Status: Full–Time/Non-Exempt 
Reports To: YouthLine Program Director
About the Organization: Lines for Life is a regional non-profit that is dedicated to preventing substance abuse and suicide and promoting mental wellness. We offer help and hope to individuals and communities, and promote mental health for all. Our work addresses a spectrum of needs that include intervention, prevention, and advocacy. We educate, train, and advocate to prevent issues of substance abuse, mental illness, and thoughts of suicide from reaching crisis levels. But when a crisis arises or support is needed, we are available 24/7/365 to intervene with personalized help.
Position Summary: This position will provide technical assistance to schools within multiple districts throughout the state of Oregon around best practices for creating and maintaining robust suicide awareness, prevention, intervention and postvention protocol and policy. Following best practice in school suicide prevention research, this position will provide training, oversight, and support to school personnel to develop appropriate approaches to school-based suicide prevention and mental health promotion. This position will also assist with the administration of mini-grants to school districts.
Responsibilities:
- Provide technical assistance and guidance via telephone and in-person, around best practices for comprehensive school suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention response plans. Utilize statewide relationships to connect schools and districts to appropriate existing models, procedures and other resources.
- Coordinate a system for ensuring that suicide prevention, intervention and postvention technical assistance to school districts is provided within three business days of the request.
- Build bridges between key community players. Including, but not limited to county resources, counselors, school support staff, school administration, teachers, parents and students.
- Implement strategic vision and framework for current and future related school safety and school prevention work.
- Maintain up to date records and track data of work being done in various schools and districts and communicate to the OHA (Oregon Health Authority) Contract Administrator any challenges and/or barriers reported by school district personnel in the development or implementation of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention plans at least on a monthly basis.
- Assess school needs for financial assistance and assist with the administration of mini-grants to school districts to support them as they write, revise or implement their suicide prevention, intervention and postvention response plans in collaboration with the OHA.
- Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.
Requirements:
- Master’s Degree or work towards Master’s in related social sciences field.
- Experience in and knowledge of best practices in suicide awareness, prevention, intervention and postvention with a youth and student focus.
- Knowledge of crisis intervention – ASIST and safeTALK certification preferred
- Certification in school-focused evidence-based suicide prevention and postvention and mental health models, procedures and trainings – RESPONSE program, Connect Suicide Postvention, Sources of Strength, and Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) preferred
- Strong understanding of school systems and a minimum of two years of experience working within schools and with school administration
- Ability to guide, assess, support, triage and build rapport with school administrations and teachers to uphold best practice in school suicide prevention protocol and policy
- Experience training on difficult topics
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Proficient with database and MS Office computer environment.
Work Schedule & Physical Requirements:
- This position will regularly work 40 hours per week, typically Mondays – Fridays, but some schedule flexibility, including working some evenings and weekends, will be required to meet the technical assistance needs of the school districts.
- This position will require the ability to occasionally travel to school districts throughout the state of Oregon.
- This position requires high energy, patience and controlling one’s emotions, as well as the ability to think analytically.
This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position’s scope and function in the company. Lines for Life is an equal opportunity employer.
Compensation: The salary for this position is between $41,000 – $49,000, depending on education and experience. Lines for Life also offers a great benefits package valued at over $9,500 that includes full coverage for employee health, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, and life insurance premiums; a matching 401K plan; a flexible spending plan; an employee assistance program; and a Fitbit tracker.
Lived Experience: Lines for Life encourages individuals with lived experience to apply. This includes individuals who have undertaken their own recovery journey or supported someone through a recovery journey from mental health conditions, suicidal struggles, and/or substance abuse. They have the capacity to draw upon and use their own lived experiences to help others and prevent suicide and substance abuse and promote mental wellness.
EEO: Lines for Life strives to create a diverse, inclusive environment to better represent the communities that we serve. We are an equal opportunity employer.
All Lines for Life employees must be approved to work by the Oregon Department of Human Services’s Background Check Unit. Background checks are completed after a conditional offer of employment has been extended.