988/Helpline Outbound Supervisor

Type: Full-Time  

Reports to:  988 Training Manager/Crisis & Support Operations 

Office Location: 224 W. Hill St., Suite 410, Chicago IL; this is a remote position due to being weekends and evenings; this is not a work from anywhere role. You must maintain a private, confidential workspace in your home within the Chicago area and be able to attend in-person trainings and meetings at our Chicago office or other designated location as requested. Subject to change with notice. 

Schedule:  Monday – Friday 11 am to 7 pm. This is a fully remote position, but this is subject to change with notice. The training and onboarding schedule may differ from the regular work schedule. 

Background: 

The mission of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago is to provide hope and improve the quality of life for those whose lives are affected by mental illness. NAMI Chicago seeks to fill gaps in Chicago's mental health system, with an intentional emphasis on serving underrepresented populations and breaking down barriers to care. 

General Job Description: 

The 988/Helpline Outbound Supervisor supports NAMI Chicago’s mission by directly supervising 988/HL Outbound shifts and the specialists who are supporting individuals. The NAMI Chicago Helpline and 988 Lifeline Crisis Center Outbound Program provides follow-up crisis intervention, emotional support, information, and resource referrals to people living with mental health conditions, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers, and the public following an initial contact with either call center. The 988/HL Outbound Supervisor provides oversight and live coaching to the specialists. In addition, the Supervisor provides support, assistance, and resources to individuals contacting 988 or the Helpline through phone call, text message, chat, and email as needed. This work centers on listening, supporting everyone’s needs and advocating on their behalf as necessary. This role requires strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, and the ability to remain composed under pressure while multitasking across various platforms and tasks. 

Essential Functions & Responsibilities: 

• Shift Supervision: Supervise and support, provide oversight, guidance, and immediate direction to a team of specialists that, in-turn, provide support, information and referrals to contacts who consented for follow-up. Assist in live coaching in-the-moment, problem-solving and navigating issues as they arise during follow-up contact, including crisis contacts, in accordance with policies and procedures. Maintain consistent and effective communication throughout the shift with other supervisors and management. Respond promptly to requests for guidance and support. 
• Supervision & Leadership: Provide regular clinical and administrative supervision to the 988/HL Outbound Specialists to promote continual growth and improvement. Proactively identify and address program needs to ensure effective service delivery. Foster a collaborative, trauma-informed team culture aligned with NAMI Chicago’s values and the vision for the Outbound Program. Actively participate in meetings, trainings, and coaching sessions to support team cohesion and service excellence. 
• Quality Improvement: Quality assurance includes documentation review, and live and recorded conversation monitoring. Ensure the compliance to policy and workflows by Outbound Specialists. Provide feedback and clinical consultation support quality improvement and compliance to enhance service delivery and team performance.  
• Training & Development: Participate in ongoing training and professional development to remain current with best practices. Identify team and individual specialist training needs and retraining needs; collaborate with Crisis & Support Operations management to implement effective learning strategies. Support onboarding and continued training for new staff and interns as directed by management. 
• Wellness: Actively engage in your wellness and communicate support needs as appropriate. Support specialists in understanding and accessing wellness supports. Adhere to the organization’s wellness policies. 
• Other Duties: Perform other duties as assigned  

Education and Experience 

• Master’s degree in a social service field; Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) consistent with the Illinois Administrative code. 
• At least 1 year of experience providing training, lead work, and/or people management. 
• At least 2-3 years of relevant experience providing social service support through telephonic outreach, crisis, and/or case management 
• At least 2 years of experience working with vulnerable populations 
• Computer Skills: proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, proficiency with Adobe Acrobat, Google Chrome, Windows operating systems, and other software routinely used by NAMI Chicago. 

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:  

• Experience with and able to demonstrate ability to serve anyone in the greater Cook County area who contacts NAMI Chicago call centers. The NAMI Chicago call centers are a no-barriers access points to support, education and referrals for individuals and families living with mental health challenges, mental illnesses or other emotional stressors. This is especially true for our underrepresented and vulnerable populations, including social and racial/ethnic minorities, youth and young adults, and those with severe mental illness. 
• Ability to make real-time rapid assessments of individuals during follow-up contact, as well as Outbound Specialist’s needs, dexterity in judgement and navigation of a situation, recognition of appropriate utilization of leadership support and self-regulation of response to situations.  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate with team members, those in crisis, their families, caregivers, and community stakeholders.? 
• Exhibits sensitivity and empathy regarding human service issues and projects a non-judgmental attitude towards those requiring assistance. 
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and show professionalism, reliability, and responsibility. 
• Familiar with community resources and how to work with law enforcement and other community organizations (i.e., hospitals, outpatient clinics, etc.). 
• Utilizes a growth mindset in supervisory tasks and connections with the team. 

Welcome Qualifications: 

• Previous experience at a social service warmline or hotline 
• Bilingual in Spanish and English 
• Certification in crisis interaction or suicide prevention 
• Current ASIST or SafeTALK certification 

Available Benefits: 

• Company sponsored wellness activities. 
• Medical, Dental and Vision benefits.  
• Company sponsored Life and AD&D Insurance and Long-Term Disability. 
• 401k Retirement plan. 
• Critical llness Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Short Term      Disability Coverage. 
• Generous PTO.  

NAMI Chicago is an inclusive employer, we welcome and encourage BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Veterans, Differently Abled, Returning Citizens and All Who Are Dedicated to Mental Health to Apply. 

Salary Range: $57,000 - $60,000