Team Lead, Talk Suicide

Identifying Information

Job Title: Team Lead, Talk Suicide

Hours of work: Monday-Friday, flexibility on hours worked may be required.

Compensation: $26.39 – $32.46/hr

Program Area: Crisis Services

Job Level: Team Lead

Reports to: Manager, Crisis Services

Organization Summary

CMHA-Edmonton is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that all people experience good mental health and well-being. We increase awareness and understanding of mental health, mental illness, recovery, and suicide prevention through education. We support the resilience and recovery of people in distress including those affected by mental illness or suicide by providing crisis intervention; safe, long-term and affordable housing; peer support; suicide grief and family support; information and referral support; and providing opportunities to improve your wellness.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Manager, Crisis Services, the Team Lead, Talk Suicide, is responsible for assisting with the activities necessary to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the CMHA – Edmonton Region’s Crisis Services with specific focus on the operations of their partnership with Talk Suicide. CMHA-ER’s Crisis Service provide short term supportive listening that helps people in crisis who may be feeling overwhelmed, experiencing abuse or contemplating suicide. The position supervises a team of casual Help Lines Support Workers, Crisis Line Responders and volunteers who answer interactions through our crisis lines. The Team Lead may also respond to crisis interactions during periods of high volume or staff absences. The position is involved in staff scheduling, face to face support and supervision of front line staff and coordination of front line staff projects and tasks.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Program Administration

• Coordinates the staffing schedule to ensure Crisis Services coverage is appropriate and Talk Suicide operations are supported
• Supports project work focused on the operations of Talk Suicide and Senior Abuse Helplines
• Provides line coverage during periods of high volume, staff absences or other times when required
• Coordinates and/or participates in training for new staff
• Chairs and/or participates in staff meetings to provide updates, identify changes, discuss trends, etc.
• Ensures that Crisis Services working procedures and training materials are maintained, kept relevant and up to date, with a specific focus on ensuring Talk Suicide procedures are kept up to date
• Ensures that the Manager is informed of risk management issues, including those that have implications beyond existing policy or that may have the possibility of affecting the agency’s reputation or resources.
• Ensures that volunteer check-in procedures are followed, and records of volunteer hours are maintained according to established procedures
• Assists with conflict resolution among clients, staff and volunteers according to established procedures
• Establishes and implements quality assurance processes for evaluating the contribution of individual volunteers
• Performs on-call responsibilities in crisis/emergency situations when staff or volunteers need assistance/direction on how to proceed in any circumstance

Supervision

• Supervises and provides direction to the Help Line Support Workers and volunteers by administering standards and expectations, providing direction and monitoring performance delivery
• Hires, coaches, mentors, leads, manages performance, etc. of the Crisis Services staff, volunteers, contractors and practicum students, including:
• Participates in the recruitment of staff
• Ensures that staff and volunteers are given appropriate training to be successful in their positions
• Reviews and approves staff absence and vacation forms, employee timesheets, etc.
• Guides and/or participates in team meetings including the discussion of new concepts, addressing deficiencies and implementing protocol changes
• Monitors employee performance by reviewing calls received by staff and providing constructive feedback for future performance improvement
• Conducts and/or obtains input/feedback on staff performance from stakeholders for use in performance reviews
• Completes required Crisis Services performance evaluations to ensure staff are meeting CMHA-ER, Talk Suicide and AAS standards
• Ensures appropriate and effective performance management processes are followed and undertaken when addressing Crisis Services team issues
• Assists in supporting staff to receive appropriate opportunities for professional and personal development
• Supports the appropriate training and updates for staff to meet program expectations and maintain accreditation standards
• Participates in regular supervision, team and staff meetings and be a member of staff committees as required
• Supports HLSW, Crisis Services Responders and volunteers in the roll out of new processes and partnerships

Community/Stakeholder Relationships

• Represents CMHA-ER in meetings related to our Talk Suicide partnership
• Liaises with community agencies and supports initiatives of Crisis Services and CMHA-ER, including Talk Suicide and the Elder Abuse Consultation Team
• Makes presentations to community groups and stakeholders as required, regarding Crisis Services

Qualifications/Experience

CMHA-Edmonton recognizes that candidates all have different skills and experiences to offer. While we are highlighting desired qualifications in the following sections, it is not a checklist. We encourage everyone interested to apply and indicate how you would successfully take on the role even if you have unconventional experiences or qualifications.

• Related post-secondary Diploma (in a Social Science preferred)
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a client/customer service role where high volume, challenging and/or difficult situations are regularly encountered
• Successful completion of the Distress Line Training and Talk Suicide training
• Successful attainment and maintenance of:
  • Information and Referral Specialist Certificate
  • Crisis Worker Certificate
• Acceptable attainment and maintenance of a Police Information Check with a Vulnerable Sector Check and an Intervention Record Check

Skills/Abilities

• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including excellent telephone skills to ensure callers’ needs are determined and met
• Ability to work effectively in a challenging environment, deal with difficult situations and respond in a composed manner
• Positive, helpful attitude towards assisting clients
• Experience working with or managing volunteers
• Demonstrated understanding of mental health; mental illness and recovery; information and referral services; and crisis intervention
• Demonstrated supervisory abilities and an understanding of the objectives of the Crisis Services program and the organization
• Ability to work independently, set priorities, meet deadlines, and allocate time and resources effectively
• Organizational and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated abilities in program management, program delivery and evaluation
• Skills and abilities in the operation and functioning of a contact center
• Excellent keyboarding skills and the ability to effectively use Microsoft Office and other program software
• Ability to deal effectively with the public and community agencies and maintain good public relations

Required Training for the Position

Within the first 3 months of employment:

• Indigenous Cultural Awareness Training
• Discrimination and Harassment Training
• Diversity and Cross-Cultural Training
• Trauma Informed Care

Within the first 6 months of employment:

• First Aid
• Mental Health First Aid
• GBA+ Training