Crisis & Referral Specialist

The Judge Group; Carson City (NV); Remote; USD 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Job summary

The Judge Group is seeking a Crisis Helpline Specialist for remote, 24/7 operations to support individuals via phone, text, or chat. You will perform risk assessments, safety screenings, and develop action plans while connecting callers to services.

Qualified candidates have a background in behavioral health, strong crisis-intervention skills, and a commitment to confidential documentation and compliance with regulations.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum of one year in behavioral health or six months direct crisis experience.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

• Answer inbound calls, texts, and chats for emotional support, information, referrals, or crisis intervention.
• Conduct safety screenings and risk assessments to identify acuity and immediate needs.
• Apply protocols and guidelines to determine immediate actions.
• Provide empathetic, culturally responsive support and de-escalation.
• Develop individualized action plans with callers based on needs and preferences.
• Coordinate with resources and responders to link to services and supports.
• Document interactions accurately and promptly per standards.

Skills

Crisis intervention

Empathy and active listening

Risk assessment

Accurate documentation

Confidentiality & HIPAA

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Bachelor’s degree (preferred) in mental health/related field

Job description

Crisis Helpline Specialist

Location: Remote / Call Center
Schedule: Full-time; 24/7 operation with rotating shifts across days, evenings, overnights, weekends, and holidays
Reports To: Helpline Supervisor / Clinical Operations Manager

Position Summary

The Crisis Helpline Specialist provides compassionate, timely, and clinically appropriate support to individuals contacting the helpline by phone, text, or chat. Using established protocols, the Specialist conducts safety screenings and risk assessments, determines the appropriate level of intervention, develops a plan of action with the caller, and connects individuals to appropriate services and supports. This role requires strong crisis-intervention skills, sound clinical judgment, accurate documentation, and the ability to remain calm and effective in high-pressure situations.

Key Responsibilities

• Answer inbound calls, texts, and chats from individuals seeking emotional support, information, referrals, services, or crisis intervention.
• Conduct safety screenings and behavioral health assessments to identify risk factors, acuity level, immediate needs, and potential risk of harm to self or others.
• Apply established protocols, clinical guidelines, and decision-support tools to determine an appropriate immediate course of action.
• Provide empathetic, nonjudgmental, culturally responsive support and telephonic de-escalation to individuals in distress or crisis.
• Collaborate with callers to develop individualized plans of action based on their stated needs, risk level, available supports, and service preferences.
• Provide warm transfers, referrals, and linkages to appropriate community resources, behavioral health providers, emergency services, and natural support systems.
• Complete follow-up contacts as directed to confirm service linkage, assess ongoing needs, and support continuity of care.
• Coordinate with internal teams, external agencies, community organizations, providers, and emergency responders to ensure effective use of available resources.
• Document all interactions accurately, objectively, and promptly in accordance with organizational standards, contract requirements, and clinical documentation guidelines.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA, OSHA, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Participate in quality assurance activities, case reviews, supervision, training, and continuing education as required.
• Escalate high-risk, complex, or emergent situations to supervisors, clinical staff, or emergency services according to protocol.

Qualifications

Required:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum of one year of experience in behavioral health; or
• Minimum of six months of direct crisis experience, including conducting screenings and assessments to determine appropriate interventions; or
• An equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree in mental health, psychology, social work, counseling, human services, or a related field.
• Two years of experience working directly with individuals receiving behavioral health services.
• Experience in a 24/7 crisis, helpline, suicide prevention, mobile crisis, or emergency services environment.
• Familiarity with suicide risk assessment, de-escalation techniques, community resource navigation, and documentation standards.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance are available to qualified candidates who meet eligibility requirements.