Crisis Services Specialist

We are looking for a compassionate, flexible, detail-oriented person serve as the first line of help to youth and adults experiencing crisis. You will serve as an essential member of the team of people staffing 2-1-1's 24/7 crisis call center who together also field calls referred through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You will provide emotional support, information, referrals, and intervention to callers experiencing crises as well as the state agencies and community providers in a position to provide direct assistance.

What you will do

• You will field calls, chats, and texts from adults and youth who are experiencing mental health crises, listening carefully to their needs and providing information and referrals to community-based providers.
• You will provide problem-solving support to callers with more complex needs, linking callers with mobile crisis staff or other emergency service staff when necessary.
• You will document communications, ensuring continuity and follow-up as needed.

Times you will work

Tuesday - Saturday 3:00 pm -11:30 pm (x2)

Friday - Monday 10:00 pm -8:30 am (x2)

Tuesday - Saturday 10:00pm- 6:30am

Friday- Monday 5:00pm- 10pm (PT)

Training takes place Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm regardless of work shift, for approximately 8 weeks.

Please note that our team works 24/7 to cover all shifts including inclement weather and holidays.

The Pay

• $24.00 per hour PLUS shift differential of $2 or $4 when applicable
• Additional $0.75 per worked hour for certified Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking staff ($1.50 per hour worked for both languages) after 90 days on the job

Benefits available for Regular Full Time openings:

• An outright 8% 401(k) contribution.
• Paid Time Off – you begin accruing immediately!
• 13 paid holidays per year or special pay for worked holidays
• Generous health benefits including 80% coverage of your medical plan premium and deductible.
• Tuition reimbursement after 1 year
• Employment at UWC counts toward Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness.
• Supportive, culturally diverse, and inclusive company culture.
• And more!

After job training, position will be hybrid (in office and remote)

What flexibility do you need?

In United Way of Connecticut’s 2-1-1 unit, staff work flexibly in many ways: remotely, compressed and rotating work weeks, and job sharing. If you meet with us, tell us your needs and we’ll explore what’s possible for this role. Please note that our team works 24/7 every day of the year.

Who you are

• You have experience in the social services field (internship and volunteer experience qualifies).
• You have at least a High School or GED, and ideally a Bachelor's or Associate’s degree in social work, psychology, or counseling.
• You are good at multi-tasking and are comfortable providing support to many callers in short succession.
• You love helping people, and can think on your feet, staying calm in a crisis, de-escalating situations, and working with the caller to develop the best course of action for their situation.

United Way of Connecticut, Inc. endeavors to make www.ctunitedway.org accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact (860) 571-7500. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

United Way fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community. We unequivocally denounce racism and ethnic discrimination in all forms, and we remain committed to building a future of greater opportunity and true equity for all people living in our communities. We act by tackling the structural barriers to equity from past and present systemic racism that have impeded the health, safety and wellbeing of traditionally marginalized people.