| Health Resources in Action (HRiA) is a non-profit, public health consulting organization headquartered in Boston, MA with a mission to help people live healthier lives and create healthy communities through prevention, health promotion, policy, and research. With an emphasis on community engagement and commitment to racial and healthy equity, HRiA has earned a national reputation as a leader in the fields of public health and social change. We work with diverse clients who share our vision of healthier communities, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state and local health departments, hospitals, and private/corporate philanthropic entities.?
Since its founding in 1957,?HRiA?has been at the forefront of public health, leading the way to promote healthier and more vibrant communities. Our work recognizes and addresses the ways that structural racism and social and economic factors impact health outcomes.?Our health equity framework centers racial equity and guides our work with communities, partners, and clients as well as our internal policies and processes. HRiA?is also a?member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes?with?over 40 affiliates across the US.???
HRiA’s?core services comprise four clusters: (1) capacity building assistance (CBA),?(2) grantmaking?for biomedical research and community health initiatives, (3) research and evaluation, and (4) health and racial equity.
As part of our CBA services, HRiA manages an extensive portfolio of behavioral health initiatives, including statewide substance use helplines in Vermont and substance use and problem gambling helplines in Massachusetts and Illinois. The Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances (Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery) was launched in 2017, building upon our experience operating the MA Substance Use Helpline (Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services) for over 23 years. HRiA launched the Vermont Helplink (Vermont Department of Health, Division of Substance Use Programs) in 2019. HRiA began operating the MA Problem Gambling Helpline (Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Problem Gambling Services) in 2020 and the Illinois Problem Gambling Helpline (Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery) in 2022.
The Helpline contact center is the hub for the Helplines. Screening & Information Specialists (SIS) comprise most of the contact center team and respond to incoming Helpline inquiries. Four Contact Center Supervisors provide Helpline services and provide direct supervision to a portion of the SIS team. Two Masters-level Clinicians supervise a portion of the SIS, implement follow-up services, and provide additional coverage and support. Additional Helpline team members deliver and support program operations, marketing and communication, web management, and data analysis and management, supervision, and leadership. The larger team is overseen by the Managing Director, Behavioral Health.
To learn more about HRiA and our helplines, visit the following:
• HRiA: www.hria.org
• IL Problem Gambling Helpline: www.WeKnowTheFeeling.org
• MA Problem Gambling Helpline: www.GamblingHelplineMA.org
• IL Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances: www.HelplineIL.org
• VT Helplink: www.VTHelplink.org
• MA Substance Use Helpline: www.HelplineMA.org
Opportunity
We are seeking two full-time Helpline Contact Center Supervisors to join our team on the Massachusetts Substance Use & Problem Gambling Helplines (MA Helpline), the Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances (IL Helpline), the Illinois Problem Gambling Helpline, and the Vermont Helplink (VT Helplink). This is an exciting opportunity to take on a newly developed position to support substance use treatment access across three states and supervise a diverse team of staff.
Position Description
The contact center is the hub of the Helplines. Screening and Information Specialists (SIS) comprise most of the contact center team and respond to incoming inquiries from people in each state by phone, chat, or text. The Contact Center Supervisors handle incoming consumer inquiries and supervise a portion of the SIS. Additional team members deliver and support program operations, marketing and communication, web management, and data analysis, and management. The entire team is overseen by the Managing Director, Behavioral Health.
The Contact Center Supervisors are responsible for handling incoming Helpline inquiries and providing supervisory support to the contact center team. They dedicate about half of their time to providing scheduled and as-needed Helpline coverage. This includes responding to incoming calls, online chats, and SMS text messages from people seeking information about and help with accessing substance use services for themselves, a family member or friend, and/or a client. In this capacity, they assess Helpline users’ needs, determine the most appropriate substance use prevention, treatment, and/or recovery support service options, identify available options (through the Helplines’ databases), and refer callers to those services. They provide accurate information, education, support, and referrals in a non-judgmental, respectful, and culturally competent manner.
In the other half of their time, Contact Center Supervisors provide supervisory support to the SIS team. Each Supervisor acts as a shift supervisor for SIS while they are working. This includes monitoring SIS consumer interactions, consulting with SIS and intervening during difficult interactions, and addressing any urgent issues. Each Supervisor also directly supervises up to six SIS team members. This includes providing bi-weekly supervision, processing timesheets, and fostering professional development. Contact Center Supervisors are responsible for supporting contact center operations, including managing a 24/7 coverage schedule, and staffing, space, and technology needs. They are the liaisons between the contact center team and information technology (IT) support. Supervisors assist with coordination and implementation of on-boarding training and team professional development. This is a full-time position with a salary in the low to mid $50K’s based on skills and experience.
Duties and Responsibilities
Management
- Coordinate and implement projects related to contact center operations, including technology, equipment, and space coordination, among others, as assigned
- Work with Helpline Services Manager to coordinate Helpline staffing schedules to ensure continuous 24-hour staffing coverage
- Serve as liaison between SIS and other project and organizational teams, to ensure appropriate representation and facilitate team integration
- Supervise up to six SIS
- Participate in on-call rotation
Project Work
- Troubleshoot technical contact center issues, serve as liaison to IT support
- Assist with coordination and implementation of on-boarding and professional development activities
- Assess the needs of Helpline users by telephone, online chat, and SMS texting
- Provide appropriate information and referrals to substance use and related services
- Engage and motivate Helpline users to follow through on referrals by using active listening and motivational interviewing techniques
- Obtain feedback on interactions with Helpline users
- Gather and record data from users in Helpline database
- Verify users’ insurance status, as applicable
- Escalate consumers interactions to Helpline managers as needed
- Represent the Helpline at outreach events, meetings, and/or presentations as needed
Thought Leadership
- Continue to build and develop expertise in SUD
- Suggest ideas/improvements through participation in teams and committees
- Attend and actively participate in Helpline meetings and other activities to develop skills and make suggestions for project enhancements
New Business Development
- Maintain updated resume and bio for use in new business proposals
- Assist with technical components of new business proposals as needed
Candidate Qualifications
- 5 years related experience (lived or professional) in the fields of Substance Use, Recovery, Problem Gambling, and/or Harm Reduction Services, or bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, Human Services, or related field in lieu of experience
- Certified Resource Specialist (through AIRS) preferred or willingness to obtain within one year of hire.
- Experience in information and referral services, customer service, counseling, substance use, or human services required.
- Ability to adapt to changes in work environment and expectations.
- Customer/consumer focused with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Good computer skills and experience and/or ability to use online systems and databases
- Openness to information that may be different from personal views
- Willingness to work with consumers who may be ambivalent, resistant, impaired or have psychological disorders
- Must be open to providing information about a variety of treatment options and paths to recovery based on a caller’s needs
- Must be respectful of cultural differences and value diversity of thought, backgrounds, and perspectives
- Must have high ethical standards and a willingness to comply with professional expectations.
- Demonstrated history of dependability needed
- Two years of sobriety requested for people in recovery
- Bilingual (Spanish/English) a plus
Training in addiction, screening, treatment services, and resources is provided. Hours for this position require weekday availability, and the position may include weekend or overnight on-call duties. The VT Helplink is open Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 10:00 pm and weekends and holidays 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. The MA & IL Helplines are open 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
This description is intended to indicate the kinds of work duties that will be required in this position. It is not intended to limit, or in any way modify, the rights of any supervisor to assign, direct, and contract work of staff under his/her supervision. The use of a particular illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties, not mentioned, that are of a similar level or difficulty.
Procedure for Candidacy
HRiA is actively seeking to build a diverse and experienced staff. HRiA encourages multiple perspectives and experiences, supports a multicultural environment, and strives to hire and retain a diverse work force that reflects the populations we work with and the communities where we work. Diversity is a core value of HRiA resulting in culturally competent services, materials, resources, and programs. Our hiring and business practices appreciate the strengths offered through different backgrounds.
HRiA offers an attractive benefits package including medical, dental and life insurance, retirement plan, tax-deferred annuity, and generous annual vacation that starts at four weeks in addition to three weeks of annual sick time, 13 paid holidays, plus office closure time during the last week of December.
Generally, our interviews take place between 9am-5pm ET. If you are contacted for an interview, please let us know if this timeframe is a challenge, so we can work with the interview team to find alternatives.
To apply, submit your resume and cover letter online.
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