Lead Phone Counselor

Sante Group Companies; Timonium (MD); On-site; USD 36,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

403(b) retirement plan

Health insurance

Paid time off

Training & growth

Tuition reimbursement

Wellness perks

Job summary

Santé Group Companies in Timonium, MD, is seeking a Lead Phone Counselor (in office) to join our frontline crisis intervention team. The shift lead oversees call center operations during scheduled shifts, ensures policy adherence, and provides updates to the call center manager/director.

The role combines clinical oversight with direct phone counseling, focusing on suicide prevention, intake screening, and rapid coordination of services for callers across Baltimore City and surrounding counties.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Counseling, Social Work, or a related field required.
• 15 years of demonstrated crisis hotline work may be substituted for the education requirement.
• Call center and behavioral health experience required.
• Knowledge of Internet and Microsoft Office software (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook).
• Must be able to be trained on Electronic Consumer Record Software.

Responsibilities

• Work in a highly stressful environment with frequent suicidal callers.
• Assess caller problems, supports, and emergency level to determine intervention.
• Document information in client records.
• Deescalate a client on the phone and build rapport.
• Triages calls to appropriate level of care.
• Conduct lethality assessments and dispatch resources when necessary.
• Complete environmental risk and safety assessments.
• Access bed registry and connect callers to services.
• Adhere to crisis standards and confidentiality policies.
• Participate in required trainings and supervision.

Skills

Crisis hotline experience

Call center experience

Deescalation skills

Documentation skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Counseling, Social Work, or related field

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

MS PowerPoint

MS Outlook

Electronic Consumer Record Software

Job description

Who We Are

Santé Group Companies prides itself in being a leader in community-based behavioral and mental health services. Our track record of innovation and growth reflects our ability to deliver diverse and highly individualized services. We have a passion for providing empathetic and potentially life-saving care to help individuals heal, recover, and thrive, as well as live their lives in a manner that allows them to fully integrate in the community. The Santé Group aspires to create an organization that places value on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and inclusiveness. To achieve this success, it is essential that all members of our organization feel secure, welcome, and respected. All members of our organization have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Who We Are

Santé Group Companies prides itself in being a leader in community-based behavioral and mental health services. Our track record of innovation and growth reflects our ability to deliver diverse and highly individualized services. We have a passion for providing empathetic and potentially life-saving care to help individuals heal, recover, and thrive, as well as live their lives in a manner that allows them to fully integrate in the community. The Santé Group aspires to create an organization that places value on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and inclusiveness. To achieve this success, it is essential that all members of our organization feel secure, welcome, and respected. All members of our organization have a responsibility to uphold these values.

What We’re Looking For

Santé is seeking a Lead Phone Counselor (in office) to join our frontline crisis intervention team in Timonium, MD. The primary goal of the Lead Phone Counselor position is to provide oversight of call center operations during scheduled shift. The shift lead is responsible for ensuring that call center operations are flowing, and policies are followed. The shift LEAD will provide regular updates to the call center manager/director. This is in addition to the phone counselor role listed below. The primary goal of the Call Center Counselor is to provide appropriate services for both the local hotline as well as the GBRICS call center which includes the 4-county region of callers across Baltimore city, Baltimore County, Howard County, and Carroll County. These services may include supportive counseling, information and referrals, crisis intervention counseling, suicide prevention and intake screening of callers to the Mobile Teams, In Home Intervention Teams, Urgent Care Center and other BCCRS service components. This also includes dispatching appropriate services when needed as well as providing goal directed counseling, crisis planning, and follow up for clients served.

What You’ll Do

• Have the ability to work in a highly stressful environment that deals with frequent suicidal callers
• Assess each caller’s presenting problem, support systems, coping skills and level of emergency to determine appropriate intervention.
• Document all information in appropriate client case.
• Can effectively deescalate a client in crisis, over the phone. Develop a rapport with client and maintain objectivity and demeanor on the phone.
• Effectively triage a call to the appropriate level of care
• Conduct a lethality assessment of client and dispatch appropriate resources (police, EMT, MCT, MRT) when necessary
• Completes an environmental risk and safety assessment and relays all information to MCT/patrol when necessary
• Access bed registry and other resources to connect callers to services.
• Comply with the GBRICS Crisis Standards in providing services to the community.
• Adhere to Lifeline Standards, Crisis Now Standards, and appropriate accrediting bodies best practices when providing services.
• If self-identified as a peer, participate in regular peer support sessions.
• Comply with the organization’s Secondary Trauma Prevention policy.
• Adhere to annual training requirements.
• Develop appropriate and realistic crisis plan for clients when necessary
• Develop appropriate follow up tasks depending on nature and security of symptoms
• Knowledge and familiarity with community resources, both mental health and non-mental health
• Active participation in the ongoing development of the program database
• Able to effectively communicate client needs while making internal agency referrals
• Able to complete documentation in an accurate, thorough and timely manner
• Ensure all tasks related to each case are completed during each shift worked
• Recognizes need for consultation with available supervisor and or team lead
• Participate in all required trainings
• Work with families and involved persons to deescalate current crisis
• Abide by all federal, state and local confidentiality and reporting regulations
• Comply with all of programs contractual and operational guidelines as outlined by your manager
• Check work e-mail according to agency protocol
• Other duties as assigned

Lead Counselor Responsibilities

• Ensure that call center operations during scheduled shift are flowing
• Consult with staff who need additional support.
• Review documentation, call logs, and client boards for errors.
• Oversee staff shift changes and ensure effective communication among staff members between shifts
• Assist with any immediate issues that arise in the call center and provide updates to the call center manager/director
• Participate in regularly scheduled supervision and debriefing sessions as appropriate.
• Assist in the on-site training for new staff

What We Require

• Bachelor’s Degree in Counseling, Social Work, or a related field of study required.
• 15 years of demonstrated crisis hotline work may be substituted for the education requirement.
• Call center and behavioral health experience required.
• To perform this job successfully, an individual shall have knowledge of Internet and Microsoft Office software (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook).
• Must be able to be trained on Electronic Consumer Record Software.

What You’ll Get

• Hourly Range: $26.50 to $28.50 per hour (depending on experience).
• Schedule:
  • Alternating weeks: 1st week 8:00 - 4:00pm, 2nd week 4:00pm - 12:00am
• Financial assistance for licensure fees (if applicable) and no-cost supervision for clinical licensure.
• Robust Retirement Plan – 403(b) with company match to support your future.
• Health Coverage That Cares – Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Time to Recharge – Generous paid time off and parental leave.
• Celebrate You – Enjoy your birthday off every year!
• Training & Growth – Ongoing development programs and career advancement opportunities.
• Culture of Purpose – A welcoming, inclusive environment where you belong.
• Tuition Reimbursement – Invest in your education, and we’ll support you.
• Employee Assistance Program – Confidential support for life's challenges.
• Wellness Perks – Annual wellness initiatives and access to the Calm App.
• Recognition & Rewards – Through our Awardco platform and referral program.
• Exclusive Discounts – Enjoy deals through FunEx and more.
• Life and AD&D insurance provided at no cost.
• Short and long-term disability coverage.
• Optional legal assistance and transferable life insurance.
• Pet insurance for your furry family.
• Ancillary plans like critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity.
• Financial Flexibility – Flexible spending accounts (FSA) to help with healthcare and dependent care expenses.

We believe that diversity of background and experience makes for better problem-solving and collaboration, which is why we are dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team. Even more important than your resume is a positive attitude, a passion for making an impact, a personal desire to grow, and the ability to help individuals heal, recover, and thrive.

Disclaimers

The Santé Group aspires to create an organization that places value on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and inclusiveness. To achieve this success, it is essential that all members of our organization feel secure, welcome, and respected. All members of our organization have a responsibility to uphold these values.

The Santé Group is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job. The Santé Group participates in E-Verify. http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf