Manager, 988 Lifeline
About The Position
FirstLink is seeking an experienced, compassionate leader to manage its 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline team. As the local answering point for the Lifeline, FirstLink responds to tens of thousands of conversations each year from North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota by phone, chat, and text. The 988 Manager leads and develops Crisis Specialists who support people experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, substance use concerns, grief, and other behavioral health challenges. The role provides leadership, supervision, and operational oversight to ensure compassionate, evidence-based care and high standards of suicide safety assessment, crisis intervention, documentation, and quality improvement. The Manager uses data to strengthen answering capacity, monitors service quality across voice, chat, and text, and ensures compliance with national 988 Lifeline standards and accreditation requirements. The role collaborates with quality improvement, staff development, and organizational leadership to improve crisis response and support team growth. FirstLink offers a starting wage of $27.50 per hour and an excellent benefits package, including employee medical, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability insurance paid 100% by the employer, as well as a generous PTO package. Candidates selected to advance following an interview will be asked to authorize a standard pre-employment background check; professional reference surveys are also requested.
Requirements
- Lead with confidence and compassion.
- Demonstrate coaching skills, the ability to build trust and develop talent, and the ability to foster a supportive culture for staff and help-seekers.
- Communicate clearly, remain calm under pressure, and be committed to high-quality, person-centered crisis intervention.
- Have a strong understanding of crisis intervention practices.
- Be comfortable navigating complex situations, interpreting operational data, and leading continuous improvement.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in crisis services, behavioral health, suicide prevention, or contact center operations.
- A passion for helping others grow professionally.
Responsibilities
- Provide leadership, supervision, and operational oversight for 988 Crisis Specialists.
- Recruit, coach, mentor, and develop staff.
- Ensure high standards of suicide safety assessment, crisis intervention, documentation, and quality improvement.
- Use data to strengthen answering capacity.
- Monitor service quality across phone, chat, and text.
- Ensure compliance with national 988 Lifeline standards and accreditation requirements.
- Collaborate with quality improvement, staff development, and organizational leadership to improve crisis response and support team growth.
Benefits
- 100%-paid employee medical insurance
- 100%-paid employee dental insurance
- 100%-paid employee vision insurance
- 100%-paid employee life insurance
- 100%-paid employee short-term disability insurance
- 100%-paid employee long-term disability insurance
- Generous PTO package
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
No Education Listed
