GuideLink Triage Counselor – Full Time Position, 2nd Shift (3 p.m. – 11 p.m.)

Schedule: Sunday through Thursday

If you are looking for a rewarding position in which you are supported by your teammates, able to collaborate with other agencies, support the community, and help individuals and families experiencing a crisis, please keep reading!

Working for CommUnity Crisis Services & Food Bank can be summed up in one word: support. CommUnity team members support each other through everyday tasks, major life events, and everything in between. We work with other local and national organizations to support our community. And, above all, we equip our team members with the proper training and tools to confidently support clients in their most vulnerable moments and times of greatest need.

CommUnity strongly emphasizes a culture of value and recognition of team members for their hard work, dedication, accomplishments, and experience. Every call and every day is a little different from the last.

POSITION OVERVIEW: This position provides initial mental health screening and brief crisis counseling to clients referred to or walking into the GuideLink Center in Iowa City. Counselors are expected to provide client-centered, trauma- informed counseling, with the goal to de-escalate emotional responses and help the client safety plan. Crisis Counselors work closely with staff from the Mobile Crisis Outreach program, as well as community partners such as Abbe Health, Penn Center, Prelude Behavioral Services, Shelter House, and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:

Mental Health Screening

• Welcome and engage clients entering the GuideLink Center
• Collect relevant information regarding the client’s crisis, including but not limited to: precipitating events, past history of mental illness and/or trauma, significant medical history, social resources, and current medications
• Perform a suicide risk screening, as well as relevant screenings for self-injurious behaviors or risk of harm to others
• Help to de-escalate client emotional responses, and establish a therapeutic relationship between the client and providers
• Refer clients to the appropriate level of mental health and/or medical care either within GuideLink or to other outside agency
• Alert nursing and/or paramedic staff immediately if client shows signs of acute medical crisis
• Perform CPR and/or first aid in emergency situations
• Promote client safety by maintaining appropriate universal precautions and protection from communicable diseases
• Thoroughly disinfect intake rooms after use to ensure the safety of clients and clinicians

Care Coordination

• Collaborate with other entities at GuideLink and in the community to provide a continuum of care for the client
• Build relationships with community partners and cultivate an understanding of local resources
• Debrief with staff after difficult contacts

Information, Records and Reports

Enter contact notes and prepare necessary paperwork for the client’s case file

Miscellaneous

Other duties not specifically assigned but required to assist the overall effectiveness of the program

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in human services or other related field or at least two years of experience in crisis intervention counseling
• Ability to work in an environment with conflicting demands and/or priorities and rushed and/or urgent timelines
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and provide quick reaction and immediate response to emergencies
• Ability to maintain attention to detail over an extended period of time and continually be aware of variations in changing situations
• Must have strong communication skills and a tolerance for an active work environment with the potential for negative behavior
• Ability to maintain professionalism during times of heightened stress
• Must work well with all levels and types of people
• 11pm to 7am shift

Desired Qualifications:

• Crisis Intervention with experience in suicide intervention, and postvention
• Knowledge of community resources
• Experience assisting people with relationship difficulties, depression, stress, extreme poverty, mental illness, parenting etc.
• Previous experience working with victims of crime
• Ability to provide services with trauma informed practices

Wages/Compensation: $17.00 – $22.00 per hour

Benefit Package includes:

• Health Insurance ($148 per month for employee only coverage; $400 credit toward dependent coverage)
• Dental Insurance ($2 per month for employee only coverage)
• Flexible Spending Accounts for Health Care and/or Dependent Care
• Paid Time Off including four weeks of vacation in first year of employment
• Paid Holiday Leave
• Company paid Life, AD&D, and Long Term Disability
• 401K with CommUnity match up to 5% of salary after six months of employment

Persons interested in this position should send a cover letter and resume to sam.krehbiel@builtbycommunity.org with “GuideLink Triage Counselor” as the subject line.