job Child & Family Therapist

Department: Survivor Services
Reports to: Therapeutic Services Manager 
Status: Part time, hourly (24 hours per week) / non-exempt
Wage: $39.00 - $45.00 per hour, dependent on experience

Position Overview

Are you passionate about serving survivors of interpersonal trauma, sexual assault, and domestic violence? Do you want to be a part of building a clinical program that recognizes the inherent resilience of survivors and provides therapy services that are strongly rooted in an anti- oppressive framework? YWCA USA is the largest and oldest provider of domestic violence support services in the world. In this role, you will provide immediate access to voluntary therapeutic interventions and behavioral health supports to parents, children and families of survivors, and will take a lead role in developing an innovative pilot program working closely within a dynamic interdisciplinary team of advocates and peer support advocates. You will contribute significantly to YWCA’s mission by culturally respectful and inclusive mental health services to survivors and their vulnerable children.

YWCA is on a Mission

YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice,  freedom, and dignity for all. For more than 120 years, YWCA of Greater Portland has invested in our community, supported survivors, and advocated for the most vulnerable among us: women, children, seniors, the unhoused, and the incarcerated. As one of 200 Associations nationwide, we are proud members of YWCA USA, one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the nation.

 

Key Responsibilities

Strength-based, trauma-informed therapeutic services

• Provide responsive, proactive, and flexible survivor-led therapeutic services, engaging participant’s feedback to inform every aspect of service delivery.
• Conduct assessments and develop collaborative treatment plans with the survivor and their family to determine treatment goals, using a strengths-based approach.
• Provide weekly or bi-weekly family or child psychotherapy to support survivor’s unique recovery goals at YWCA office locations and/or home-based or off-site community-based locations that are safe.
• Incorporate safety planning in therapy, including risk assessment and support regarding risk of revictimization, harm to self and harm to others.
• Address the participant’s experience of trauma which may include other priorities such as improving coping, addressing common co-occurring experiences of anxiety, depression, and substance use and supporting parents to understand and feel empowered to address their children’s experiences with trauma.
• Clinical case management and coordination with participant’s advocates and relevant parties, for example regarding fair housing, reasonable accommodations, school services for youth, referrals to psychiatry, accessing public benefits, etc.
• Carry an active caseload of 10-15+ individual or family clients; final caseload expectation to be determined collaboratively depending on program development
• Conduct parenting groups or classes as need and opportunity require.
• Provide co-advocacy services at the directive of the survivor, offering support, information, referrals, and individualized safety planning.
• Accept referrals for therapy from YWCA Domestic Violence Advocates within the Survivor Services program.

Participatory teamwork and responsible representation

• Engage consistently in anti-racism practices and approaches with internal and external work based on a deep understanding of historical and present-day structural racism.
• Represent YWCA and act as a team member with other partner agencies.
• Develop and maintain positive professional relationships
• with mental health providers in the Greater Portland area, the survivor services team, and YWCA, and establish community partnerships and referral sources.
• Attend and meaningfully participate in all scheduled meetings with department, agency, and external partner teams; this could include participation in the Tri-County Mental Health Committee or DV Clinical Consultation monthly groups.
• Meet all contractually required domestic violence trainings; commit to continuing education.
• Uphold YWCA of Greater Portland’s mission, vision, and values by acting with integrity, accountability, and responsibility toward survivor participants, service partners, fellow employees, volunteers, donors, and everyone the organization engages with.
• May support and provide clinical supervision and field supervision to Counseling Interns or future staff clinicians.
• Work closely with the Clinical Supervisor of the existing adult- focused program, consult appropriately to support client care, therapist self-care and professional development.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

The Ideal Candidate

• Commits to eliminating racism and empowering women, strives for equity in all aspects of our work, and has a strong understanding of trauma-informed practices.
• Communicates clearly, consistently, and kindly with participants, agency partners, and colleagues, and responds in a timely, compassionate, and appropriate way to multiple partners.
• Regulates personal emotions while enduring high amounts of vicarious trauma.
• Manages a complicated and varied work environment with consistent and effective self-care strategies and techniques.
• Advocates for social justice, including furthering the rights, protections, access to safety, and empowerment of historically oppressed and/or under-represented communities.

 

Skills, Knowledge, & Experience

• Bilingual/Bicultural strongly preferred.
• Required: Master’s degree in counseling from an accredited university in Social Work, Counseling or Psychology; Licensure preferred, CSWA upon hire also accepted.
• Required: if not already certified, mandatory completion of the Oregon State 40-hour Domestic Violence Advocate Training required prior to starting direct independent services (provided upon hire).
• Experience providing clinical services to youth and families, and either experience or a keen interest in working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
• Familiarity with clinical assessment, DSM V diagnosis, collaborative treatment planning, risk assessment and safety planning and therapeutic interventions to treat trauma.
• Demonstrated ability to manage workload priorities and calendar while being responsive to client needs and priorities. High self-motivation is key.
• Ability to manage caseload independently, schedule appointments, be responsive and consistent when communicating with survivors.

• Ability to build rapport and strong engagement skills with survivors from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds, maintain and respect confidentiality, and consistently treat others with respect and dignity.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong attention to detail and solid data entry and clinical documentation skills including keeping up-to-date and accurate records, complete documentation of all services (intakes, releases of information, demographics tracking and statistics within Electronic Health Records) in a timely manner consistent with agency expectations.

• Experience with or ability to quickly learn Microsoft Office, Excel, Google Suite, Adobe Acrobat, Android cell phone, and experience with electronic health records (EHR) and charting.

Job Conditions

• This position is hybrid, requiring frequent travel throughout Multnomah County for some in-person meetings with participants, colleagues, and other partners at varied community locations (examples include at the participant’s YWCA provided CoRH Housing, or at the Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services).
• Therapist will provide clients with office-based, telehealth and/or community-based psychotherapy to meet their unique needs.
• Must be able to provide own transportation. Travel is reimbursed.
• Laptop, phone, and other work-from-home equipment as needed will be supplied.

Benefits

• 100% Employer-paid comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance coverage (with a no deductible option).
• Generous paid time off (including 13 paid holidays).
• Employer paid Life, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance.
• Unlimited access to no-cost Social Justice Trainings (see ywcapdx.org) and additional position-specific professional development.
• 100% Employer-paid pension plan (generous contribution) after 2 years of service in the YWCA Retirement Fund, one of the oldest pension plans in the country; a 403(b) Retirement Savings plan is available to all new employees.
• Membership in the YWCA USA sisterhood, a 150-year-old network of 200 associations worldwide.

 

Our Hiring Philosophy

We believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace makes us stronger, more creative, and more resilient. As an organization that works to amplify the voices of those from different ethnic, racial, and cultural communities, religions, gender identities, sexual orientations and/or expressions, we highly encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply.

 

YWCA of Greater Portland is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or caregiver status, veteran status, justice-involved background, or any other legally protected status. We work to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

 

YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Multicultural, multilingual, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ voices matter to us. We encourage everyone who is passionate about our mission and who can bring valuable lived experience to this position to apply, even if you don't believe you meet all the described qualifications. YWCA will not hire someone currently receiving services or within the first 6 months of ending YWCA services. YWCA cannot provide services for our own employees but can provide referrals to other agencies.

Application Instructions

This position is open until filled. Please click here or visit ywcapdx.org/employment to apply. If you have any issues with this form or need an accessibility accommodation, please email employment@ywcapdx.org. 

What best describes this position?
Counselor/Therapist

Does this position require a specialized license?
Yes,

Required: Master’s degree in counseling from an accredited university in Social Work, Counseling or Psychology; Licensure preferred, CSWA upon hire also accepted.

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