Therapist

Position Description

This is a professional position providing therapeutic interventions to children, youth and families in their homes and other community locations. Includes crisis intervention and extended stabilization as well as long-term, team-based services.  Emphasis is on partnering actively with families, natural supports and other community service providers to promote safe, stable and healthy families.  Position requires 24/7 on call availability.

 

 Family Preservation System Philosophy The Family Preservation System provides an integrated and flexible array of strengths-based services and supports centered around one predominant belief: Children need their families and families need their children. All services are delivered with the following core values in mind: safety of the child, family and community; flexible and responsive; family driven; normative; family oriented; strengths based; comprehensive and collaborative; unconditional; individualized; and culturally relevant.

 

 

 

 

 Position Responsibilities

1.      Universal job skills: All CCS Family Preservation employees will demonstrate the ability to:

 

a.       Communicate role, responsibility and agency philosophy in order to assure mutual respect, confidence and trust with the child and family and other stakeholders.

 

b.      Provide non-judgmental, unconditional support to the child and family.

 

c.       Assess for immediate safety and stabilization needs.

 

d.      Customize helping approaches to fit the family’s uniqueness, personality, culture and interest.

 

e.       Report relevant information to the right people at the right time.

 

f.        Maintain a focus on strengths, needs and creative solutions.

 

g.       Utilize the family’s expertise in problem solving and solution seeking.

 

h.       Work interdependently with others toward common goals.

 

i.         Respond to family’s and children’s needs in a timely fashion.

 

j.        Complete required documentation within established timeframes.

 

k.      Instill hope for the future by communicating and behaving with confidence and reassurance.

 

 2.      Welcome, Engagement and Assessment: The skilled Family Preservation Therapist will demonstrate the ability to:

a.       Meet and engage the family communicating compassion, support, respect and enthusiasm for them and your role as a helper.

 

b.      Listen to and analyze the family’s story, and with them, identify strengths, needs, preferences and goals.

 

c.       Provide and/or arrange necessary crisis response and stabilization services, completing and communicating the safety/crisis plan with family and others.

 

d.      Contact potential team members, including other system partners, to gather their perspective on the family’s strengths and needs and solicit participation and commitment to a team process.

 

e.       Prepare the family for next steps in the intervention (e.g., team development, planning process, natural supports, etc.).

 

f.        Introduce and complete paperwork appropriate to the situation (including Mental Health intake, assessment instruments, etc.).

 

g.       Analyze and align the family’s position and agency mission using methods of respect, communication and conflict resolution.

 

 

3.      Individualized Service Planning: The skilled Family Preservation Therapist will demonstrate the ability to:

 

a.       Facilitate the child and family team to:

 

i.      Identify and prioritize goals and needs.

 

ii.    Communicate and translate information in a way that everyone can hear, especially the family’s position.

 

iii.      Brainstorm and negotiate strategies that build on child and family strengths.

 

iv.  Summarize and write up the plan.

 

b.      Consult with clinical supervisor, mental health specialists and others as needed and incorporate recommendations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 4.      Implementing Services: The skilled Family Preservation Therapist will demonstrate the ability to:

a.       Provide direct helping interventions that:

 

i.         Respond to crises in a prompt, effective and collaborative manner.

 

ii.       Provide and/or facilitate the provision of a range of therapeutic responses that support the overall plan (including individual and family therapies).

 

iii.      Utilize parent/family expertise in problem solving around specific needs.

 

iv.     Modify and adjust individual intervention techniques for each situation without changing the direction of the plan.

 

v.       Facilitate placement into foster care, as needed, while ensuring necessary paperwork is completed and notifications made.

 

vi.     Partner with the family in order to assist them in utilizing the resources offered by formal and informal sources within their community.

 

vii.    Seek assistance and report incidents to the right people at the right time.

 

b.      Facilitate others, including a team, to implement the plan from beginning to successful outcome:

 

i.         Communicate plan, strategies and role to team members, including involved CCS staff.

 

ii.       Consult with, recommend and provide training to team members around specific interventions.

 

iii.      Maintain a focus on strengths, needs and creative solutions and inspire others to follow this format in problem solving.

 

iv.     Reevaluate, modify, and redesign plan based on new information.

  5.      Transitioning Services to Natural and Other Community Supports: The skilled Family Preservation Therapist will demonstrate the ability to:

a.       Inspire confidence in the child, family and other team members about their strengths and ability to transition successfully.

 

b.      Arrange and negotiate a process for ongoing formal and informal services and supports.

 

c.       Create and practice a plan for aftercare supports and response post CCS involvement.

 

 

 

 

All employees working in CCS have the responsibility for developing and safekeeping a workplace that values and supports a culturally diverse work environment.  Employees’ treatment of each other, their willingness to try new ways and ideas--all these things contribute greatly to the organization’s success in providing an open, culturally enriched and diverse workplace.

 

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS  

1.      Master’s degree in social work, psychological, behavioral sciences or equivalent.

 

2.      One year’s experience working with youth and families.

 

3.      Must have reliable transportation, valid driver’s license and automobile insurance.

 

4.      Registered Washington State Counselor (HIV/AIDS training required).

 

5.      Proof of negative TB test within past 12 months and ability or test within first six months of employment.

 

6.      Pass background check through DSHS and Washington State Patrol.

 

 PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

1.      Mental Health Professional (as defined by WAC 388-865).

 

2.      Knowledge of Wraparound principles and practice.