Crisis Support Clinician

Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc.; Lewes; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Incentive pay

Generous PTO

Retirement contributions

Professional development

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Long-term disability

Job summary

Delaware Guidance Services is seeking a Crisis Support Clinician to work in a team-based MRSS program, delivering trauma-informed crisis support to youth and families in homes, schools, and the community. You will assist in stabilization planning and connect families to long-term services while teaching de-escalation, soothing, and safety planning.

The role involves on-call shifts including evenings and weekends, collaboration with Lead Clinician, and ensuring timely documentation and ethical

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work , Psychology, Human Services, or a related behavioral health field required.
• Minimum of 1–2 years of experience working with children, youth, and families in a behavioral health, community, or crisis setting.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, family systems, and youth development.
• Familiarity with Delaware’s System of Care, child-serving systems, and behavioral-health resources preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to remain calm and effective in high-stress or emotionally charged situations.
• Valid Delaware driver’s license, reliable transportation, and willingness to travel throughout the assigned county.
• Flexibility to respond to youth and family needs outside of traditional business hours, including evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Respond quickly to behavioral health crises involving youth ages 2–17.
• Provide de-escalation support and emotional regulation strategies to youth and caregivers.
• Assist the Lead Clinician in providing safety while assessing risk and developing individualized safety and stabilization plans.
• Deliver short-term, strength-based interventions designed to stabilize crises and reduce emergency system utilization.
• Assist parent/guardian with Environment Safety Scan to ensure sharps, medications, and other areas of risk are mitigated, in alignment with the Comprehensive Safety Plan.
• Participate in on-call rotation, including evenings and weekends, as needed.
• Build rapport with youth and families to foster trust, safety, and collaboration.
• Empower caregivers with tools and strategies to manage behavioral health challenges in the home.
• Support families in navigating acute stress and conflict while promoting resilience and self-efficacy.
• Encourage and reinforce soothing techniques within the home environment.
• Identify family strengths and protective factors for crisis planning.
• Bridge between families and Delaware’s child-serving systems and coordinate referrals.
• Collaborate with system partners to ensure continuity of care and long-term stabilization.
• Advocate for culturally competent, accessible services meeting youth and family needs.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Critical thinking

Crisis intervention

Calm under pressure

Education

Bachelor's degree in Social Work or related

Job description

Signing Bonus: $4,000

Retention Bonus after 1 year: starting at $1000

Shift differential for worked hours between M-F 5:00pm and 8:00am, weekends and holidays: $2 per hour

Summary/objective

The Crisis Support Clinician is an integral member of the team-based approach to crisis intervention in Delaware’s Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) program, providing rapid, trauma-informed, and community-based behavioral health support to children, youth, and their families during times of crisis. the Crisis Support Clinician assists, coordinates, and supports crisis interventions, stabilization planning, and connection to long-term services within Delaware’s System of Care. This role emphasizes teaching, practicing, and reinforcing skill-building interventions such as de-escalation, soothing techniques, and safety planning, both with youth and their caregivers. Services are provided in homes, schools, and other community settings to ensure accessibility and family-centered support.

Essential Functions

• In a team-delivery model, respond quickly and effectively to behavioral health crises involving youth ages 2–17.
• Provide de-escalation support and emotional regulation strategies to youth and caregivers.
• Assist the Lead Clinician in providing safety while assessing risk and developing individualized safety and stabilization plans.
• Deliver short-term, strength-based interventions designed to stabilize crises and reduce emergency system utilization.
• Assist parent/guardian with Environment Safety Scan to ensure sharps, medications, and other areas of risk are mitigated, in alignment with the Comprehensive Safety Plan.
• Participate in on-call rotation, including evenings and weekends, as needed.

Family Engagement & Support

• Build rapport with youth and families to foster trust, safety, and collaboration.
• Empower caregivers with tools and strategies to manage behavioral health challenges in the home.
• Support families in navigating acute stress and conflict while promoting resilience and self-efficacy.
• Encourage and reinforce the use of soothing and calming techniques within the home environment.
• Assist in identifying family strengths and protective factors that can be leveraged in crisis planning.

Connecting To The System Of Care

• Serve as a bridge between families and Delaware’s child-serving systems (e.g., DSCYF, Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services, education, juvenile justice, child welfare, and community providers).
• Provide warm hand-offs and referrals to behavioral health, peer support, care coordination, and wraparound services.
• Collaborate with system partners to ensure continuity of care and long-term stabilization.
• Advocate for culturally competent, accessible services that meet the needs of youth and families.
• Promote family voice and choice in care planning and service connection.

Documentation & Compliance

• Complete timely and accurate documentation of all contacts, interventions, and referrals in compliance with Delaware’s MRSS guidelines and agency policy using agency-approved electronic health record systems.
• Maintain confidentiality and uphold ethical and professional standards.
• Ensure compliance with state regulations, ethical guidelines, and confidentiality requirements.
• Participate in required trainings and ongoing professional development to maintain proficiency in MRSS service delivery.

Team Collaboration

• Work closely with the Lead Clinician and MRSS team to ensure coordinated and effective service delivery.
• Engage in a culture of continuous learning and reflective practice.
• Participate in regular team meetings, reflective supervision, and case coordination sessions.
• Maintain strong communication and coordination with the full MRSS team to ensure timely, consistent care.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work , Psychology, Human Services, or a related behavioral health field required.
• Minimum of 1–2 years of experience working with children, youth, and families in a behavioral health, community, or crisis setting.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, family systems, and youth development.
• Familiarity with Delaware’s System of Care, child-serving systems, and behavioral-health resources preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to remain calm and effective in high-stress or emotionally charged situations.
• Valid Delaware driver’s license, reliable transportation, and willingness to travel throughout the assigned county.
• Flexibility to respond to youth and family needs outside of traditional business hours, including evenings and weekends.

Preferred Skills

• Bilingual (Spanish/English or other languages) highly desirable.
• Experience implementing therapeutic interventions or behavioral supports in home or school settings.
• Knowledge of wraparound, care coordination, and family-driven principles of care.
• Prior experience with MRSS or similar mobile crisis models.

Eeo

Delaware Guidance Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

About Delaware Guidance Services

DGS is the largest non-profit provider of outpatient behavioral health services for children and families in Delaware, and the only statewide organization of its kind continuously accredited by The Joint Commission since 1999. Our vision for Delaware—resilient families nurturing children’s well-being—flows from our mission to provide high-quality, trauma-informed therapeutic services that strengthen social, emotional, and behavioral wellness.

Each year, DGS serves an average of 3,500 children and youth through a clinically excellent continuum of care that includes outpatient therapy, community-based services, school-based supports, mobile crisis response, and short-term youth crisis stabilization. Our clinical lines operate 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, ensuring that children and families have access to timely, flexible, and culturally responsive care wherever it is needed—at home, in school, in the community, or at one of our five office locations across Wilmington, Newark, Dover, Lewes, and Seaford.

If you want to learn more about Delaware Guidance Services, please go to https://www.delawareguidance.org/about/ ;

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation
• Incentive Pay for Specific Roles
• Generous Paid Time Off ( starting at 44 days of paid leave a year )
• Up to 6% Annual Contribution to Your Retirement Fund
• Free Professional Development Opportunities
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Life and Long-term Disability Insurance

Position Highlights

• Flexible / Hybrid work environment (community based)
• Generous benefits and time off policies
• Ability to work with children through a mission driven organization