Therapist

Purpose

The purpose of the Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) Therapist in the Preventive Service Department is to implement the BSFT model with families with child(ren) between the ages of 6 to 17 years old who present with various behavioral problems, including school truancy, substance use, conduct problems, and delinquency. All services are provided in a family's home and community.

Position Overview

The Therapist works with families to assess their needs, develop intervention plans, and deliver therapy sessions that are tailored to the family's unique circumstances. They collaborate with other service providers to ensure a comprehensive approach to family care. The therapist also plays a crucial role in monitoring the family's progress, adjusting treatment plans as necessary, and working towards successful case closure.

Key Essential Functions

• Provide Child Welfare Preventive Services exclusively or primarily within the client's home and community
• Build and maintain a collaborative relationship with every family member that has or should have a relationship with the youth who has identified needs
• Provide direct clinical treatment to the entire family using BSFT MODEL theory and techniques
• As the leader of the therapeutic relationship, take responsibility for family progress and outcomes
• Build and maintain a collaborative relationship with relevant community stakeholders (i.e., child protection services, probation officers, judges, schools, etc.) to ensure cooperation among service providers
• Integrate case management services with an assigned evidence base model to help families meet their basic needs to promote stability and reduce stress
• Transform negative interactions into positive and collaborative interactions
• Focus on family strengths (defined from an interactional perspective)
• Conduct assessments including review of referral information, identify and engage key participants, identify strengths and weaknesses and collaboratively develop goals
• Videotape all family therapy sessions, with consent
• Conduct family therapy in a place and at the time that is most convenient to the family
• Maintain clear and concise documentation of treatment efforts that promote peer, supervisory, model expert and ACS review and feedback
• Adhere to the fidelity of the model
• Work within the model's structure, regarding length of treatment, case contacts, interventions, supervision, and documentation
• Entering documentation in the OCFS and ACS Database System (PROMIS and CNNX)
• Collaborate with child welfare and follow ACS guidelines for preventive services, in particular the safety and risk aspects
• Participate in all BSFT MODEL training, supervision and consultation activities
• Manage the extensive travel requirements involved in serving families in their homes
• Work a hybrid schedule based on program needs
• Comfortable with group supervision and commitment to work on professional development goals to improve adherence
• Work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of families
• Outreach to generate referrals to programs
• Work with a team to meet client, program, and division needs
• Additional tasks as assigned

Core Competencies

• Ability to connect at a human level with clients to engage and maintain them in therapy
• Ability to establish an effective and collaborative relationship with all family members
• Outstanding interpersonal skills
• Willingness and ability to be strengths focused
• Ability to function in the context of high tension and anger in the family
• Ability to shift the family from content to process, from past and future discussions to interactions that occur in the present
• Appreciation, respect, and understanding for teamwork and organizational systems
• Ability to maintain high level of self-awareness
• Ability to observe the present interactions as they occur
• Ability to be comfortable with cultural differences; to relate in ways that are respectful, strength-focused, and culturally appropriate
• Ability to be family-centered, and to allow the family to interact
• Ability to keep sufficient independence from the family to observe and come to own conclusions

Educational/Training Required

Master's degree in social work, Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Creative Arts Therapy or a related subject area.

Experience Required/Language Preference

• Bilingual/Bicultural preferred
• Experience working in the client's home
• Experience working in a Child Welfare, JJI, or Adolescent Focused program
• Experience and/or knowledge of Evidence-Based Models, Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused work
• Experience of working within diverse communities
• Direct practice with families
• Knowledge of Microsoft office required
• Knowledge and experience with the Connections system preferred

Work Environment / Physical Effort

To perform the essential functions of this job the candidate must be able to travel within New York City carrying equipment such as a notebook, forms, laptop, mobile hotspot and cell phone weighing up to approximately 10 pounds. Risks/hazards associated with the position are those which may be encountered travelling around New York City and interfacing with clients experiencing an acute mental health crisis or serious emotional disturbance. Position is currently hybrid but can become 100% in person based on program need.