Program Manager – Crisis Support & Grief Services

Program Manager – Crisis Support & Grief Services

Location: Walnut Creek, CA — On-Site

Status: Exempt, Full-Time

Reports to: Director, Crisis and Grief Services (LCSW)

Compensation: $95,000-$120,000 annually

Position Overview

The Program Manager – Crisis Support & Grief Services is a hands-on leadership role responsible for the day-to-day coordination, staff and volunteer support, and program implementation for the Contra Costa Crisis Center’s crisis support and grief services.

Operating under the clinical oversight of the Director, Crisis and Grief Services (LCSW), this role provides front-line leadership to staff and volunteers delivering crisis line services, grief programming, mobile grief response and coordinated care programs. The Program Manager ensures services are delivered consistently, compassionately, and in alignment with trauma-informed and AAS-aligned best practices.

This position is well-suited for a master's level clinician with significant crisis and grief experience who is ready to lead day-to-day program operations, support staff and volunteers, and implement established service standards under clinical oversight.  

Key Responsibilities

Crisis Support Program Leadership

• Provide day-to-day leadership and support for crisis support services, including call-center-based crisis response and grief-related contacts.
• Support staff and volunteers in applying best practices for suicide risk assessment, de-escalation, documentation, and ethical decision-making.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for staff seeking guidance on complex or emotionally demanding situations, escalating clinical concerns to the Director as appropriate. 

Grief Services Program Leadership

• Provide overall program leadership, supervision, and coordination for the Center’s grief services, including grief support groups, postvention activities, and mobile grief response.
• Supervise and support designated Grief Services staff, ensuring alignment with program goals, approved protocols, and service standards.
• Provide guidance, coaching, and support to grief facilitators and responders, in coordination with Grief Services staff, with direct participation as needed to support program effectiveness and staff capacity.
• Monitor grief services participation, emerging needs, and service trends across modalities; identify challenges or opportunities for improvement and escalate clinical or operational concerns as appropriate.
• Ensure grief services—including mobile grief response—are delivered in alignment with approved clinical protocols and trauma-informed practice standards, under the oversight of the Director.
• Collaborate with the Director to integrate grief services into broader crisis response, postvention efforts, and coordinated care activities.

Public Engagement & Community Representation 

• Represent the Crisis Center’s crisis and grief services, as well as relevant 211 services in public presentations, community meetings, trainings, and outreach events, as assigned.
• Provide clear, accurate information about grief services, mobile grief response, and crisis support programs to community partners, stakeholders, and the public.
• Support relationship-building with community organizations, referral partners, and collaborators in coordination with the Director and other leadership staff.

Quality Assurance & Documentation

• Support clinical and program quality assurance processes related to crisis support and grief services, including documentation review and adherence to established protocols.
• Conduct regular review of program-level data, call reviews, incident summaries, and documentation trends related to crisis and grief services.
• Identify patterns, risks, or training needs and report findings and recommendations to the Director, Crisis and Grief Services (LCSW).
• Maintain accurate program-level documentation, supervision notes, and required records consistent with organizational policy and accreditation standards.
• Support preparation of materials and information related to audits, accreditation activities, and internal quality reviews, as assigned. 

Training, Staff Support & Collaboration

• Lead the program-level design, coordination, and implementation of training related to crisis intervention, suicide prevention, grief support, and mobile grief response, in alignment with established clinical standards and Director oversight.
• Serve as the primary day-to-day lead for staff and volunteer training content, ensuring consistency across programs, shifts, and service modalities.
• Partner with the Director, Crisis and Grief Services (LCSW), to ensure training priorities, curricula, and practices align with clinical standards, accreditation requirements, and risk management needs.
• Collaborate with designated training, volunteer, or outreach staff to support scheduling, delivery, and coordination of trainings, while retaining responsibility for programmatic and clinical integrity of training content.
• Provide ongoing coaching, reinforcement, and skill development for staff and volunteers through observation, feedback, debriefings, and targeted refresher trainings.
• Work closely with Call Center leadership and other program staff to integrate training into operational practice and support staff wellbeing.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, or a related field. 

• Minimum 2–4 years of experience in crisis intervention, suicide prevention, grief services, or related behavioral health settings.

• Experience providing staff support, coaching, lead responsibility, or informal supervision in a clinical or crisis environment.

• Strong judgment, communication skills, and ability to support staff working with high-risk and grief-affected populations.

• Commitment to trauma-informed practice, equity, and staff wellbeing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a crisis hotline, 988, or call-center-based service environment.

• Background in grief counseling, postvention, or community-based grief response.

• Familiarity with American Association of Suicidology (AAS) standards or suicide prevention best practices.

• Experience coordinating or supporting volunteers.

AAS Certification & Training

• AAS Crisis Specialist Certification required or obtained within six (6) months of hire.

• Completion of AAS Crisis Specialist training and exam (minimum 80% passing score).

• Certification renewal every three (3) years with AAS-approved continuing education.

CCCC supports required AAS training, certification costs, and continuing education as part of its commitment to clinical quality and accreditation standards.

Supervision & Oversight Structure

This role operates under the clinical oversight of the Director, Crisis and Grief Services (LCSW). Final clinical authority, risk management decisions, and supervision frameworks remain with the Director. The Program Manager is responsible for implementing and supporting clinical and program practice within that structure.

Application Process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Our Values

Compassion | Integrity | Equity | Collaboration | Excellence

We believe every person in crisis deserves dignity, empathy, and skilled support — and that the professionals who provide that support deserve strong leadership, structure, and care.

Contra Costa Crisis Center is an equal opportunity employer. Reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified applicants in accordance with federal and California law.