Contact Specialist - Full Time

About the role

The Contra Costa Crisis Center strengthens the community by providing 24/7 services that prevent and reduce the impact of crisis. Through 988, 211, Grief Services, and coordinated partnerships with health and behavioral health systems, they connect people in need with compassionate care and lifesaving support.

Responsibilities

• Answer calls on 24/7 Crisis Lines and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline with the goal of answering 95% of calls within 20 seconds or less.
• Complete safety assessments, safety planning, de-escalations, and follow-ups with callers.
• Respond to callers on the After-Hours lines including contacting the on-call social worker for mandated APS and CPS reports.
• Be familiar with internal resources to provide information and referrals to help callers as appropriate.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and detailed contact reports for every call and uphold confidentiality standards.
• Provide compassionate, clinically informed crisis counseling to reduce distress and support caller safety.
• Build rapport with callers while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Display confidence and composure in crisis situations.
• Collaborate with peers, volunteers, and supervisors to ensure high-quality service delivery.
• Engage in ongoing training, supervision, and certification (including American Association of Suicidology requirements).
• Support and coach volunteer Contact Specialists from a multicultural and inclusive perspective.

Requirements

• Reliable ability to commute to the Walnut Creek office and work assigned onsite shifts.
• A high school diploma or equivalent.
• Ability to accept direction and guidance.
• Commitment to working within Contra Costa Crisis Center’s Code of Ethics and organizational policies.
• Experience and demonstrated ability to work effectively with racially, culturally, and economically diverse populations.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to apply the structure of a crisis call using transitional phrases.
• Proficiency with computers, databases, and online communication tools.
• Demonstrated personal accountability, emotional maturity, and team participation.
• Ability to direct callers to appropriate non-law enforcement resources.
• Willingness to develop knowledge in trauma-informed care, grief and loss, mental health conditions, and boundary setting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social welfare, counseling, sociology or related field.
• Spanish language fluency (spoken and written).

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees including medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, LTD, paid vacation, holidays, sick time, and a 403(b) retirement plan.