Autism Evaluator - LCSW - Contract/1099

Blackbird Health; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackbird Health is seeking an Autism Evaluator to blend neurodevelopmental diagnostic work with ongoing psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and young adults. You’ll work with an interdisciplinary team, balancing testing, report writing, and therapy sessions, with an onsite requirement and some remote work as schedules permit.

The role emphasizes clear, compassionate communication of diagnostic findings to families and integrated care planning.

Qualifications

• Active LCSW license in PA and 2+ years delivering clinical care to children and families.
• Strong diagnostic documentation and clinical writing skills.
• Experience collaborating within a multidisciplinary healthcare team.

Responsibilities

• Conduct neurodevelopmental assessments focusing on autism (ADOS-2/ASRS/CARS).
• Synthesize data into clear diagnostic conclusions and provide feedback.
• Deliver evidence-based psychotherapy to pediatric and young-adult clients.
• Maintain timely documentation and manage evaluation timelines.
• Coordinate with an interdisciplinary care team and family.

Skills

Clinical writing

Team collaboration

Diagnostic evaluations

Neurodevelopmental tools

Education

LCSW license in Pennsylvania

Job description

Position Summary

As an Autism Evaluator at Blackbird Health, you will play a central role in giving families clarity and long-term support by combining neurodevelopmental diagnostic evaluations (specifically autism spectrum assessments) with ongoing, evidence-based psychotherapy.

Working alongside an interdisciplinary care team, you will help kids, adolescents, young adults and families gain diagnostic clarity and transition seamlessly into effective, whole-child care. This role offers flexible customization to align your direct care hours between testing and therapy based on clinician strengths, business needs, and patient demand.

What Makes You, You

• Clinically Skilled Evaluator: Skilled (or eager to grow) in neurodevelopmental diagnostic tools (ADOS-2, ASRS, CARS-2) with an aptitude for synthesizing complex data into clear, actionable formulations.
• Therapeutically Grounded: Passionate about delivering high-quality, evidence-based psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and young adults.
• Developmentally & Neurodiverse-Informed: Skilled at meeting individuals where they are across developmental stages and neurodiverse profiles.
• Interdisciplinary Collaborator: Thrives in a team-based model, working alongside psychiatric nurse practitioners, executive function coaches, and speech/language therapists.
• Organized & Agile: Comfortable managing a dynamic schedule that balances autism evaluations, report writing, feedback appointments, and ongoing therapy sessions.
• Family-Centered Communicator: Able to convey diagnostic findings and complex clinical feedback to families with deep empathy, clarity, and care.

How You’ll Make an Impact

Autism Evaluations & Diagnostics

• Conduct Assessments: Perform neurodevelopmental diagnostic evaluations, focusing on autism spectrum evaluations (ADOS-2, ASRS, CARS-2).
• Synthesize & Formulate: Analyze, interpret, and synthesize assessment data into clear, clinically sound diagnostic conclusions.
• Deliver Family Feedback: Provide clear, compassionate feedback to clients and families following evaluations, outlining recommendations and care pathways.
• Manage Evaluation Timelines: Complete progress notes within 24 hours of service and oversee report-writing, feedback appointments, and schedule adjustments.
• Care Team Alignment: Communicate evaluation findings directly to the broader interdisciplinary team and participate in weekly clinical consultations.

Psychotherapy & Clinical Care

• Deliver Evidence-Based Care: Provide direct psychotherapy to a tailored caseload of pediatric and young adult clients.
• Conduct Diagnostic Intakes: Perform biopsychosocial assessments for incoming therapy clients to establish individualized treatment plans.
• Drive Integrated Outcomes: Partner with multidisciplinary providers to establish and maintain comprehensive, integrated treatment plans.
• Maintain High Documentation Standards: Track patient progress continuously and complete accurate, timely clinical documentation.

Schedule & Work Model

• Onsite Commitment: Minimum of 2 days per week onsite at the assigned clinic location (primarily dedicated to direct patient care and evaluation appointments). Remaining responsibilities may be completed remotely.
• After-School Coverage: To support school-aged children and families, a schedule that includes weekday hours after 3 PM or weekends is preferred.
• Role Customization: Productivity and split between autism evaluations and therapy sessions are customized per clinician and documented upon hire.

The Basics You’ll Need

• Active, independent LCSW license in Pennsylvania.
• Minimum 2+ years of experience delivering clinical care to children, adolescents, and families.
• Exceptional clinical writing and diagnostic documentation skills.
• Proven ability to collaborate within a multidisciplinary healthcare team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience conducting autism spectrum or neurodevelopmental diagnostic evaluations.
• Familiarity or formal training in standardized diagnostic tools (ADOS-2, ASRS, CARS).
• Background in integrated or collaborative pediatric mental health settings.

Why Blackbird is Unique

• Hybrid Variety: Enjoy a balanced mix of testing and ongoing therapy without the burnout of mono-focused caseloads.
• Integrated Support: Work within a full ecosystem of PMHNPs, therapists, and specialty coaches.
• Administrative & Credentialing Support: We handle billing, credentialing, and scheduling logistics so you can focus on clinical care.
• Paid Consultation & Training: Dedicated time for multidisciplinary team consults and ongoing diagnostic skill development.

Salary Range

$80 - $95 USD

To raise the standard of pediatric mental health care through accurate understanding and precise treatment that reflect how each child’s brain, body, and behavior work together.

“It's so rare to find comprehensive care like this---from testing to therapy to med management (and more)--all in one place. In addition, the school advocacy support we receive is unprecedented. We no longer feel like we are managing things alone.”

Fostering an inclusive environment

Blackbird is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and belonging. We are able to grow and learn better together with a diverse team of employees. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs. Blackbird provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at [e-mail] so we can support you.