intervention specialist

wellness coordinator

line lead

field supervisor

Lines-For-Life

Worked here three years, I like it well enough. Most positive, caring and well-meaning management and culture I've experienced in my last 4 jobs in the mental health industry. Management is flexible about taking breaks and line is relatively well-staffed so that reduces job stress a great deal. I really appreciate the flexibility of being able to work from home and pick up shifts whenever I want, even last minute. I've changed my position status multiple times here and that was easy. 

Some difficulties I've had are a lack of training for the many different lines we have to answer. Sometimes I get calls from lines I've never even heard of and I have no idea what they're for or how I'm supposed to answer them. I have no idea who management is contracting with and I've definitely not had specialized training for some of the roles I'm handed, which is often embarrassing, stressful and frustrating. It's hard to feel good about yourself as a worker when you feel incompetent on a daily basis because you are expected to know the ins and outs of 25-30 different crisis lines targeting different audiences. On any given call I might need to provide immediate "expertise" to a veteran in a flashback, a foster parent overwhelmed by a suicidal 7-year-old,  victim of a recent sexualassault, a fentanyl addict seeking urgent medical detox in the middle of nowhere, or a 12-year-old in the middle of cutting herself. L4L trains you to provide SUICIDE prevention, but in reality, most of your calls will be about something else and you'd better figure it out fast. Team leads are supposed to be there for immediate backup, but sometimes it takes 5+ minutes for them to respond to an urgent situation and you're really on the hook. These days, I feel a jolt of stress whenever I hear my phone ring.

Lines for life was mostly a great place to work. They've been growing a bit too fast and are trying hard to ensure that people are heard. 

They've been doing a number of things to improve and support the work place culture. They've started a monthly Wellness Meeting, an Equity and Inclusion meeting and a support group for people of color. They're very supportive/inclusive of queer people, though there is a learning curve individuals and the agency.

Management is available to listen to staff and communicate with a level of vulnerability, while they also value lived experiences.

Crisis work can vary by day and is also dependent on the shift worked. They contract with 20 plus agencies to answer crisis lines, as well as other crisis, support and resource lines. All of the shifts have their pros and cons.

They have been challenged to have sufficient staffing and on-call staff and while many encouraged staff to stay home sick, some specific people in positions of authority placed pressure on some individuals to work despite chronic illness with flareups that interfered with their ability to do the work well.

As for pay, it has improved significantly, with recognition for staff with higher levels of education and license status.

One of the best places I ever had the pleasure to work at. The work itself was difficult and emotionally draining, but we over all had good training and support from our supervisors.

However, things were a little more complex when interacting with our contract lines. Directions from the contract holders were not always clear or reasonable, regular staff with the contract holder did not always seem well informed about our services or abilities, and they could sometimes be rather harsh in their feedback. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
It was a paycheck, some of the supervisors were pretty nice.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The level of micromanagement was intense, was not allowed to make any decisions without asking a supervisor.  Calls were listened to and graded on a regular basis.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
High call volume,  low morale, and no human interaction with other staff caused a lot of stress.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Log in, listen to people cry or scream for eight hours straight.  There are a lot of inappropriate callers to deal with and you're not allowed to just hang up when a caller is being abusive.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Amazing coworkers!

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Being understaffed and under supported by management while taking massive amounts of crisis calls from multiple sources and regions.  

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The coworkers on your team were like family, but management felt cold, unaware, distant, and even cruel when it came to supporting the folks taking crisis calls.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Sitting on your phone, likely from a home office, waiting for crisis calls to come through.  Taking crisis calls and applying skills to de-escalate the call.  Some calls were informational.

A typical day is answering crisis calls and making outbound phone calls to individuals needing support. I learn something new on a daily basis. The work is stressful but there is good support from your team and supervisors. The PTO benefit is great to take time off when you need to. There are opportunities for advancement once you're in and doing your job well. The best part of the job is the company culture. People are real and they understand the nature of the work, so there is an overall emphasis on taking care of yourself when you need to.

The organizational culture and training of Youthline is compassionate, empathetic, evidence based, and sensitive to diverse cultures. Unfortunately, it seems that many supervisors don't receive the same training as volunteers. Youth struggles were constantly dismissed or openly mocked in front of youth volunteers, which manifested in how contacts were treated. It's unfortunate that working at this location has the potential to be fulfilling and impactful, but the incompetent supervisors consistently do more harm than good. 

I worked as an intern for Lines for Life for about a year. During that time I received powerful training on crisis and suicide ideation interventions. I met great people and felt that I was actually making a difference in peoples lives.

The management team is always checking in on you and at any point if you need assistance they are able to jump in and help to problem solve, provide backup, or even take over a call if needed. The management team is very highly trained and capable.
Great company to work or volunteer at!

Company maintains mission driven by promoting, perserving and protecting life. Promotes self care for employees, encourages mental and physical wellness and offers many training and team building opportunities. Very great personalities working there with a positive work environment. It does lack in diversity but makes attempts to explore diversifying.

I've worked at Lines for Life for several years in different positions. The work can be challenging, but I've had really positive experiences with my peers and with directors and chiefs across the organization. They work hard to create a sense of community and help everyone feel like they belong, even with people working remotely all over the country. It's the best place I've ever worked.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Intervention specialist 6 salaries reported	$23.47 per hour
Wellness coordinator 5 salaries reported	$45,000 per year
Line lead 1 salary reported	$22.80 per hour
Field supervisor 1 salary reported	$29.36 per hour

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