Tribal Crisis Counselor

About Care Crisis Response Services (CCRS):

CCRS is a 24/7 crisis center that provides suicide prevention/intervention, crisis intervention, and professional consultation services, including triaging requests for mental health evaluations to the North Sound Mental Health Region (Snohomish, Skagit, Island, Whatcom, and San Juan Counties) and Salish Region (Kitsap, Jefferson, and Clallam Counties). CCRS is a part of the Integrated Crisis Response System. We provide brief crisis counseling and assist the community and clients in determining what mental health services are most appropriate for the current mental health crisis. Our crisis center is also a part of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Tribal Crisis Line within CCRS serves all Tribal affiliated people living within Washington State, whether their Tribe/Nation/Band is in Washington State.

General Function:

Tribal Crisis Counselor provides crisis intervention, suicide prevention, information & referral, and brief supportive counseling to tribal affiliated clients who are in emotional distress and/or seeking information about mental health services. Tribal Crisis Counselor works in a call center and all interactions with clients are by telephone. Tribal Crisis Counselor will serve the American Indian and Alaskan Native population. This includes Tribal members, descendants of Tribal members, First Nations, unrecognized tribes, and tribally affiliated community members.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and supportive counseling to clients who are in emotional distress
• Conduct assessments of clients per regional and program policies and procedures
• Manage interactions with clients to ensure the appropriate level of support is provided in a culturally relevant manner
• Adhere to policies & procedures
• Accurately and efficiently document client interactions
• Meet or exceed established key performance indicator goals
• Utilize current technologies to interact with clients and members of the tribal community
• Provide professional assessment, consultation, and coordination
• Attend staff meetings and training on local and regional levels
• Act as mentors and coaches to new staff
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Tribally affiliated. This can either be tribal enrollment or descendancy with ties to a tribal community
• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• At least 1 year of experience in a healthcare contact center and/or in mental health counseling. Suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and/or mental health information and referral services experience preferred
• Knowledge of Native populations in Washington State preferred
• Applicants should be comfortable working independently and as part of a team in a collegial group environment
• Agency Affiliated Counselor Registration is required within 30 days of employment and must remain in active status during employment. This is a reimbursable cost.

Required Skills:

• Fluency in the English language, both oral and written
• Show empathy, patience, and compassion
• Excellent customer service skills
• Motivational interviewing
• Active listening skills to establish collaborative relationship with clients
• Superior communication skills to convey information to clients clearly, accurately, and completely
• Ability to simultaneously talk and type while utilizing multiple screens and/or windows
• Ability to quickly and accurately document chart notes in an electronic medical record