Brian Rinker Email & Phone Number

Charlotte, Nc, Us

State College, Pennsylvania, United States

•Lead the 988 Lifeline program across Centre and Northampton counties, overseeing recruitment, training, and supervision of 60+ crisis counselors to provide compassionate, consistent, high-quality support using least invasive interventions•Maintain a 98–100% answer rate with an average response time of two seconds, even as call volumes have doubled•Direct the development, implementation, and oversight of policies and procedures to ensure compliance with 988 Lifeline evolving standards and regulations•Conduct regular quality assurance through call audits, data analysis, and performance monitoring, ensuring alignment with 988 Lifeline standards and best practices•Oversee program expansion with a focus on scalable systems and strategic planning, including licensing compliance, facility enhancements, and technology upgrades•Build and maintain community partnerships, participate in local suicide task forces, and collaborate with mental health organizations to strengthen resources and advocacy efforts

• Provided immediate crisis and emotional support via the 988 Lifeline, local hotlines, and walk-in services, conducting suicide risk assessments, safety planning, and resource navigation• Completed comprehensive basic needs assessments and collaborated with clients to identify solutions and build action plans to enhance stability

State College, Pennsylvania, United States

•Provide individual and couples therapy using narrative, collaborative, and strengths-based approaches, helping clients reframe their personal stories and strengthen their sense of empowerment•Conduct comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments, safety planning, and personalized treatment plans for clients experiencing trauma, anxiety, and depression•Develop therapeutic relationships that create a safe, culturally responsive environment, enabling clients to explore identity and personal strengths

• Conduct in-depth reporting and storytelling through a national or state lens, published in KFF Health News, The Atlantic, ABC News, Men’s Health, Business Insider, Youth Today, Sacramento Bee and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others.• Authored a widely read article on fentanyl overdoses in San Francisco, with hundreds of thousands of views; article on the plight of elderly after the deadly Camp Fire landed as top ranked on Apple News; enterprise feature on foster care inspired state senator to propose legislation. • Collaborated annually with multiple nonprofits to create features and Q&As that engage donors for a philanthropic publication.• Researched and wrote C-level thought-leadership bylines, white papers and other fact-based content for clients; designed content strategy to scale op-eds for publication.

• Cover juvenile justice, child welfare, and afterschool beats. Produce reported features and enterprise articles.• Awarded a 2023 USC California Health Equity Fellow; produced a three-part package on California Juvenile Justice realignment.

San Francisco Bay Area

• Produced a high volume of online and print content on Bay Area’s vibrant startups and technology scene, averaging 10 articles per week• Balanced breaking news reporting with in-depth feature articles and executive profiles; launched an investor Q&A column, Money Talks

San Francisco Bay Area

• Write, edit, design and manage hundreds of health articles and photos• Spearhead content efforts to digitize UC Berkeley health information

San Francisco Bay Area

Exposed an opioid treatment doctor for sketchy practices that resulted in the death of a former patient and spotlighted the absence of opioid treatment in rural California

San Francisco

Reported on breaking news and wrote features in the San Francisco Mission District.

Phoenix, Arizona Area

Wrote heavily reported, character-driven articles about the people and happenings of Phoenix. Highlights: Anarchists who moved into a suburban neighborhood; a profile about a transgender woman who filed the city’s first discrimination complaint; drug users who got second chances in homeless court.

Presido, San Francisco

Reported on the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Told stories about kids who from a solution-based perspective, focusing on probation-involved foster youth. One of my articles, Three Brothers, Three Paths out of Foster Care, inspired a state legislator to propose SB 12.

San Francisco Bay Area

Wrote three stories a day for the news blog, The Snitch, while working on an in-depth featureabout special needs children.

Tenderloin, San Francisco

Reported on public health issues specific to San Francisco’s Tenderloin community, including efforts to bring healthy foods to the area and the Mid-Market boom.

San Francisco State University

Created a weekly column about heroin addiction, called My Heroin Years.Reported ongun owners in the Bay Area, highlighted drug trends at school and got the Muslim reaction to the Boston Marathon bombing.

San Francisco Bay Area

Told the double-edged story of journalism interns working for free and reported on the Occupy Movement.

San Francisco Bay Area

Dug into the origins of “gunpowder” heroin in the Tenderloin and covered City Hall politics.

City College Of San Francisco

Managed and trained 10 journalism students. Did multimedia reporting and photography, including the production of broadcast-style videos, news documentaries and audio slideshows.

City College Of San Francisco

Wrote features about City College students who worked in porn at Kink.com, the Occupy Movement and a first-person narrative on sex, drugs and college.

Master Of Science - Ms, Mental Health Counseling/Counselor

Master’S Degree, Public Health

Master'S Degree, Journalism

Bachelor'S Degree, Journalism, Criminal Justice

Activities and Societies: Golden Gate Xpress newspaper

Associate Of Arts (Aa), Journalism

Activities and Societies: The Guardsman Newspaper, Etc. MagazineHigher Honors