Remote Crisis Counselor, Call Center

Job Description

Job Description

Excitement abounds at Heritage Behavioral Health Center!

We are a mission-driven Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic located in Decatur, Illinois who is dedicated to improving mental health and substance use care to individuals in a multi-county area. We recognize that all individuals at our organization have an impact on patient care – regardless of the position they hold.

Why join us?

• We offer a collaborative work environment, opportunities for professional growth, and a comprehensive benefits package.
• We are expanding our primary care, mental health and substance use services to individuals in Central Illinois and beyond and are looking for dedicated staff to meet the needs of our clientele.
• Our salaries have been updated and are competitive at both the state and national levels with wonderful benefits.
• Full-time employees receive 56 paid days off during their 1st year of employment (this includes every other Friday off PAID for your wellness needs). This increases to 61 days the 2nd year and continues to increase with tenure.
• We have expanded our employee insurance benefit offerings and made them more affordable.

At Heritage, we believe in taking care of our staff’s needs so that they can concentrate on taking care of the needs of the individuals we serve. Our staff are our greatest asset, and we treat them as such!

We are pleased to present the following position for your consideration:

Overview: Remote Crisis Counselor, Call Center

Remote Opportunities Available

This full-time, float position acts as the first point of contact for individuals experiencing emotional distress, mental health crises, or other urgent situations. You will provide support, information, and referrals to appropriate services, ensuring callers receive the help they need. Heritage responds to individuals seeking help with depression, anxiety, substance use, and/or other distressing symptoms, by providing a supportive response and linkage to ongoing supportive services or a crisis worker for further assessment. The program will provide support to anyone, anywhere, and at any time.

Core Responsibilities Include:

• Telephone and virtual sessions to provide crisis intervention and support
• Offer emotional support, active listening, and crisis de-escalation techniques.
• Dispatch mobile crisis response workers to provide on-site support when necessary.
• Collaborate with other team members and external agencies to ensure comprehensive support for callers.
• Maintain accurate and detailed records of all calls and interactions.
• Able to communicate with individuals, friends/family, and referral sources
• Able to work with children, adolescents, and adults
• Maintain positive relationships with referral sources and community providers
• Collaborate with multiple internal and external providers to coordinate treatment including crisis care team members, support team members, case management, counselors, psychiatric providers, clinical leaders, and other organizations within the communities served.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to engage individuals in behavioral health treatment
• Ability to provide flexible services as the present and/or scheduled- each day will look different
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including rotational weekends and holidays
• Knowledge of behavioral health diagnoses
• Ability to work with seriously and persistently mentally ill, substance using, or dually diagnosed populations
• Knowledge of community resources including psychiatry, substance use, medical, and/or other community services
• Excellent decision making and problem-solving skills
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently in a professional environment
• Ability to work as a team player
• Ability to seek guidance when necessary
• Strong customer service skills with everyone encountered
• Ability to navigate electronic health record
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Initiative for ongoing self-development (skills, learning, and growing)

Education and Experience:

• Ideal candidates will have education and experience in providing crisis services. Ideal candidate will hold a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree in human service related field and be able to function as a Mental Health Professional (MHP) and/or a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) with the ability to obtain licensure within 2 years.

Salary Range: $47,840-$75,000 per year ($23.00 - $36.00 per hour) - dependent on education, experience and licensure

Heritage also offers the following with this position:

1. Generous vacation, sick and personal leave for full-time employees
2. WELLNESS days for full-time employees - 26 days per year (every other Friday off paid )
3. Paid holidays (full-time only) - 9 in 2025
4. Health Club/Fitness Reimbursement
5. Employee Assistance Program
6. Continuing education opportunities
7. Tuition assistance program
8. Agency provided life insurance and short-term disability policies (full-time)
9. Retirement plans (401k and Roth) - full-time
10. Optional insurance benefits for full-time employees, including health, dental, vision, flex spending accounts (healthcare, dependent care), and additional life insurance. (The health insurance benefit includes substantial agency contribution towards the cost.)
11. We are a National Health Service Corp site which gives staff access to the National Health Service Corp federal student loan forgiveness program (LCPC, LCSW, MD, APN, RN, CADC, LSW, and LPC individuals). For more information, visit