Join a world-first, global project, getting help to young people in crisis online.

Online Crisis Intervention is a world first brief-intervention counselling service. Through the medium of social media, we proactively identify, respond to, and care for young people disclosing moments of personal crisis. This is focussed on, though not restricted to, expressions of suicidal ideation and self-harm. Read about OCI on Newsroom here.

This is a leadership role in a fast-paced, growing startup. You’ll help us to ensure that young people in crisis around the world receive interpersonal support in our world-first project – Online Crisis Intervention. You’ll mobilise a small army of volunteers to increase the number and quality of conversations we’re having with young people online, and help drive us toward becoming a 24/7 service. You'll also give your hand to anything that moves us forward - we're a small team and we need all hands on deck.

At Zeal, you will help provide a place of belonging for staff, volunteers and young people, resting on the values of passion, creativity, inclusivity and innovation.

• Experience and confidence in supporting young people through times of crisis, and a passion to help reduce levels of suicide and self-harm in the community.
• Demonstrated practice experience in one or all of the following: reflective listening, motivational interviewing, or brief-intervention counselling.
• Confidence to translate these skills to an online, text-based intervention platform.
• A relevant tertiary qualification and/or an equivalent combination of training and experience in psychology, counselling, psychotherapy, mental health, or youth work.
• Confidence and compassion in connecting with young people across a range of geographic locations, ethnicities, as well as a diversity of gender, sexuality and lifestyle expressions.
• Awareness of factors that contribute to mental health, distress and illness.
• Natural ability to integrate human needs with technological process.
• A critical thinker and quick learner.
• Driven to optimise processes to drive quality and growth.
• Personal and professional resiliency, including the ability to maintain emotional awareness of yourself and others in the moment.
• Experience in lean startup methodology and design thinking is preferred.
  
  

• Lead and monitor live interventions with our team of trained volunteer crisis counsellors and shift supervisors.
• Increase our conversation and engagement rates to specific targets
• Streamline shift management processes to maximise volunteer time online, and conversation quality.
• Supervise at least one 6-hour afternoon/evening shift per week.
• Be available on two other evenings each week for assistance in high-risk incidents or interventions.
• Be proactive in maintaining welfare for the volunteer team.
• Participate in fortnightly staff meetings and at least monthly supervision.
  
  

This is a full-time role and will primarily be undertaken at the Zeal West office in Henderson, Auckland. Applications close 16th November.

 Apply now 

For a full position description or for more information, please contact andrew@zeal.nz