When people experience a mental health crisis, they are faced with the decision to go to the emergency department or to try to manage the crisis themselves. The Living Room offers an alternative: a community crisis center—a welcoming, accepting, and calm environment where Crisis Support Specialists provide advocacy, information, and peer support.      As a Crisis Support Specialist, you will use your personal experience with mental health recovery to support and educate Living Room guests on managing crisis. You will engage guests in conversation to hear their stories, learn about their interests and strengths, and respectfully encourage them to take steps in their recovery process. Over the course of the day, you may model coping strategies, help guests develop their own crisis recovery plans, and/or link guests with supportive services for after their crisis.     A welcoming environment is key to the success of the Living Room, so you will greet guests and learn their names as part of inviting them to take the lead in determining their recovery path. Crisis Support Specialists will also prepare food for guests and ensure that the space is neat and tidy.     Keep up to date on current trends in the mental health field and deepen your knowledge of evidence-based practices through ample training opportunities to enhance Living Room services. You can also gain supervision for CRSS certification and reimbursement for testing and application fees.     To succeed in this role, you need:    Lived experience of mental health recovery   Effective communication and relationship-building  Good writing skills  Strong time management and organization  To be at least 21 years old  Ability to work assigned schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am - 3:00pm Many education and experience paths are eligible for this role:    High school diploma or GED certificate required  Higher education in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling or related field preferred  Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) preferred  What sets Thresholds apart:     Competitive pay – Base rate: $24.75 hourly  Generous PTO (9 federal holidays, 8 days of sick leave, 3 personal days, and15 vacation days) Dental insurance, vision insurance, choice of 4 medical insurance plans 403(b) retirement plan with 3% employer match  Robust employee assistance program (EAP) Cell phone reimbursement (up to $50/month) Mileage reimbursement Public service loan forgiveness  Supervision for clinical licensure at no cost (LSW, LCSW, LPC, LCPC, CADC)  Reimbursement for professional licensure and license renewal   Thresholds is a mission-driven agency with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We foster an environment where all feel valued and respected, a place where every employee can be themselves, thrive, and support the agency’s mission. Click here to learn more.     One of the oldest and largest community mental health organizations in Illinois, we pride ourselves in being a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace and one of Chicago’s 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For several years in a row.