Bilingual Crisis Hotline Counselor- Shift 1

Houston Area Women's Center; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 21,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and Dis

Time Away From Work Program

Vacation Leave 15–30 days (FT)

Sick Leave 112 hours/yr

401(k) with 125% match up to 4%

11 Agency Holidays

Job summary

Houston Area Women's Center is seeking a Bilingual Crisis Hotline Counselor to deliver real-time support, crisis intervention, and referrals for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The role involves intakes, safety planning, and coordination across agency programs in a hybrid Houston setting.

The candidate must be bilingual (Spanish/English), with a minimum 6 months in social services, strong communication skills, and a valid Texas driver’s license.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Actively enrolled in college with a major in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Psychology, Public Health, Counseling, Communications, or Business Administration.
• Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Psychology, Public Health, Counseling, Communications, or Business Administration, strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 6 months of experience in social services, customer service, or call-center.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).
• Bilingual in Spanish and English, fluent reading, speaking, and writing.
• Valid Texas driver’s license with good driving record; reliable transportation.

Responsibilities

• Crisis intervention, emotional support, information & referral, education, support, and advocacy to survivors.
• Conduct danger assessment and create safety plans tailored to each client.
• Provide shelter screening and coordinate shelter placement and transportation.
• Make CPS and APS reports as required.
• Maintain accurate client and hotline data for monthly reports.
• Coordinate with on-call staff, hospital accompaniment counselors, and partners.
• Communicate with the agency's answering service to relay messages and responses.
• Attend mandatory meetings and trainings related to Hotline & Crisis Intervention.
• Conduct intakes and assess client needs; document housing, EPA, lease termination, good cause, etc.
• Provide counseling intakes to support the Behavioral Health and Wellness Department.
• Other duties/projects as assigned.

Skills

Bilingual Spanish & English

Microsoft Office

Attention to detail

Strong communication

Team player

Growth mindset

Task prioritization

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Psychology, Public Health, Counseling, Communications, or Business Administration

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams)

Job description

As the Bilingual Crisis Hotline Counselor is a critical role within the Houston Area Women’s Center that provides real-time support to clients in immediate need.The Bilingual Crisis Hotline Counselor conducts intakes and assessments to provide a full spectrum of services in collaboration with programs across the agency.The Bilingual Crisis Hotline Counselor is responsible for conducting crisis intervention, emotional support, danger assessment, safety planning, shelter placement, information, and referral to domestic and sexual violence survivors through two 24-hour crisis hotlines.

Your Schedule:

• Monday- Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• On-call rotation one week per month overnight 8:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. Monday – Friday and 24 hrs. Saturday & Sunday
• Work Model: Hybrid

Local Travel: 5%

Our Total Rewards Package:

At the Houston Area Women's Center, we are committed to supporting our employees with a comprehensive Total Rewards Package that promotes health, financial well-being, and work-life balance.

• Hourly Compensation: $18.04
• Pay Schedule: Semi-monthly
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and Disability Insurance
• Time Away From Work Program, including:
• Vacation Leave based on relevant professional experience (15–30 days annually for full-time employees; prorated for eligible part-time employees)
• Sick Leave (112 hours annually for full-time employees; prorated for eligible part-time employees)
• Eleven (11) Observed Agency Holidays. Holiday pay is provided to eligible employees who are regularly scheduled to work on the observed holiday. If the observed holiday falls on an employee’s regularly scheduled day off, the employee is not eligible for holiday pay.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with a 125% employer match on employee contributions up to 4% of annual earnings for eligible full-time employees after one year of service

Vacation and sick leave eligibility, accruals, usage, rollover limits, holiday eligibility, and all benefit programs are administered in accordance with HAWC policies and applicable plan documents.

Qualifications

The Requirements We are Seeking:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Actively enrolled in college with a major in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Psychology, Public Health, Counseling, Communications, or Business Administration.
• Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Psychology, Public Health, Counseling, Communications, or Business Administration, strongly preferred.
• A minimum of 6 months of experience working within a social services, customer service, or call-center setting.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).
• Bilingual in both Spanish and English, able to read, speak, and write both languages fluently.
• You have a valid Texas driver’s license with a good driving record; reliable transportation; ability to travel to off-site locations utilizing personal transportation

What you Deliver in this role:

• You will provide crisis intervention, emotional support, information & referral, education, support, and advocacy to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
• You will conduct danger assessment and creates safety plans based on each client’s individual case and needs.
• You will provide shelter screening and coordination of shelter placement and emergency transportation of clients.
• You will make CPS and APS reports as required and needed.
• You will keep accurate client and hotline data/records for monthly reports.
• You will communicate with on-call staff including Coordinator, hospital accompaniment counselors and community partners.
• You will communicate with HAWC’s answering service to relay and respond to messages.
• You will communicate with leadership and other hotline staff at the counseling building regarding case management and other issues.
• You will attend mandatory monthly meetings and trainings with the Hotline & Crisis Intervention Service Coordinator, All Department Staff Meetings, and/or meet as assigned.
• You will conduct intakes and assess the client needs to determine next steps and processes appropriate documentation:Housing assessment, EPA Assessment, Lease Termination, Good Cause, Address Confidentiality, Utility Waivers, and Legal Referrals.
• You will provide counseling intakes for critical client cases to provide support to the Behavioral Health and Wellness Department.
• Other duties/projects as assigned.

What Skills and Assets you bring, and more:

• Excellent attention to details
• Demonstration of professional objectivity and appreciation for confidential information
• Ability to follow instructions and to adhere to policies and procedures
• Ability to prioritize tasks to meet individual and team deadlines
• Has a growth mindset and is a good team player
• Strong communication skills, both verbally and in writing.

When you work here at HAWC you make an impact not just in the lives of the survivors and the people you help, but also make an impact in our own lives and our community. We learn and grow with a purpose where we strive to work for a common cause, which is to end domestic and sexual violence for ALL.