Residential Therapist

Residential Therapist

By joining the San Diego Center for Children, you will empower children and families through transformative mental health care and educational services. Our vision is to inspire a world where children and families live joyful, healthy lives. We serve over 1,000 people every day - are you ready to make an impact?

Join us - and work with purpose!

Position Benefits:

• Team-Oriented, Multidisciplinary Approach
• Ongoing, High-Level Learning and Development Opportunities
• Culturally Diverse Environment
• Joint Commission Accredited Organization
• Comprehensive Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision, Pet)
• Retirement Savings Plan: 403(b) - With Employer Match Up To 3%
• Generous Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick Leave, Holidays)
• Wellness Programs
• EAP - Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition Reimbursement or Assistance For Continuing Education
• Employee Discounts
• Employee Recognition Program
• Opportunities For Career Advancement
• May Be Eligible For State or Federal Loan Forgiveness Programs For Work With Underserved Populations

Summary:

To provide a safe and favorable therapeutic climate for each client in the residential programs. The therapist is responsible for providing residential youth and their families or caregivers with an array of therapeutic services, working in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary teams at the Center and school. In addition to individual, group, and family therapy, they provide case management, ongoing collaboration with outside professionals, and discharge planning for the youth on their caseload. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Accepts screened intake assignments and completes intake protocols (including assessment) and general orientation of the student and caregivers to the program.
• Facilitates wide array of therapeutic interventions within individual, family therapy and counseling, group, and conjoint modalities. In-home therapy services and assessments may be indicated with some assigned cases.
• Functions as primary individual therapist and family therapist for all assigned cases. Provides weekly individual, group and family sessions, as clinically indicated and/or required on the students IEP.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and timely documentation as per SDCC protocols and requirements.
• Maintain current licensure or pre-license status with the California Board issuing the license and provide a written copy to HR. The valid license will be displayed in the office as per licensing regulations.
• Maintain communication with program manager and all other internal or external stakeholders as indicated regarding the treatment progress of assigned cases and discharges. This includes but is not limited to residential director, psychiatrist, nursing department, direct care staff, school staff, social workers, CASA, mentors and caregivers.
• Communicate with shift supervisors and direct care staff regularly to provide guidance on individualized interventions and how to assist youth on making progress toward their goals.
• Maintain radio according to Residential protocols if in possession.
• Formulate, monitor, and revise treatment plan as clinically indicated. Address specific short term and long term goals, for the youth and caregivers based on assessments and input from the youth, family and team (e.g. IEP, CFT, Treatment Team). Coordinate and ensure the implementation of the treatment plan.
• Participates in staff meetings, CFT's, Treatment Teams, Individualized Education Plan Meetings, and other meetings as assigned.
• Provide referrals as indicated.
• Responsible for fostering a staff and peer culture which results in a therapeutic milieu.
• San Diego Center for Children may redeploy staff as needed to ensure operational needs are meet for the safety of our organization, youth and staff. For the purpose of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, SDCC may be required to modify work schedules, job duties/functions or assignments as needed with minimal to no notice.
• Other duties may be assigned.

Language Skills:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret medical records, journals, reports, and legal documents; Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community; Ability to effectively present information to management and public groups; Ability to produce clear, concise, and clinically appropriate records.

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret medical records, journals, reports, and legal documents; Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community; Ability to effectively present information to management and public groups.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to run, walk, sit and drive a vehicle. The employee must be able to move and/or lift a student when clinically necessary, and must be able to follow a student that AWOLs in a walking or running pace. Applying SPA restraint techniques can involve lifting the student, holding the student down in a standing, sitting or ground level manner, as well separating clients who are acting in an unsafe manner to ensure the safety for the clients and staff. Due to the emotional instability of the clients the employee may be subjected to kicking, hitting, punching, biting, hair pulling, etc. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Diversity Statement

The San Diego Center for Children is committed to:

• Actively recruiting, retaining, and supporting diverse staff at all levels of the organization.
• Ensuring that diverse perspectives are included in the development and implementation of policies, practices and services, and that individuals feel empowered to advance our mission within an atmosphere of trust, safety, and respect.
• Encourage and provide access to professional development in order to deliver equitable and culturally informed services to the population we serve.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

• Must have a current license or pre-license number issued by the State of California oversight board for that license: ASW/LCSW, AMF, MFT/MFC, Psych Assistant, PhD or PsyD. LPCC/APCC may be considered with additional educational requirements.
• Valid California Driver's License (CDL)
• Master's Degree from an Accredited University
• Experience working with youth and caregivers
• Must be able to demonstrate skill in writing clinical notes, assessments, and clinical formulation. Documentation and clinical formulation writing skills will be tested

Preferred Requirements

• Bilingual in Spanish
• Experience and/or Training in Case Management
• Experience in a Residential setting and with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience working with CWS, adoptions and/or foster care youth and caregivers
• Experience working with the education system and with IEP's.
• Training/experience in the area of latency and adolescent age students and families is desired as is the knowledge of basic case management skills.
• Training in Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Trauma Focused CBT, and/or Family Engagement and Family Therapy.