Crisis Phone Counselor

FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY OF SAN FRANCISCO; San Mateo (CA); Hybrid; USD 31,822 - 45,323; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

Felton Institute’s San Mateo Suicide Prevention program is seeking a part‑time Crisis Phone Counselor to cover overnight, weekend and various shifts on the 988 crisis line. The role requires crisis intervention skills, empathy, and strong documentation abilities, with training provided and supervision available.

Applicants should be 21+, live in or near San Mateo County, and have an undergraduate degree or equivalent experience in mental health or counseling. Hybrid work schedule offered.

Qualifications

• Must be 21+ years old.
• Live within San Mateo County (preferred) or nearby counties.
• One year of related mental health/crisis de-escalation experience.

Responsibilities

• Respond to 24/7 crisis line, provide suicide risk assessments and emotional support.
• Triage calls, assess safety, and dispatch mobile crisis when needed.
• Develop knowledge of local resources for referrals.
• Maintain communication with shift partners and supervision.
• Enter call records and adhere to reporting requirements.

Skills

Active listening

Empathy

Multitasking

Crisis intervention

Documentation

Education

Undergraduate degree

Job description

Crisis Phone Counselor (Part Time)

San Mateo Suicide Prevention

Adult Division

Required Shifts

Tuesdays: 10:45am– 6:45pm

Wednesdays: 10:45am –2:45pm

Agency Overview

Felton Institute responds to the needs of our community by providing innovative, evidence-informed social services that transform lives. Our organization offers 60+ programs that address mental health, the unhoused, early care and education, those impacted by the justice system, transitional age youth, as well as aging adults. Our programs combine the latest scientific research with cultural sensitivity and a deep commitment to supporting and reflecting the communities we serve. Felton offers a dynamic, challenging, and supportive work environment where we encourage the use of professional development, that staff can utilize throughout their career.

Program Description

Founded in 1966, Peninsula Suicide Prevention (PSP) was one of the first crisis centers in California. Sincethen PSP has been dedicated to crisis intervention and suicide prevention for over half a century, offering prevention, intervention, and postvention services to youth and adults of San Mateo County. PSP is also accredited by the American Association of Suicidology and belongs to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline national network of crisis centers.

San Mateo Suicide Prevention (PSP) is the only 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provider and comprehensive Crisis Center in San Mateo County. This telephone-accessed service is staffed24-hoursa day;365 daysa year through a combination of paid staff, interns, and volunteers. PSP is both a critical first point of contact for people in need of referrals to social services and a last resort for people on the brink of suicide to reach out for help.Crisis line staff and volunteers serve over 20.000 contacts annually through their breadth of services.

Position Overview

Provide overnight, weekend and various shifts coverage on allPSP’s 24-hour988hotline. This position reports to and adheres toagency’spolicies/procedures and programs.

Program Specific Responsibilities

• Respond to callers on 24/7 crisis line offering suicide risk assessments, crisis intervention, crisis de‑escalation, resourcenavigationand emotional support to all callers; some evenings, holidays, and weekendsrequiredwith advanced notice.
• Triage multiple calls at once, as needed.
• Assess forsafety, crisis, and suicidality and dispatch mobile crisis response whenappropriate.
• Develop in depth knowledge of San Mateo County cities and community resources, provide referrals and resources to callers.
• Maintainstrong communicationon and off shift with shift partners, shift supervisor, and program leadership
• Establish effective recording keeping practices on electronic database; enter all call records according to procedure by the end of assigned shift
• Adhere to mandating reporting policy as outlined by state and local laws.
• Provide training and evaluation to incoming phone counselor trainees.
• Attend regularly scheduled supervision
• Participate in allprogramrelated meetings- monthly teammeeting, bi-annual crisis center training, agency-wide events, as well as continuing education opportunities.
• Maintain knowledge and best practices of crisis intervention- suicide prevention, as well as other related topics (trauma informed practices, cultural response, etc.); Complete at least 10 hours of ongoing education each year.
• Additionalduties as needed and assigned by Hotline ProgramManager

Minimal Requirements and Qualifications

• At least 21 years of age
• Must live within San Mateo County (preferred) or connected counties
• Minimum level of education is an undergraduate degree;maybe substituted for comparable work experience.
• One year of related work experience in mental health, counseling, and/or crisis de‑escalation; one year of crisis line phone counseling experience strongly preferred
• Possess strong interpersonal and rapport building skills and can positively interact with others over the phone and in person.
• Ability to pass crisis center onboarding training
• Ability tomaintainregular assigned schedule
• Ability to use sound and ethical judgment duringhigh stakessituations.
• Have open availability to work within a 24/7 program, including weekends and holidays
• Ability to pass a TB test and livescan background clearance.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Community resources: A thorough knowledge of San Mateo County and surrounding areas for makingappropriate referrals
• Cultural competence and humility: Understanding how to interact respectfully with people from diverse racial, cultural, economic, and identity backgrounds. This includes specific considerations for marginalized groups, such as the LGBTQIA2S+ community, people with disabilities, and veterans
• Trauma-informed care: Counselors must understand the effects of traumatic stress and be able to provide care that avoids re‑traumatization, including awareness of the effects of secondary trauma on their own well‑being
• Regulations and confidentiality: Counselors must be aware of their legal and ethical responsibilities, including maintaining caller confidentiality as well as mandatory reporting requirements for issues like abuse
• Active and reflective listening: Ability to pay full attention to a help seeker's concerns, demonstratingunbiased acceptance, and validating experiences
• Crisis stabilization and de‑scalling: The ability to reduce the intensity of an emotionally charged situation using effective communication and behavioral techniques
• Empathy and rapport building: The skill to engage with and build a connection with a person in crisis in a compassionate, non-judgmental way
• Problem‑solving: Ability to quickly analyze complex situations and identifyappropriate, least-invasive interventions
• Documentation: Clear, concise, and accurate record‑keeping is required for every interaction
• Collaboration: Ability to work together to coordinate care with supervisors, other professionals, and emergency services
• Multitasking: Handling high‑volume call traffic and using multiple software programs simultaneously while remaining focused on help seekers needs
• Emotional intelligence: The ability to perceive, understand, and manage one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. This is critical for staying calm and professional during intense situations
• Resilience: The capacity to adapt to challenging life experiences and manage the emotional demands inherent in supporting people in crisis with the support of supervision and debriefing sessions to help counselors manage secondary trauma
• Critical thinking: The ability to interpret, evaluate, and analyze information from the caller to make sound judgments and inform your intervention
• Adaptability and flexibility: An openness to changing situations and a willingness to work with a diverse range of help seekers and crises
• Adherence to protocols: The ability to consistently follow established Felton and Lifeline policies, procedures, and best practices for service delivery

Additional Information:

Reports to: PSP Supervisor

Job Type: Part-time

Work Schedule: Hybrid

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Salary Range: $28/hour; +$4/hourfor overnight differential

This position is union-represented by SEIU Local 1021 and is subject to the applicable collective bargaining agreement.

IMP NOTE: Job responsibilities are subject to change according to program requirements.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Felton Insitute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.