Manager, 988 Lifeline

As the local answering point for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, FirstLink answers tens of thousands of conversations from across North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota each year via phone, chat, and text.

About the role

As our 988 Manager, you'll lead and develop a team of 988 Crisis Specialists who provide life-changing support to individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, substance use concerns, grief, and other behavioral health challenges. In this role, you'll ensure every person reaching out for help receives compassionate, evidence-based care while leading a team committed to excellence in crisis intervention.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, supervision, and operational oversight for a team of 988 Crisis Specialists.
• Recruit, coach, mentor, and develop staff while ensuring the highest standards of suicide safety assessment, crisis intervention, documentation, and quality improvement.
• Use data to strengthen answering capacity, monitor service quality across voice, chat, and text, and ensure compliance with national 988 Lifeline standards and accreditation requirements.
• Collaborate closely with quality improvement, staff development, and organizational leadership to continuously improve crisis response and support your team's growth.

Requirements

• Experience in crisis services, behavioral health, suicide prevention, or contact center operations.
• Strong understanding of crisis intervention practices and a passion for helping others grow professionally.
• Ability to lead with confidence and compassion, building trust and developing talent.
• Strong communication skills, ability to remain calm under pressure, and commitment to high-quality, person-centered crisis intervention.
• Comfort navigating complex situations, interpreting operational data, and leading a team toward continuous improvement.
• Understanding that supporting those who answer crisis conversations is as important as supporting those who reach out for help.

Benefits

• 100%-paid Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and Short-Term & Long-Term Disability for the employee.
• Generous PTO package.

Pay

Starting at $26/hour.