covid-19 emotional support line coordinator (full-time, 40 hours)

COVID-19 Emotional Support Line Coordinator

TITLE: COVID-19 Emotional Support Line Coordinator

REPORTS TO: COVID-19 Emotional Support Line Program Manager

SALARY:$32 hourly

JOB STATUS:Full-time (40 hours), interim position funded through an Emergency Declaration grant from DHCS/FEMA. Funding, pay rates, and positions may end without significant notice.

BENEFITS: Kaiser HMO or Blue Shield PPO medical and Principal dental & vision (premiums 100% employer-paid); life & long-term disability coverage, plus an EAP (at no employee cost); Vacation, sick, and personal time accruals, and 11+ paid holidays annually; Health and Dependent Care FSA, Commuter Check, and 403(b) options available

About the Mental Health Association of San Francisco (MHASF)

MHASF is a mental health peer-run nonprofit located in downtown San Francisco and serving people and agencies across the Bay Area since 1947. As mental health consumers ourselves, we center the lived expertise of people with mental health challenges in our advocacy, education, and support programs, and 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, peer employment support, mental health & nutrition, community-based crisis response, and more. MHASF strongly encourages people with lived experience of mental health challenges to apply and grow with us!

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM & POSITION:
The Mental Health Peer Run COVID-19 Emotional Support Line within the Mental Health Association of San Francisco (MHASF) is a new, accessible program designed to provide short-term interventions to help callers process their emotions related to COVID-19, reduce stress and provide peer support, promote the use or development of coping strategies, and connect callers with resources that can help them in their recovery process.

The COVID-19 Emotional Support Line Coordinator oversees the day-to-day operations of the COVID-19 Emotional Support Line in collaboration with a team of fellow Coordinators, ensuring that both our participants and peer counselors have a constructive, consistent, and high-quality experience with MHASF. The Coordinator works both on the front line and behind the scenes, being present on-site in the call center to mentor counselors, troubleshoot technical problems, and assist with taking calls and instant messages, while also partnering with the team on scheduling, counselor training, database management, program development, outreach, recruitment and hiring. We’re seeking someone with a combination of peer support skills, supervisory and training experience, technical ability, and an understanding of the profound importance of peer-to-peer connections for emotional wellness. If you’re enthusiastic about peer-run mental health services and want to make a broader impact on services through program coordination, you may be the person we’re looking for.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:
Call Center & Volunteer Support

Facilitate new counselor trainings, continuing education workshops, and team meetings

Supervise, direct, and provide performance guidance to counselors

Hold 1-on-1 mentorship meetings with counselors to give feedback and promote skills development

Debrief challenging situations in the moment

Provide backup support by taking calls and instant messages when understaffed or during high-volume hours

Troubleshoot technical issues—database outages, malfunctioning equipment, network problems, etc.

Program Logistics & Development

Ensure adequate service coverage by coordinating the schedule and finding substitute shift coverage

Collaborate with Operations Manager to make supply orders and manage equipment and inventory

Partner with other COVID-19 Emotional Support Line Coordinators and Program Manager to ensure consistent supervisory support for counselors

Assist in conducting caller satisfaction surveys and occasional call monitoring for quality assurance

Participate in program planning meetings to identify needs and make recommendations for solutions

Contribute to the development and maintenance of the COVID-19 Emotional Support Line’s referral and resource database

Support Program Manager in making revisions to program manuals, training curricula, and other materials

Ensure call reports and tracking are accurately gathered, submitted, and approved for daily, weekly, and ongoing reports

Events, Outreach & Recruitment

Participate in conducting counselor interviews and give feedback on candidates

Create written content about the COVID-19 Emotional Support Line for the MHASF website, blog posts, program flyers, and reports

Deliver community presentations about COVID-19 Emotional Support Line services and career opportunities

Support retention by planning counselor appreciation, training and inclusion opportunities

The Coordinator will also support broader MHASF initiatives and be responsible for other duties as assigned. The above job responsibilities are meant to be representative, not a comprehensive job description, and are subject to change depending on the needs of the program and MHASF

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Personal lived experience of mental health challenges, and willingness to disclose to COVID-19 Emotional Support Line callers and during counselor trainings, is a requirement for this peer position

Minimum 2 years’ experience as a peer counselor, peer specialist, mental health hotline counselor, or similar (either paid or volunteer), ideally within a healthcare or nonprofit setting

Minimum 2 years’ experience providing supervision and/or training of staff and/or volunteers

Ability to respond effectively to conflicts and strong emotions—crisis support or call center background is very helpful for this role

Experience maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information, understanding of confidentiality practices

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, use of a multiline phone system, and basic troubleshooting

High level of organization and time management, with ability to focus and prioritize in stressful situations

Strong verbal and written communication skills, including ability to write effective instruction documents

Highly collaborative work style and ability to work effectively with a team to identify and accomplish goals

Ability to problem-solve with little to no guidance and to exercise independent judgment under stress

Willingness to learn from others, take feedback, and make adjustments to communication and behavior

Experience taking initiative to self-educate about unfamiliar subjects or concepts

Affirmative and accepting approach toward people whose needs and experiences differ from your own

Commitment to upholding the mission and values of MHASF

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Ability to provide services fluently in both English and one or more of California’s 6 most commonly spoken threshold languages of MediCal-eligible residents (Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Armenian, Russian, Mandarin). Increased preference for candidates who are bicultural in relation to the language(s) spoken.

Familiarity with the mental health recovery movement, peer support model, and local resources preferred

3+ years’ experience providing supervision and/or training of staff and/or volunteers of a hotline or peer-counseling program.

Degree, licensure, certification in related subject area: Psychology, Counseling, Social Work, CADC, LAADC, LPC, MSW, MFT, CCPS, ASIST, CPRS, CRPM, etc.

HOW TO APPLY

We only accept applications through our online portal: https://mentalhealthsf.formstack.com/forms/covid_19_emotional_support_line_coordinator

Applications require all the items to be considered complete; applications that do not include all three of these documents will not be considered: (MS Word or PDF format)

An up-to-date résumé

A thoughtful cover letter describing your unique qualifications for and interest in this role

We endeavor to maintain an accessible and transparent application process. We will confirm receipt of all complete applications, and will strive to notify applicants of the status of their application as soon as possible.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

Mental health challenges can affect anyone at any time, regardless of identity or background, and consequently the communities we serve are highly diverse. As a peer-run organization, we also recognize the importance of lived experience as an irreplaceable form of expertise and as a basis for building trust and providing effective services. We welcome and strongly encourage people from historically marginalized and economically disadvantaged groups, including people who identify as disabled or neurodivergent, to apply to work with us.

MHASF is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender or gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other factor not related to ability to successfully fulfill the requirements of the position.