Warm Line Counselor

Overview of Program:

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. 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 and instant messages in English, 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

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the above list of responsibilities is intended to provide a general overview of duties to be assigned and in no way is a comprehensive list of position duties and responsibilities.