Child and Family Trauma Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Bright Beginnings, Inc. is a non-profit organization that operates early childhood and family learning centers for families experiencing homelessness. Our mission is to meet the needs of children and families living in homeless environments by providing children with a safe, nurturing educational environment; preparing children to enter kindergarten ready to learn; and supporting homeless parents to stabilize their home lives and become self-sufficient.

BBI is seeking an LCSW, LPC, or LMHC to serve as our Child & Family Trauma Specialist and is responsible for the overall planning, implementation, coordination, evaluation, and ongoing administration of trauma-informed care at Bright Beginnings. The position is responsible for the full implementation and delivery of high quality, comprehensive services to children and families. The individual will have considerable ability to understand chronic homelessness, intergenerational poverty, their causes, and two generational approaches and solutions. This person must have the ability to provide effective leadership to plan and direct the work of others and the ability to establish effective working relationships with the public and others, and the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Must be well versed in the Head Start Performance Standards and Other Regulations, Child Abuse regulations, and District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR).

Essential Duties:

• Responsible for the overall trauma-informed care at Bright Beginnings.

• Provide trauma-informed and culturally competent therapy sessions to clients. Sessions may be individual, family, or group therapy.

• To monitor and evaluate clients’ progress respecting confidentiality issues for project evaluation purposes.

• Maintain a caseload of individual clients.

• Coordinate clinical trauma training for the graduate student program.

• Provide clinical supervision to graduate interns.

• To ensure that the therapy provided is of the highest possible professional standard and that the work is safe and ethical.

• Perform assessments including assessments of mental health needs and risk assessments.

• Plan and implement therapy applying psychological principles when working with individuals and groups to assist in changing, improving, understanding, or managing situations.

• Build relationships with clients and evaluate clients’ outcomes.

• Write reports, keep records, and provide written and verbal reports, respecting client confidentiality issues.

• Complete and submit required monthly reports to the Therapeutic Services Manager through HMIS, ChildPlus, and the End of Month Report to the Head Start Enterprise System (HSES).

• Supervise and maintain accurate and timely written/electronic records; including end-of-month reports, assessments, special education documentation, screening instruments, anecdotal observations, documents for all transitions, and other required forms. (ChildPlus, HSES).

• Ensure overall compliance with local, state, and federal standards and regulations.

• Maintain confidentiality of information at all times.

• Attend all training, staff meetings, and team meetings as required.

• Actively participate in community and program-wide activities and events increasing awareness of program services offered through BBI.

• Work collectively with all program staff.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Mission and culture alignment;

• Master’s degree preferred in social work; counseling, psychology, or psychotherapy. LCSW, LPC, or LMHC required.

• Well-versed in the Head Start Performance Standards and other regulations including but not limited to child abuse regulations and District of Columbia OSSE Licensing Regulations;

• Extensive knowledge of person-centered therapeutic theory practice and interventions;

• Extensive theoretical understanding of group therapy;

• A proven track record in the counseling arena;

• Sound awareness of and willingness to implement professional boundaries;

• Must maintain training and professional development credits current;

• Spanish – speaking and writing preferred, but not required;

• Excellent organizational, time management, and communication skills;

• Strong written and verbal communication;

• Track record of establishing effective working relationships with colleagues at all levels across teams;

• Must have the ability to maintain a cooperative, diplomatic working relationship with co-workers, supervisors, families, and the community;

• Must demonstrate flexibility in work settings, maturity of judgment, and ability to work collegially;

• Strong computer skills with expertise in Windows-based programs, such as the Microsoft Office Suite;

• Must have DC local and Federal criminal record clearance, Child Protective Register check status, and substance abuse testing; and

• Documentation of Tuberculin-free condition and health screening on an annual basis.

Physical Demands:

• Be able to lift 25-50 lbs.

• Be able to walk, squat/kneel, sit on the floor, see, hear, and speak.

• Be able to raise objects from a lower to a higher location or move objects horizontally from one location to another.

• Be able to sit for extended periods of time in front of a computer.

Employee Acknowledgment:

The job description is intended to provide an overview of the requirements of the position. As such, it is not necessarily all-inclusive, and the job may require other essential and/or non-essential functions, duties, or responsibilities not listed herein. Management, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to change, alter, and/or otherwise modify this job description at any time. Nothing in this job description is intended to create a contract of employment of any type or kind. Employment at Bright Beginnings is strictly on an at-will basis.