Follow Up Counselor

• Follow Up Counselor
• Part Time
• Peninsula Suicide Prevention (PSP)
• Adult Division

Agency Overview

Felton Institute responds to the needs of our community by providing innovative, evidence-informed social services that transform lives.

Our organization offers 60+ programs that address mental health, the unhoused, early care and education, those impacted by the justice system, transitional age youth, as well as aging adults.

Our programs combine the latest scientific research with cultural sensitivity and a deep commitment to supporting and reflecting the communities we serve.

Felton offers a dynamic, challenging, and supportive work environment where we encourage the use of professional development, that staff can utilize throughout their career.

Program Description

Founded in 1966, Peninsula Suicide Prevention (PSP) was one of the first crisis centers in California. Since then PSP has been dedicated to crisis intervention and suicide prevention for over half a century, offering prevention, intervention, and postvention services to youth and adults of San Mateo County. PSP is also accredited by the American Association of Suicidology and belongs to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline national network of crisis centers.

San Mateo Suicide Prevention (PSP) is the only 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provider and comprehensive Crisis Center in San Mateo County. This telephone-accessed service is staffed 24-hours a day; 365 days a year through a combination of paid staff, interns, and volunteers.

PSP is both a critical first point of contact for people in need of referrals to social services and a last resort for people on the brink of suicide to reach out for help. Crisis line staff and volunteers serve over 20,000 contacts annually through their breadth of services.

Position Overview

Research has shown that some callers who utilize crisis centers continue to have suicidal thoughts and need additional services. Callers often establish a short-term safety plan during their crisis line call, but many need an additional, more extensive safety plan. Many callers continue to experience significant distress well after their initial call and can benefit from Follow Up services in multiple ways. The Follow Up care may reduce the need for emergency services and increase the likelihood that the caller will follow up with outside resources. Callers who have received Follow Up care may have a decreased likelihood of completing suicide. Finally, follow up care reduces isolation, provides additional connection, and increases the likelihood that the client will call again if they are at risk.

The 988 Follow-Up Counselor ensures individuals who recently contacted the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline receive continuous, short-term stabilization support. This role oversees the follow-up bridge between immediate crisis de-escalation and long-term community care. The primary goal of the follow-up counselor is to participate in programming to work towards a reduction in recurring mental health crises and hospital readmissions by proactively reaching out to recent 988 users, suicide attempt survivors, and discharged psychiatric patients.

Supervision/Direction Received

The Follow Up Counselor reports to the Follow Up Supervisor. The position will utilize consultation as needed. The Follow Up Counselor will receive at least two hours of supervision per month with live on-shift supervision daily and additional training as necessary.

Job Responsibilities

Follow Up Administration

• Screen and make appointments for outreach calls of high-risk help seekers
• Assess for safety, develop safety plans, and engage in collaborative problem solving to prioritize safety

Contributes to team meetings and case conferences through presentation of cases, discussion of clinical issues, and exchange of information and ideas

• Use motivational interviewing, DBT skills, recovery and trauma-informed approaches
• Accurate and timely documentation
• Timeliness/attendance with calls, meetings, and communication
• Assisting help seekers identify obstacles in obtaining stabilization and/or long-term support

Provide clinical case management as needed to at risk callers including referrals and linkages to the referrals

Maintain Follow Up Program compliance with AAS, SAMHSA, and Lifeline Standards

Train new staff and volunteers on the Follow Up Program individually or as part of cohort staff and volunteer training

Support with quality assurance measures such as reviewing call logs for follow up accuracies, reporting our follow-up data, and profile management of frequent contacts

Assisting with resource navigation including but not limited to updated resources, networking opportunities, and determining resource appropriateness

988 Counselor Duties

Respond to callers on 24/7 crisis line offering suicide risk assessments, crisis intervention, crisis de-escalation, resource navigation and emotional support to all callers; some evenings, holidays, and weekends required with advanced notice.

• Triage multiple calls at once, as needed.
• Assess for safety, crisis, and suicidality and dispatch mobile crisis response when appropriate.

Develop in-depth knowledge of San Mateo County cities and community resources, provide referrals and resources to callers.

Maintain strong communication on and off shift with shift partners, shift supervisor, and program leadership

Establish effective recording keeping practices on electronic database; enter all call records according to procedure by the end of assigned shift

• Adhere to mandating reporting policy as outlined by state and local laws.
• Provide training and evaluation to incoming phone counselor trainees.
• Attend regularly scheduled supervision

Participate in all program related meetings- monthly team meeting, bi-annual crisis center training, agency-wide events, as well as continuing education opportunities.

Maintain knowledge and best practices of crisis intervention- suicide prevention, as well as other related topics (trauma informed practices, cultural response, etc.); Complete at least 10 hours of ongoing education each year.

• Additional duties as needed and assigned by the Program Director

Required Knowledge and Abilities

Best practices: In-depth knowledge of current best practices in suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and mental health issues, including trauma-informed care.

Accreditation standards: Familiarity with the protocols and quality standards set by accreditation bodies, such as the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline network.

Risk assessment: Advanced ability to train staff on risk assessment, de-escalation techniques, safety planning, and making appropriate referrals.

Cultural competence: Ability to interact with help seekers and team members from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds without bias and with respect.

Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to use person-centered and survivor-supportive language.

Advocacy: Skills to represent the program and advocate for suicide prevention efforts within the community and with other mental health organizations.

Problem-solving and decision-making: The capacity to make sound, ethical, and effective decisions in high-pressure situations, often with incomplete information.

Emotional Intelligence & Resilience: The capacity to remain calm, empathetic, and effective under pressure and to manage one's own emotional responses.

• Self- Awareness: The ability to recognize one’s limits, areas of growth, and ability to self regulate.
• Organizational Skills: Ability to plan, schedule, organize work, and manage timelines effectively.

Technical Proficiency: Computer skills for operating essential software, navigating databases, and using video conferencing tools.

Adaptability: Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and new challenges in a fast-paced environment.

Community resources: A thorough knowledge of San Mateo County and surrounding areas for making appropriate referrals

Trauma-informed care: Counselors must understand the effects of traumatic stress and be able to provide care that avoids re-traumatization, including awareness of the effects of secondary trauma on their own well-being

Regulations and confidentiality: Counselors must be aware of their legal and ethical responsibilities, including maintaining caller confidentiality as well as mandatory reporting requirements for issues like abuse

Active and reflective listening: Ability to pay full attention to a help seeker's concerns, demonstrating unbiased acceptance, and validating experiences

Crisis stabilization and de-escalation: The ability to reduce the intensity of an emotionally charged situation using effective communication and behavioral techniques

Conflict resolution: The ability to manage conflict with help seekers and teammates

Empathy and rapport building: The skill to engage with and build a connection with a person in crisis in a compassionate, non-judgmental way

Documentation: Clear, concise, objective, and accurate record-keeping is required for every interaction directly following each interaction

Collaboration: Ability to work together to coordinate care with supervisors, other professionals, and emergency services

Multitasking: Handling high-volume call traffic and using multiple software programs simultaneously while remaining focused on help seekers needs

Critical thinking: The ability to interpret, evaluate, and analyze information from the caller to make sound judgments and inform your intervention

Minimal Requirements and Qualifications

Minimum level of education is an undergraduate degree in a mental health related field; clinical route preferred; may be substituted for comparable work experience.

One year of related work experience in mental health, counseling, and/or crisis de-escalation; one year of crisis hotline or chat and text counseling experience strongly preferred

Experience with MI, DBT, and best pra