Description:
Samaritans, Inc. is the leading suicide prevention organization in Massachusetts, providing lifesaving services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Samaritans' purpose is to alleviate despair, isolation, distress and suicidal feelings among individuals in our community; to educate the public about suicide prevention; and to reduce the stigma associated with suicide. For over 40 years, Samaritans volunteers - selected, trained and supported by a dedicated professional staff - have provided compassionate and non-judgmental support free of charge for callers to its Helplines.
Samaritans' volunteers and staff now provide a full range of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention services through community education and outreach; a phone and text-based crisis service Helpline for those in distress; and grief support groups and personal visits which assist families impacted by a suicide loss in their grieving and healing process. This growing organization provides services that make our communities healthier and happier and provides a working environment that celebrates the positive and lifesaving work that occurs here each and every day.
About The Position:
The Helpline Coordinator's role is to ensure 24/7 coverage on the Helpline by responding to calls during their assigned shift. The coordinator will provide emotional support to callers who contact us on 988 and Samaritans Helpline through Samaritans' model of Befriending to assist the organization in fulfilling mission of serving those who are isolated, alone and suicidal through compassionate and non-judgmental listening.
Essential Functions:
- Takes crisis calls from those who are seeking emotional support including those who may be at risk of suicide.
- Adheres to performance measures in attending to call.
- Responsible for submitting call reports after each call.
- Participates in staff meetings and supervision.
Requirements and Qualifications:
- Minimum of two years of professional experience preferred.
- Previous work as a volunteer preferred.
- Knowledge of the field of suicide and suicide prevention preferred.
- Experience working on a crisis helpline a plus.
- Ability to be empathetic and engage in active, non-judgmental listening with our users.
- Ability to work with sensitive and confidential information.
- Must be able to display good, sound judgment
- Must possess strong communication skills.
- Ability to resolve conflicts appropriately.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively to maximize teamwork across the organization.
- Be able to shift a minimum of 20 hours.
Special Requirements:
- Successful completion of Samaritans Befriender Training, role plays and assigned learning shifts on the Helpline after hire.
Starting Salary and Benefits:
- Starts at $24 per hour.
- Direct deposit payroll.
Samaritans is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to hiring staff who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Candidates of color, bilingual, and bicultural candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Disclaimer: During the course of the interview, we may inquire about sensitive topics, including the applicant's connection to suicide. We approach these questions with the utmost respect and understanding, recognizing the potential emotional impact they may have. Participation in answering such questions is entirely voluntary, and applicants are encouraged to skip any inquiries that they find uncomfortable. The purpose of these questions is solely to gather relevant information for the assessment process, and all responses will be handled with confidentiality and sensitivity. If at any point an applicant feels distressed or uncomfortable, they are encouraged to communicate their concerns to the interviewer or withdraw from answering specific questions.
