Crisis Clinic is the one of the oldest crisis lines in
the nation. Started in 1964 by community volunteers, it has grown to one of
the nation’s largest and most respected crisis line organizations. Crisis
Clinic provides the 24-Hour Crisis Line for persons in emotional distress,
the 2-1-1 / Community Information Line, which links callers to a wide range
of health and human services including specialty services such as disability
and caregiver, legal and housing/rental assistance and TEEN LINK, a
confidential helpline for teens, and answered by, teens. Crisis Clinic also
offers Survivors of Suicide support groups and training and consultation for
lay audiences and health and human service professionals. Crisis Clinic’s
database of 6,000 community services is available on-line at
www.crisisclinic.org
In 2008, Crisis Clinic responded to over 197,000
calls. Once every three minutes someone calls the Crisis Clinic for help.
Crisis Clinic’s 2009 budget is $3.5 million. The agency has approximately
90 staff and more than 300 volunteers. Crisis Clinic is a state-licensed as
an emergency telephone service provider and accredited by CONTACT USA and
the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems. Offices are located on
east Queen Anne in Seattle.
Key Responsibilities
Vision
§
Determine and support the
Crisis Clinic’s mission, values and vision
Human Resources
§
Select, support and
evaluate the Executive Director
§
Recruit potential board
members and volunteers
Finances
§
Ensure adequate resources
for Crisis Clinic’s operations
Fundraising
§
Raise funds to meet annual
goal
§
Help nurture existing
donors by making thank you calls
Policy
§
Establish and adhere to
policies which guide operational and board practice
§
Ensure agency compliance
with legal requirements
Public and
Community Relations
§
Represent Crisis Clinic in
the community
§
Speak and advocate for the
organization and its mission
Organizational
Development
§
Evaluate your work and the
work of the board
§
Plan strategically for
Crisis Clinic’s future
Expectations of Board
Members
1. Complete
new board member orientation and devote the time to stay informed of agency
issues. Continue to stay connected during your term by engaging in program
activities, such as listening on the 24 Hour Crisis Line, the 2-1-1 line or
attending Teen Link presentations.
2. Prepare
for board and committee meetings by reading the material and being prepared
to advance the discussion. Contact staff or board member prior to a meeting
to ask for clarification. Be proactive in learning about the organization
and issues.
3. Serve a
three-year term. Members may serve three terms.
4. Attend
board meetings, which are the third Wednesday of every other
month, starting in January, from 6:00-8:30 pm
5. Attend
and actively participate in the Board planning retreat.
6. Actively
work on one or more committees.
7. Make a
personal financial contribution based on your ability.
8. Support
fundraising activities and events as agreed to annually. (Typically, this
means filling 1 or 2 tables at the benefit and participating in event
planning as needed.) Make thank you calls to donors to keep them connected
to the organization.
9.
Participate in legislative advocacy efforts (letters to elected officials;
thank you presentations to cities/funders.
10.
Appropriately use your contacts to advance the organization.
11. Demonstrate
dedication and commitment to the organization’s mission
Board members can expect
to volunteer approximately 3-5 hours per month.
2009 Recruitment Priorities
It is priority that Crisis Clinic’s board reflects the
diversity of the community we serve and we welcome applications. Each
candidate is considered based on his or her unique skills and experiences
and how they will strengthen Crisis Clinic and help the board fulfill its
work objectives. In particular, we are seeking candidates from outside of
Seattle, especially South King County. We look for candidates with
professional experience in finance/CPA, public relations/communications,
business, technology, fund development or public/governmental affairs. We
are seeking candidates with prior Board experience.
