Youth Crisis Line Team Lead

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: YouthLine Team Lead

Posting Title: Youth Crisis Line Team Lead

Status: Full-Time/Non-exempt, 32 hours per week

Reports to: YouthLine Managing Supervisor 

Location:  Portland, OR

Youth Crisis Line Team Lead Salary:  The starting pay for a YouthLine Team Lead at Lines for Life is $24 per hour. This is a union position with a step progression based upon years of service at Lines for Life, and below is the current step scale:

0-3 years: $24.00

3-5 years: $25.20

5-7 years: $26.46

7-10 years: $27.78

>10 years: $29.17

Benefits: Medical, dental, vision insurance, short- and long-term disability, life insurance premiums; a matching 401K plan; a flexible spending plan; access to professional development funds, licensure supervision at no cost to employee; PSLF repayment; an employee assistance program; and a free fitbit. Lines for Life provides a $1 per hour in-office shift differential on top of the base pay for hours worked in the office when required to work in office at least 3 days per week.

Youth Crisis Line Team Lead Schedule: 

32 hours per week: Schedule will include every Saturday, benefits eligible. The remainder of the schedule is TBD and will be in office. 

Youth Crisis Line Team Lead Schedule: Must be available to regularly work between the hours of 3:30pm – 10:30 pm to accommodate the hours of operation for the YouthLine Call Center in Portland. Days of the week TBD, but will include Saturday each week. 

About YouthLine : YouthLine is a free peer-to-peer help, support, and crisis line for youth ages 10-24. For over 20 years, the YouthLine has helped support the mental wellness of young people, prevent youth suicide, and change culture around mental wellbeing by through teen-to-teen mental health support. Teen and young adult volunteers and interns receive extensive training to serve as peer counselors for other youth and are supervised by educated clinicians with extensive crisis experience. The peer experience is critical: youth best understand the experience of their peers because they are living the same experience, uniquely situating them to provide meaningful, impactful support for youth in crisis.

Join us in creating a community where teens can lean on each other, find strength, and discover pathways to healing. Together, we can change lives—one conversation at a time!

Youth Crisis Line Team Lead Position Summary: This position will assist and mentor YouthLine Peer Helpers and Coaching Volunteers between the hours of 3:30 PM – 10:30 PM with clinical support from a Master’s level Supervisor. Ability to work a variety of days and keep a flexible schedule is preferred. YouthLine Team Leads also respond to acute crisis and referral calls and texts with care and compassion on the YouthLine and may assist in YouthLine outreach and education programs focusing on social media, community partners, and schools. This role is not a contact taking position, but will step in to take contacts if texting volumes are high. 

Youth Crisis Line Team Lead Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate the culture of Lines for Life by modeling behavior that supports the goals and philosophies of Lines for Life and the YouthLine.
• Provide in person assistance and support to teen peer volunteers with answering calls, texts, and chats on the YouthLine, a teen-to-teen crisis and help line, with compassion in accordance with Lines for Life’s training expectations and scope.
• Consult with YouthLine Supervisors on complex calls, texts, and chats.
• Establish rapport with YouthLine volunteers and callers, and act as a resource of knowledge and systems use for volunteers.
• Debrief with YouthLine volunteers after texts, chats, and calls as needed.
• Help with training new volunteers and support YouthLine’s mentorship program.
• Maintain YouthLine procedures.
• Work independently in triaging YouthLine calls, texts, and chats so that the lines remain available for callers in escalated crisis and support the YouthLine supervisor with call flow management of the YouthLine.
• Participate in community outreach/education events and the coordination of activities.
• Attend monthly YouthLine staff meetings.
• Performs other duties, such as call center and light maintenance, and administrative and organizational tasks as needed.

Youth Crisis Line Team Lead Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related social sciences field or ability to meet Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA) qualifications through a combination of training, education, and experience (  
• Crisis Intervention Experience preferred and ability to attend YouthLine Trainings and an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) if not already completed.
• Experience working with youth, including having the ability to establish rapport and mentor youth.
• Consistently maintain boundaries with teen volunteers. 
• Proficient with a web-based computer environment, including the ability to use Office 365, text and chat software, multi-line phone systems, and electronic health records.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to mentor youth.
• Ability to multi-task and handle stress.
• Must be available to regularly work from the Portland office between the hours of 3:30pm – 10:30 pm. 

About the Organization: Lines for Life is a regional non-profit that is dedicated to preventing substance abuse and suicide. We offer help and hope to individuals and communities and promote mental health for all. Our work addresses a spectrum of needs that include intervention, prevention, and advocacy. We educate, train, and advocate to prevent issues of substance abuse, mental illness, and thoughts of suicide from reaching crisis levels. But when a crisis arises or support is needed, we are available 24/7/365 to intervene with personalized help.

This job description is not meant to be an all inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position’s scope and function in the company. Lines for Life is an equal opportunity employer.

EEO:  Lines for Life strives to create a diverse, inclusive environment to better represent the communities that we serve. We are an equal opportunity employer. Lines for Life shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. However, it shall not be a violation of this clause for Lines for Life to extend a publicly announced preference in employment to Indians living on or near an Indian reservation, in connection with employment opportunities on or near an Indian reservation, as permitted by 41 CFR 60-1.5.

All Lines for Life employees must be approved to work by the Oregon Department of Human Services’ Background Check Unit. Background checks are completed after a conditional offer of employment has been extended.