Warm Line Counselor

TITLE: Warm Line Counselor
REPORTS TO: Warm Line Program Manager
SALARY: $24.00/hr base rate; differential pay rates available for weekend, overnight, and holiday shifts, and for fluent ability to speak one for more high-need languages
JOB STATUS: Part-time or full-time (16 - 40 hours/week), non-exempt; hours may depend on program needs
BENEFITS:

Part-time:

• This position accrues paid Sick Time at 1 hour per 30 hours worked; not eligible for employment insurance benefits or paid vacation accruals

Full-time:

• 100% Employer Paid Medical: Kaiser HMO or Blue Shield PPO
• 100% Dental, vision, life & long-term disability coverage; EAP
• Over 30+ days of PTO, including 10 vacation days (baseline), sick days, personal days, and major holidays
• Health and Dependent Care FSA, Commuter Check, and 403(b) options available
• Ongoing access to MHASF continuing education and skill-building workshops- all training time paid
• Excellent opportunity for advancement-over 70% of our staff have been promoted internally at least once!

ADDITIONAL PERKS: Biweekly 1:1 meetings with a supervisor for support and professional growth; MHASF support groups: Pride Place, Managing Anxiety, Depression Lives On & So Can We, Adults on the Autism Spectrum, BLADE (African American Support Group), Coffee Talk with MHASF(A weekly, group get-together), Drop-In Support Group for Collecting Behaviors, Family & Friends Support Group for Collecting Behaviors), Opportunities to attend conferences (including the annual Redefining Crazy Conference)

ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF SAN FRANCISCO (MHASF)

MHASF is a mental health peer-run nonprofit located in downtown San Francisco and has been serving people and agencies across the Bay Area since 1947. As mental health consumers, we center the lived expertise of people with mental health challenges in our advocacy, education, and support programs. We believe that dignity and recovery in mental health are something everyone can experience. Our staff is dedicated to creating spaces for learning and healing around stigmatized and under-resourced areas in mental health-hoarding and cluttering behavior; post-hospitalization peer support; mental health and nutrition; peer mental health workforce development; and much more.

MHASF's core work is providing low-threshold, peer-based support services addressing underserved needs in individual, group, community-based, and telehealth modalities. We lead the San Francisco community in providing progressive, innovative training and technical assistance on recovery-oriented mental health topics for businesses, community-based organizations, employers of peer staff, and the general public. We also develop peer mental health workers and advocates through training, mentorship, and work and volunteer opportunities. People with lived experience of mental health challenges are strongly encouraged to apply to work with us!

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM & POSITION

The Warm Line is a non-crisis phone and instant messaging center-managed and staffed entirely by people who have lived experience of mental health challenges-which provides information, resources, and emotional support to the people in California 24 hours a day. Warm Line Counselors play the central role in offering 1-on-1 peer support by answering live calls and chats from people with a wide variety of life experiences and needs with a warm, personal, and nonjudgmental approach. Our Counselors come from all walks of life and form a highly diverse and collaborative team. The successful candidate for this position will have their own lived experience of mental health challenges, will be ready to share their own experiences with others, and will thrive in a setting that requires ongoing communication, multitasking, problem-solving, cooperation, and commitment to recovery values.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Warm Line Counselor's responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:

• Answer incoming calls, instant messages, and respond to voicemails
• Use active listening and peer counseling skills to understand the person's needs and respond appropriately
• Gather and record demographic and other survey information
• Keep detailed documentation of all calls and instant messages using the iCarol database program
• Respond to crisis and high-risk calls, when they occur, according to MHASF procedures
• Attend and participate in regular Warm Line staff meetings and 1-on-1 supervision meetings
• Debrief challenging calls, chats, and other situations as needed, and make use of on-call supervisor support
• Adhere to and support the implementation of all policies and procedures, including confidentiality agreements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Personal mental health lived experience and willingness to share aspects of your own experience with callers and chat visitors; a clinical diagnosis is not required
• Flexibility to work a variable schedule
• Familiarity with the peer support model and the value of peer support
• Professional computer experience (including Microsoft Office Suite), comfort with doing a large amount of typing, and ability to quickly learn new software
• Effective organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to manage time, focus, and priorities to complete work despite distractions and interruptions
• Understanding of and commitment to confidentiality practices
• Ability to work in a collaborative, team-based environment
• Willingness to learn from others, take feedback, and make adjustments to communication and behavior
• Affirmative and accepting approach toward people whose needs and experiences differ from your own
• Commitment to mental health consumer empowerment, harm reduction principles, and a nonjudgmental approach to engagement
• Commitment to upholding the mission, vision, and values of MHASF