• Support for professional development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed