Family Counselor - FPS

Family Counselor

Acenda Integrated Health provides 100+ behavioral health programs, including mental health services, crisis care, substance use recovery, family therapy, maternal and pediatric support, and residential programs across New Jersey. Our team enjoys competitive benefits, work-life balance, professional development, and team engaging events. Acenda is recognized as a multi-year Top Workplace by USA Today and The Inquirer and a Top Workplace Culture award winner for Work-Life Balance as well as Joint Commission accredited and certified by MHCA and the New Jersey Alliance for Children, Youth, and Families. Join #TeamAcenda and make a lasting impact.

As a Family Counselor, I provide short-term, intensive, in-home counseling to two families at a time, offering a minimum of five hours of weekly face-to-face support. I teach, coach, and model effective parenting skills to strengthen parent-child interactions while connecting families to essential services and resources. Additionally, I collaborate closely with DCP&P and community providers to ensure coordinated, family-centered care and lasting positive outcomes.

Family Preservation Services (FPS) is an in-home program intended to assist the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) in meeting the State's obligation to preserve the sanctity of the family and prevent the placement of children outside the home by strengthening families through the application of intensive family preservation services. The FPS program is mandated to provide services to families whose children are at imminent risk of placement, or whose children are being prepared for reunification. The FPS program works to ensure the safety of all family members, prevent the out-of-home placement of children considered to be at imminent risk of removal from their home, improve family functioning, reduce the recurrence of maltreatment, help families utilize community resources more effectively, and assist families with the process of reunification where separation or removal has already occurred.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide short-term, intensive, in-home counseling to 2 families at a time, each receiving a minimum of 5 hours of weekly face-to-face contact.
• Teach, coach and model parenting skills and effective parent-child interactions and advocate and link families to concrete services and supports.
• Work collaboratively with DCP&P and community service providers

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in counseling or a related field with 1.5 years professional experience and a valid driver's license and insured vehicle.
• Strong engaging, communication and collaboration skills and must demonstrate initiative, reliability and the ability to work well independently
• Must be able to analyze work, set goals, develop plans and utilize time effectively and efficiently

Additional Information:

• Hourly Rate: $20.19
• Sign-on Bonus: $500
• Bilingual Rate: $1.50 rate added if Spanish proficient

What we provide:

• An Innovative culture that encourages you to grow and learn with the agency
• Mission-driven core
• Health, Vision and Dental coverage for you and your family
• 401(k) with 100% employer match on the first 5% of comp
• Generous time-off
• Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Year-end bonuses

Acenda Integrated Health is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Department/Program: Family Preservation Services - Monmouth (FPSMO)