Crisis Response Team Manager

Overview

The Manager of Adult & Children’s 24/7 Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Teams provides clinical, operational, and administrative leadership for community-based crisis response services serving adults, children, and families experiencing behavioral health emergencies. This position is responsible for ensuring safe, effective, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented crisis intervention services are delivered 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in accordance with organizational standards, regulatory requirements, and best practices in crisis care.

The Manager oversees daily operations of mobile crisis teams, provides clinical supervision and support to staff, ensures quality and productivity standards are met, and responds to high-risk clinical situations when necessary. This role requires strong clinical judgment, attention to detail, the ability to assess and manage risk, and the capacity to lead teams in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. The Manager must demonstrate strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills while maintaining a commitment to compassionate, person-centered care.

This position requires a highly motivated professional with experience in crisis intervention, staff management, program operations, and behavioral health systems.

Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership & Crisis Response

• Provide oversight and clinical guidance for adult and children’s mobile crisis response services operating on a 24/7 basis.
• Ensure crisis services are delivered in a timely, clinically appropriate, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive manner.
• Support staff in conducting comprehensive behavioral health crisis assessments, suicide risk assessments, homicide risk assessments, safety planning, de-escalation, and stabilization interventions.
• Provide consultation and support for high-risk, complex, or emergent clinical situations.
• Assist with crisis response coverage and direct service delivery when staffing shortages or critical incidents occur.
• Review clinical documentation for accuracy, quality, compliance, and medical necessity.
• Ensure proper assessment of psychiatric, behavioral, environmental, social, developmental, and safety concerns for both adult and child populations.
• Promote least restrictive interventions and diversion from unnecessary hospitalization, incarceration, or emergency department utilization whenever clinically appropriate.
• Coordinate with hospitals, law enforcement, schools, child-serving agencies, emergency departments, courts, and community partners regarding crisis response and continuity of care.
• Monitor adherence to evidence-based and best-practice crisis intervention models.

Operational & Program Management

• Manage day-to-day operations of 24/7 mobile crisis teams, including scheduling, staffing coordination, workflow oversight, and service delivery monitoring.
• Ensure adequate staffing coverage for all shifts, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call responsibilities.
• Develop and implement operational procedures that improve workflow efficiency, productivity, response times, and service quality.
• Monitor key performance indicators, productivity expectations, response metrics, documentation timeliness, and program outcomes.
• Identify operational challenges and implement process improvement strategies to streamline services and improve team effectiveness.
• Ensure compliance with state, federal, Medicaid, licensing, accreditation, and organizational standards.
• Participate in program planning, policy development, strategic initiatives, and quality improvement activities.
• Maintain accurate records, reports, schedules, incident documentation, and operational data.
• Participate in after-hours leadership support and crisis escalation management as needed.

Staff Supervision & Development

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, mentoring, and performance management for clinical and support staff.
• Conduct regular staff meetings, supervision sessions, case consultations, and performance evaluations.
• Foster a supportive team culture focused on collaboration, accountability, professional growth, and staff wellness.
• Provide ongoing training and continuing education to staff related to crisis intervention, risk assessment, trauma-informed care, suicide prevention, de-escalation, documentation standards, child/adolescent behavioral health, and safety procedures.
• Assist with onboarding, orientation, and competency development for new staff members.
• Identify staff training needs and develop educational opportunities to strengthen clinical and operational performance.
• Support employee engagement, retention, morale, and resilience in a high-stress crisis services environment.
• Address performance concerns, conflict resolution, corrective action, and personnel issues in collaboration with leadership and human resources.

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Ensure documentation meets clinical, legal, contractual, and billing requirements.
• Conduct chart reviews, audits, and quality assurance activities to monitor service quality and compliance.
• Ensure incident reporting procedures are followed accurately and promptly.
• Monitor adherence to safety protocols, risk management procedures, and crisis response standards.
• Participate in accreditation reviews, audits, and regulatory inspections.
• Utilize data and performance metrics to identify trends and guide program improvements.
• Promote continuous quality improvement and accountability across all areas of service delivery.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, Behavioral Health, or a related human services field.
• Minimum of two (2) years of direct clinical experience providing behavioral health services.
• Minimum of two (2) years of supervisory, management, or team leadership experience preferred.
• Experience working with individuals experiencing acute mental health crises, substance use disorders, serious mental illness, suicidal ideation, behavioral disturbances, and/or co-occurring disorders.
• Experience working with both adult and child/adolescent populations preferred.
• Strong clinical assessment and crisis intervention skills.
• Demonstrated ability to assess and manage risk effectively in high-pressure situations.
• Experience managing personnel, schedules, operations, and team performance.
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to make sound decisions independently and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care, crisis stabilization practices, and behavioral health systems.
• Valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record.
• Ability to work flexible hours and participate in on-call or after-hours leadership support as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional licensure or license eligibility preferred (LPC, LICSW/LCSW, LMFT, or equivalent).
• Experience in mobile crisis response, crisis stabilization, emergency psychiatry, community mental health, or behavioral health emergency services.
• Experience with Medicaid documentation and behavioral health compliance standards.
• Certification or specialized training in crisis intervention, suicide prevention, trauma-informed care, or de-escalation techniques.
• Experience collaborating with law enforcement, hospitals, schools, child welfare, or emergency response systems.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication abilities.
• Advanced crisis assessment and intervention capabilities.
• Ability to maintain composure and clinical judgment during emergencies.
• Strong problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to support staff effectively in stressful and high-acuity situations.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to improve workflows, streamline processes, and increase operational efficiency.
• Ability to interpret policies, regulations, and clinical standards.
• Competency in electronic health records and documentation systems.
• Commitment to ethical practice, professionalism, and person-centered care.

Physical & Environmental Requirements

• Ability to travel within the service area to respond to crisis situations and attend meetings.
• Ability to work in community settings, homes, hospitals, schools, correctional settings, and other field-based environments.
• Ability to safely respond to potentially volatile or high-risk situations.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, and drive for extended periods as required.