Operations Assistant

The Operations Assistant role exists to promote and maintain a safe, respectful, and orderly environment in which clients can access services, and staff can provide those services. The position provides a consistent, visible safety presence at the AHP Services Center, with particular attention to preventing and responding to behavioral escalation, interpersonal conflict, environmental hazards, and other conditions that could affect the safety of clients, visitors, and staff.

The position combines active observation and engagement with verbal de-escalation, conflict resolution, safety rounds, hazard identification, incident response, and coordination with clinical staff, supervisors, emergency personnel, and law enforcement when additional intervention is necessary. The position serves an important preventive function by recognizing emerging concerns, intervening early when appropriate, and helping connect individuals experiencing distress or behavioral escalation with the appropriate staff or resources.

Because the position is located at the front desk, the position also provides reception and client-support functions that contribute to both safe site operations and access to services. These responsibilities include greeting and assisting clients and visitors, answering and routing telephone calls, appointment scheduling, providing information and referrals, and performing limited administrative functions necessary to support clinical operations.

The position requires strong situational awareness, sound judgment, effective verbal de-escalation and communication skills, and the ability to remain calm and responsive in unpredictable or rapidly changing circumstances. The position works collaboratively with clinical, administrative, and on-site leadership staff to support a coordinated approach to client engagement, site safety, incident response, and day-to-day operations.

%

of time

Essential Function (Yes/No)

Key Responsibilities

(To be completed by Supervisor)

50%

Yes

Site Safety and De-Escalation Functions:

• Maintain an active and visible presence at building entrances, the building perimeter, lobby, and other designated areas to promote safe and respectful interactions among clients, visitors, and staff

• Conduct routine safety and environmental rounds to identify hazards, damaged property, unsafe conditions, suspicious activity, or other concerns requiring attention

• Support established site entry procedures using observation, appropriate screening questions, and client or visitor cooperation in addressing potential concerns associated with personal belongings or items brought onto the premises

• Observe client and visitor behavior and recognize early signs of agitation, interpersonal conflict, behavioral escalation, or other potential safety concerns

• Communicate site rules, expectations, and procedures and provide respectful redirection when necessary

• Utilize verbal de-escalation, conflict-resolution, and problem-solving techniques to prevent or defuse potentially volatile situations

• Respond to behavioral escalations, threats, disturbances, theft, vandalism, and other safety-related incidents within the scope of the position

• Assess situations and determine when additional assistance or a higher level of intervention is required

• Promptly contact and coordinate with on-site leadership, UCSF Police Department, emergency medical services, or other appropriate resources when circumstances require additional intervention

• Maintain effective communication with staff during safety incidents to support a coordinated response

• Support implementation of site emergency preparedness, evacuation, and other safety procedures

• Assist with opening and closing procedures to help ensure the site is appropriately secured

• Perform other assigned safety-related duties consistent with the responsibilities of the position

30%

Yes

Reception & Client Service Functions:

• Serve as a primary point of contact for clients, visitors, staff, and members of the public entering or contacting the site
• Greet and assist all in a welcoming, respectful, culturally responsive, and professional manner while maintaining awareness of the surrounding environment
• Respond appropriately to individuals who may be experiencing stress, behavioral health challenges, or crisis
• Answer incoming telephone calls, determine the nature of inquiries, and route calls, messages, and referrals appropriately
• Schedule, confirm, cancel, and reschedule client appointments as assigned
• Provide accurate information regarding programs, services, appointments, and site procedures or connect individuals with the appropriate staff member
• Assist clients and visitors in navigating the site and accessing appropriate services
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and protect confidential information during client and visitor interactions
• Maintain client-facing informational materials and supplies necessary for reception operations 

10%

Yes

Safety Documentation, Communication, and Training Functions:

• Prepare clear, objective, accurate, and timely documentation of safety incidents, accidents, injuries, behavioral concerns, and other reportable events consistent with the responsibilities of the position

• Maintain applicable monitoring or incident logs and communicate relevant information to appropriate staff

• Follow up with appropriate staff regarding safety incidents, behavioral concerns, or identified environmental hazards

• Identify recurring safety concerns or patterns and communicate observations that may assist leadership in improving site procedures, staff training, or preventive measures

• Participate in required safety, emergency preparedness, crisis prevention, de-escalation, and related training

• Participate in site safety meetings, drills, reviews, or committees as assigned

• Assist with orientation or training of staff regarding established site safety procedures and practices

10%

Yes

Administrative and Operational Support Functions:

• Enter and update client information in designated electronic systems and databases as assigned
• Maintain accurate records while adhering to confidentiality, privacy, and information-security requirements
• Prepare, scan, copy, file, and distribute routine documents necessary to support client services and site operations
• Assist with client forms and other routine administrative documentation
• Maintain and restock administrative and client-service supplies
• Assist with mail, fax, room reservations, and other routine front-office functions as needed
• Participate in staff meetings and other operational activities as assigned
• Perform other related administrative duties necessary to support effective site operations

100%

Required Qualifications:

• High school graduation and relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience appropriate to the position
• Minimum two years of experience performing safety, security, crisis-response, behavioral de-escalation, conflict-resolution, or comparable responsibilities in a client-facing environment
• Experience providing direct service to clients, patients, customers, or members of the public, including the ability to establish rapport while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries
• Demonstrated ability to work respectfully and effectively with people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, racial and cultural backgrounds, and socioeconomic circumstances
• Demonstrated ability to engage respectfully and nonjudgmentally with individuals experiencing serious mental health challenges, substance use, emotional distress, housing instability or homelessness, or other complex health and psychosocial circumstances
• Demonstrated ability to recognize potential safety concerns and signs of behavioral escalation and to use verbal de-escalation, conflict-resolution, redirection, and problem-solving techniques when appropriate
• Ability to assess situations and exercise sound judgment in determining when behavior can be addressed through engagement, redirection, de-escalation, or assistance and when a situation requires a more immediate safety or emergency response
• Ability to communicate site expectations, establish appropriate limits, and respond to challenging or disruptive behavior in a client-centered, respectful, and nonjudgmental manner while maintaining the safety of clients, visitors, and staff
• Demonstrated ability to reestablish rapport and maintain an appropriate professional relationship with clients following conflict, behavioral escalation, redirection, or de-escalation interventions
• Ability to remain calm, observant, and effective in stressful, unpredictable, or rapidly changing situations and to recognize when circumstances exceed the scope of the position and require assistance from clinical staff, supervisors, emergency personnel, or law enforcement
• Excellent verbal, written, telephone, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear, accurate, objective, and timely documentation of safety and behavioral incidents
• Ability to follow established safety, emergency, confidentiality, and operational procedures and appropriately handle sensitive and confidential information
• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple responsibilities, shift priorities in response to immediate safety needs, and work both independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Basic computer proficiency and ability to learn electronic client-record, scheduling, incident-reporting, and other information systems

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a behavioral health, substance use, community health, homeless services, supportive housing, or other community-based health or human-services setting, particularly in emergency, acute psychiatric, inpatient, crisis, or residential programs
• Direct experience working with individuals living with serious mental health conditions, substance use disorders, housing instability or homelessness, and other complex health and social needs
• Experience providing services to LGBTQ+ communities, including transgender and gender-diverse individuals, and people living with or affected by HIV
• Training or demonstrated experience applying harm-reduction, trauma-informed, and client-centered approaches to engagement, behavioral concerns, crisis response, or safety interventions
• Experience performing safety, crisis-response, or de-escalation functions in a behavioral health, healthcare, residential, social-service, or community-based setting in which maintaining ongoing relationships with clients is an important part of the work
• Experience assessing complex or potentially unsafe situations and coordinating an appropriate response with clinical staff, supervisors, emergency medical services, law enforcement, or other responders
• Experience preparing formal incident reports and maintaining safety-related documentation
• Experience with front-desk reception, appointment scheduling, client registration, or healthcare administrative support
• Experience using electronic medical records or other confidential client-information systems
• Current CPR/First Aid certification or ability to obtain and maintain certification as assigned
• Previous UCSF experience
• Bilingual proficiency, particularly Spanish, depending on program needs