The Contact Center provides the first, and often only, contact that many victims, and other consumers, have with The House of Ruth. The Lead Contact Center Counselor is primarily responsible for overseeing the Contact Center staff that answer the 24/7 hotline and ensuring that intimate partner violence victims and callers are offered the support, information and referral, crisis intervention counseling, and safety planning consistent with House of Ruth Maryland standards. The Lead Contact Center Counselor is a professional who is part of the team responsible for providing 24/7 primary and as needed back up coverage to the hotline. The Lead Contact Center Counselor is an expert in the dynamics of intimate partner violence and embraces House of Ruth philosophy, policy, and services provision.  Callers to the Contact Center comprise individuals from the full range of cultural and socioeconomic sectors.  Victims and those calling on behalf of victims are scared, hopeful, worried, angry, concerned, and hurt.  The Lead Contact Center Counselor must have the maturity and skills to work with people in many different capacities, and must have a firm understanding of trauma, the effects of trauma, engaging traumatized people, and must be comfortable working in a Voluntary Services program model.  The Lead Contact Center Counselor models the energy, knowledge, cultural sensitivity and aptitude to interact, problem solve, and engage in a respectful manner with every caller.  This position is expected to have excellent crisis intervention skills and handles each call with empathy, compassion, listening, patience, and the ability to assess each victim’s situation relative to lethality.  The Lead Contact Center Counselor is responsible for developing an excellent working relationship with other HRM programs and its staff, to ensure the timely, effective and seamless provision of services to victims, families, friends, other professionals, donors and other individuals who contact HRM seeking assistance, information, advice supports, or referral.

Primary Responsibilities:

• In conjunction with Contact Center Manager, directs, manages, oversees and hires Contact Center Specialists; oversees and coordinates work allocation, training, supervision, and performance evaluation of the staff and ensures that all work related to timely, accurate, and effective delivery of services is completed.

• Tracks and reports on grant related indicators, such as daily and monthly call analysis, follow up data and capture of demographic data required for funders.        

• Analysis of results of program with a view toward impacts on HRM service delivery and resource capacity.
• Assists the Contact Center Manager in providing hotline training to HRM staff.   

• Provides crisis intervention, empathy and support to victims at risk of serious injury from intimate partner violence. 

• Shares responsibility with Contact Center Counselors for live response to calls during designated shifts as needed.
• During peak hours (9am - 9pm) is responsible for answering the Contact Center phone a minimum of 25 hours weekly.

• Participates in the Rouse Follow Up Program, and Lethality Assessment Program (as needed), making outreach calls to victims and survivors of IPV.

• Assists with data entry of all Hotline Call Reports in client database system (ETO).  Assists with Lethality Assessment Program, Rouse Follow Up Program, and other ETO inputs as needed.  All entries to be completed on a timely basis, usually within 24 hours of receipt.

• Establishes and modifies staff schedules as necessary.

• Ensures data quality and monitors for accuracy, timeliness, and completeness. 

• Monitors resource materials to ensure they are accurate and current.

• Participates in Contact Center Team meetings and share resource information. 

• Provides timely and accurate data entry related to each call that is answered. When necessary, will enter documentation of calls that were responded to by staff.
• Assists with quality control assurances by assisting the contact center manager in listening to calls and providing feedback to the manager regarding the quality, appropriateness and professionalism of response or follow up of other Contact Center counselors.
• Assist Program Manager with recruitment and training of staff and volunteers.
• Responds to requests received through the HRM Website, Info Line, and social media.

• Other duties as assigned.

Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

• Bachelor’s degree in human services field or five years’ experience providing counseling, case management, or participant centered advocacy. 

• Demonstrated ability to provide the leadership that enables staff to consistently meet goals.

• Experience in working successfully across departments/ teams to achieve objectives.

• Two years’ experience doing outreach, answering hotline or working in customer service.

• Expertise in the field of Intimate Partner Violence.  
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to organize information and present it to a wide variety of audiences.
• Flexibility in scheduling to work non-standard hours as needed.
• Oral fluency in English and Spanish highly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work quickly and calmly in a crisis.
• Demonstrated ability to make decisions which de-escalate conflict and/or resolve a crisis effectively.
• Knowledge of local human services programs/ agencies and housing resources.
• Excellent oral and written interpersonal skills with a strong ability to relate to a diverse range of individuals including victims, children, donors, business leaders, human service providers.  Particular emphasis on communication over the telephone.
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

• Must pass Criminal Background Check.