Part-Time Crisis Helpline Responder (Mandarin Speaker)

About the role

Intellect, a digital mental healthcare company, is looking for a part-time Crisis Helpline Responder who speaks Mandarin. The role involves answering telephone hotlines for people in crisis, such as those bereaved by suicide, engaging in self-harm, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or whose friends and family are worried. It requires proven experience as a helpline counsellor or responder and completed training in crisis intervention or suicide prevention.

Key responsibilities

• Respond to telephone hotline calls for crisis support and provide evidence-based, professional crisis counselling and personal support using de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques.
• Assess the caller's needs, triage for immediate safety or emergency medical attention, and refer to services such as face-to-face crisis intervention, case management, advocacy, individual therapy or group services.
• Maintain accurate and detailed call reports on key issues and referrals.
• Comply with the Data Protection Acts 1988, 2003 and 2018 (GDPR).
• Help develop crisis management plans for callers in crisis and make quick decisions when unsure how to proceed.
• Ensure a smooth handover to the next shift and dedicate the whole shift to Intellect work.
• Carry out risk assessments, including lethality assessment for suicide cases.

Required profile

• 1 to 3 years of experience in helplines, paid or voluntary.
• Proven experience working with high-risk clinical situations involving suicide or crisis cases.
• Ability to stay emotionally composed in high-stress situations and recover quickly after stressful interactions.
• Effective communication in their native language; Mandarin speaking is required.

Plus points: a background in mental health or emergency services, completed training in crisis intervention or suicide prevention, fluency in more than one language, and professional indemnity insurance.