Crisis Services Clinician - Dispatch (Swing Shift)

Schedule

Sun – Thurs Swing Shift, 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM (in‑person, Seattle, WA)

Pay

$37.24/hr. Union representation: OPEIU

About the role

Program Summary: Crisis Connections provides free, easily accessible telephone‑based support services to anyone in King County and Washington State experiencing crisis. The mission is to foster resilience and well‑being by connecting people to accessible, compassionate support.

Position Summary: As a Crisis Services Clinician you will serve as a qualified Mental Health Professional across three service areas — Crisis Services, Dispatch Services, and Professional Services. You will provide risk‑assessment oversight, clinical decision‑making, and consultation/coaching to Crisis Support Specialists (CSS) and Crisis Intervention Specialists (CIS) during live calls on the Regional Crisis Lines. Duties include developing crisis intervention plans, coordinating emotional support, safety assessment, referrals to higher levels of care, and linkage to community resources. Clinical expertise is applied in crisis intervention, de‑escalation, behavioral health and suicide risk assessment, and determining appropriate levels of care. You will oversee phone‑room activities, monitor service delivery, conduct quality assurance, make clinical decisions, debrief challenging calls, and collaborate with clinical and paraprofessional staff each shift.

Responsibilities

Crisis Line Services

• Direct oversight, monitoring, and coaching of CSS and CIS during scheduled shifts.
• Support CSS/CIS in assessing behavioral health and suicide risk, de‑escalating crises, and safety planning; ensure best‑practice clinical interventions and community resources are used.
• Ensure completion of screening and linkage to Next Day Appointments, Mobile Response and Stabilization Services, Mobile Crisis Teams, Geriatric Regional Assessment Team, Designated Crisis Responders, and other regional outreach services.
• Provide ongoing and immediate feedback to CSS/CIS.
• Ensure all agency policies and procedures are followed.
• Assist CSS/CIS in identifying callers known to the agency with existing case plans.
• Ensure all calls are documented accurately and completely in the assigned electronic health record.
• Utilize trauma‑informed, non‑judgmental communication to de‑escalate high‑stress contacts and implement recovery‑oriented services.
• Contribute to a professional, congenial, and respectful team atmosphere.
• Follow the Crisis Connections mission: foster resilience and well‑being by connecting people to accessible, compassionate support.

Dispatch Services

• Conduct assessments on calls to the King County Crisis and Commitment public line, evaluating risk of harm and implementing optimal clinical interventions.
• Provide compassionate emotional support while maintaining vigilance for crisis and suicide intervention strategies.
• Use the King County Client Lookup System (CLS) to identify callers affiliated with a community mental health center.
• Ensure meticulous, thorough documentation of all calls.
• Complete Sheena’s Law referrals from law enforcement via telephonic outreach or by facilitating crisis services (mobile crisis team, Children Crisis Outreach Response System).
• Notify the Public Mental Health Agency of the person’s enrollment, documenting in Sheena’s Law Log forms.
• Answer calls from first responders 24/7, ensuring timely response to urgent situations.
• Gather essential information from first responders about the individual in crisis.
• Utilize ECLS/EDIE and other electronic systems to identify available supports/resources.
• Offer less restrictive options to first responders in real time, prioritizing client safety and well‑being.
• Establish warm connections to identified resources, facilitating seamless transitions.

Professional Services: Hospital Diversion And Authorization Responsibilities

• Answer the Hospital Authorization Line, screening referrals for medical necessity using Adult and Child Level of Care Utilization Screening Systems (LOCUS and CALOCUS).
• Ensure accurate, thorough completion and maintenance of all paper and electronic documentation per established policies, including consulting with psychiatrists and documenting client acceptance or denial of inpatient care.
• Complete all authorizations within two hours of receiving complete referral information; meet all timeline requirements for data entry and document dissemination within the shift.
• Appropriately refer requests for retrospective reviews, length‑of‑stay extensions, etc., to the HA/DV Lead.
• Assist the Crisis Services Coordinator during peak periods or upon request, providing guidance to phone workers with sound clinical judgment during live calls.

Community Consultation and Linkages

• Provide professional consultation on the business line regarding access to the mental health system, crisis intervention, suicide intervention, and other mental health topics.
• Complete Electronic Client Lookup System (ECLS) search inquiries, disclosing information only to authorized callers per policy, and document each search.
• Utilize Electronic Health Record (Carelogic), Crisis Safety Platform, ECLS Phone Message Log, and county communication systems for coordination with DCRs and Mobile Teams.
• Ensure completion of screening and linkage to Next Day Appointments, Mobile Outreach Team, Geriatric Regional Assessment Team, Designated Mental Health Professionals, and other outreach services.
• Ensure accurate, complete documentation of all activities throughout the Quality Assurance