NSAH Support Specialist (Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 3:00 PM ET–11:00 PM ET)

Department: Victim Services

Position: Support Specialist for the National Sexual Assault Hotline

Reporting To: NSAH Shift Manager

Shift: Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 3:00 PM ET–11:00 PM ET (Evening)

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

NSAH Hourly Rates of Pay:

• Bilingual (Part Time); $20.50/hour
• Shift Differential: Hourly hotline employees receive an additional $2.50/hour for any scheduled hours worked on the NSAH hotline between 7pm to 6:59am.

As a key member of RAINN’s Victim Services team, the National Sexual Assault Hotline (NSAH) Support Specialist delivers consistent, high-quality support to those reaching out through the National Sexual Assault Hotline, as well as through partner hotlines operated by RAINN. This role focuses on providing reliable, professional, and trauma-informed assistance to a variety of audiences such as survivors, family members, supporters, and partners, helping ensure every interaction meets RAINN’s commitment to excellence and care.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Utilize crisis intervention best practices including safety planning, brainstorming, and listening skills to provide compassionate support to hotline users.
• Complete regular training on serving NSAH users and users of hotlines RAINN operates for clients, staying up to date on the specific needs of each client.
• Answer inbound crisis-intervention telephone calls and online chats to NSAH users and client hotlines.
• Maintain knowledge regarding the specific needs of users of client hotlines, including, but not limited to: college populations, law enforcement, nurses and civilians.

• Provide timely, accurate support to NSAH users, including offering appropriate referrals and connecting them with relevant resources.

• Collaborate with fellow NSAH hotline staff and assist with quality assurance efforts to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery.

• Monitor NSAH sessions and offer real-time support and guidance to staff and peers to ensure effective, high-quality service delivery.

• Maintain knowledge and adhere to RAINN's and NSAH's policies and protocols as well as those of client contracts.

• Supervise inbound crisis-intervention telephone calls and online chats to NSAH users and client hotlines.

• Facilitate and manage online group chat services/sessions, ensuring a safe, supportive, and well-moderated environment for participants.

• Assist with semi-annual call-throughs to audit resource databases.

• Assist with NSAH-specific data collection by completing session assessments during each shift and promptly notifying the Shift Manager or Lead on Duty of any new information, trends, or concerns that arise.

• Collect and enter client-specific data for all client contacts.

• Commit to 24/7 service coverage by working a minimum of two (2) holidays per year, helping ensure that survivors and their loved ones have uninterrupted access to critical support.

• Attend required monthly NSAH all-staff meetings to stay informed and aligned with program updates and priorities.

• Attend and actively participate in ongoing training sessions designed for all NSAH staff to maintain and strengthen skills.

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned, in support of NSAH’s operations and service delivery.

A Note About Clients

In addition to providing services to users of the National Sexual Assault Hotline (NSAH), RAINN also delivers crisis intervention and sexual assault victim support services for a number of third-party clients. The Support Specialist will provide these services for clients including educational institutions (such as colleges and boarding schools), sexual assault service providers, and rape crisis centers. They will also deliver specialized services for various agencies. Each client requires specific initial training and ongoing education. SupportSpecialists are required to successfully complete all such training and maintain expertise in the unique needs of each client.

Position Specification/Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required:

• Must be literate and fluent in English and able to pass a proficiency test during the interview process. Spanish fluency may be required for certain roles and will be assessed when applicable.
• Must be able to pass a typing test with at least 35 WPM score.
• Must have a minimum of one (1) year of experience in social services, customer service, or another field involving direct client support or crisis intervention.
• Possess the ability to effectively communicate information and respond to questions in person-to-person and small group situations with visitors, general public and other employees within the organization.
• Must be comfortable using instant messaging platforms and handling phone-based communication.
• Ability to work well under pressure and maintain composure during stressful situations; ability to handle shifting and multiple priorities.
• Ability to work effectively in a remote environment, including maintaining focus, managing time independently, and staying connected with the team through virtual communication tools.
• Ability to solve problems and deal with a wide range of situations.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions, both written and oral.
• Ability to exercise good judgment when faced with complex decisions.
• Resiliently positive and energetic attitude, with the ability to successfully work on a team and independently.
• Willingness to work a non-traditional schedule, which will include evenings and/or weekends/holidays.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace applications (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms) with demonstrated ability to effectively utilize these tools for communication, collaboration, organization, and data management.
• Must be comfortable discussing issues surrounding sexual violence.
• Have a passion for RAINN's mission.
• Must complete and pass a criminal background check administered by RAINN.

Mandatory Training

As a condition of employment, all Support Specialists must complete a comprehensive 40-hour blended learning program, which includes:

• • 26 hours of self-paced online courses.
  • 12 hours across four live virtual learning sessions.
  • 1 OHL5 webinar focused on platform use.
  • 2 shadowing sessions.
  • 3 role-play simulations.
  • 1 graded role-play assessment followed by a debrief session.

• Must complete initial 20 hours of client specific training and a minimum of 6 hours of continuing education on contracts yearly.

The initial phase of training culminates in a mock role-play assessment, which is debriefed with RAINN’s Training Team. Successful completion of this assessment is required before moving into supervised practice.

Following the role play, the employee will complete at least two 3-hour clinically supervised sessions on the online hotline, where they will assist users in real time while receiving individualized feedback from a Licensed Training Supervisor.

RAINN operates across both online and telephone modalities, new staff will complete approximately 29 hours of telephone training, including: 

• Call shadowing and observation.
• Telephone role-play exercise.
• Two final clinically supervised call sessions.

All training is conducted remotely, and while essential training is generally scheduled during regular shifts, some live or clinical components may require participation outside of your normal hours. Final approval from a Licensed Training Supervisor is required.

Open shifts are based on the operational needs of the hotline.

RAINN Office Status

RAINN’s headquarters are based in Washington, DC. This position may be based regionally for someone whose residence is within the continental USA. Although this may be a remote role, it may require some periodic business travel to our DC offices for onsite meetings and training sessions.

Only complete applications will be considered. Please, no phone calls.

RAINN offers competitive compensation and part-time benefits that include employee assistance, paid vacation, sick leave, paid holidays, and free access to the building fitness center. RAINN is based in Washington, D.C.

Remote Work Requirements

RAINN employees are required to have a home office setup with a dependable high-speed internet connection. This must be sufficient to support all job-related tasks, including accessing systems, communicating with teams, and providing uninterrupted hotline services or administrative support.

When you work at RAINN, you're joining a team of experts and professionals who stand up for survivors of sexual violence every day. Your job is important and so are you! RAINN will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, individual identity, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status. RAINN encourages all qualified candidates to apply.

EOE/M/F/D/V

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of the essential functions, responsibilities and/or requirements.