Community Action Treatment (CAT) Team Counselor

Bridgeway Center, Inc.; Fort Walton Beach, Crestview (FL, FL); Sur place; USD 28 000 - 34 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Health Insurance

Vision / Dental Insurance

403(b) Retirement Plan with Employer

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Paid Holidays

PTO 17 days per year

Life Insurance $15,000

Résumé du poste

Bridgeway Center, Inc. is seeking a dedicated CAT Team Counselor to deliver intensive, community-based behavioral health services to youth and young adults.

The role involves screenings, psychoeducational groups, case management, and collaboration with DJJ, schools, and families in two locations. Ideal candidates are energetic, compassionate, and adept at engaging adolescents with behavioral health and substance use challenges.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Human Services, or a closely related field.
• Valid Florida Driver’s License.
• Ability to obtain NVCI and ARC certifications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Strong organizational skills and multitasking ability.

Responsabilités

• Provide community- and office-based behavioral health services to youth.
• Screen DJJ and school-based referrals and assist assessments.
• Develop trauma-informed treatment plans and coordinate care.
• Facilitate group and individual interventions using evidence-based practices.
• Coordinate transportation, respite, and community linkages.
• Collaborate with DJJ, probation officers, schools, and partners; attend court hearings.
• Document in EHR with timely progress notes.
• Participate in CAT Team meetings and training.

Connaissances

Youth engagement

Trauma-informed care

Crisis intervention

Team collaboration

Formation

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related field

Outils

EHR systems

Description du poste

Position Summary

Are you passionate about helping young people build brighter futures right in their own communities? Bridgeway Center, Inc. (BCI) is seeking a dedicated and motivated Community Action Treatment (CAT) Team Counselor to join a multidisciplinary team delivering intensive, comprehensive, community-based behavioral health services to youth and young adults ages eleven (11) to twenty-one (21). The CAT Team is a safe, effective, trauma-informed alternative to out-of-home placement for youth facing serious behavioral health challenges. Using the Wraparound model, the team helps youth remain successful within their families and communities.

The CAT Counselor works closely with youth involved in the juvenile justice system, providing mental health and substance use services designed to promote positive behavioral change, personal accountability, and successful community integration. Responsibilities include conducting screenings and assessments; facilitating evidence-based psychoeducational and therapeutic groups on topics such as anger management, substance use, social skills development, and decision-making; and providing individual support, case management, and intervention services. The CAT Counselor also oversees community-based referrals, screening youth for Outpatient (OP), Targeted Case Management (TCM), CAT, or TASC services, and provides transportation, respite, support, and encouragement to youth and families to improve child and family functioning.

This position requires active collaboration with the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), probation officers, families, schools, and community partners to ensure coordinated care and compliance with probation requirements. The CAT Counselor may attend court proceedings, participate in treatment planning, and connect youth and families with community resources that support stability and long-term success.

The ideal candidate is energetic, compassionate, and skilled in engaging adolescents and young adults who present with behavioral health and substance use challenges; communicates and collaborates effectively across BCI departments and with external partners; manages multiple responsibilities across two locations; and models a consistently professional, strengths-based demeanor that ensures every client and family has a positive, effective therapeutic experience.

Why Join BCI?

At BCI, you’ll join a dynamic, mission-driven organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for the children, youth, and families we serve. As a CAT Team Counselor, you’ll make a direct, daily impact on adolescents and young adults facing behavioral health, substance use, and juvenile justice challenges, empowering youth, strengthening families, and supporting positive change through evidence-based interventions and community partnerships.

We are committed to investing in your success. The CAT Program utilizes a proven, evidence-based service model and provides comprehensive onboarding, training, mentoring, and ongoing coaching. Whether you are expanding your clinical expertise, developing leadership skills, or building experience in community behavioral health, BCI offers an environment that fosters professional growth and career advancement.

What You’ll Love About This Role

• The opportunity to make a measurable difference in the lives of youth and families, one youth, one family, and one community at a time
• A collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment with the support of experienced leadership
• Variety in your workday, with community- and office-based work across two service locations
• Interactive training, mentoring, and coaching from day one
• Meaningful opportunities for continued career growth within a stable, mission-driven organization

Benefits

BCI offers competitive wages and benefits. Benefits include:

• Eleven (11) Paid Holidays
• Seventeen (17) days per year of PTO
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with Employer Match
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Health Care / Dependent Care Reimbursement Program
• Employer Paid $15,000.00 Life Insurance
• Teladoc
• Health Insurance
• Vision / Dental Insurance

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Human Services, or a closely related field.
• Valid Florida Driver’s License, meeting all requirements for vehicle operation and transportation of clients in Center and non-Center vehicles.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) certification and American Red Cross (ARC) certification.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Solid organizational skills with strong attention to detail and the ability to multitask.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of two (2) years of direct experience working with at-risk youth and families.
• Knowledge of adolescent development, behavioral health, substance use disorders, and family systems.
• Experience working with youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
• Familiarity with Seven Challenges, Motivational Interviewing, Conscious Discipline, or similar youth and family engagement approaches (training provided).
• Bilingual/bicultural English and Spanish (not required).

Pre-Employment Requirements

Employment is contingent upon successfully completing all required screenings and background checks, including:

• Applicants must be able to pass an Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) Medicaid and Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) Level II background check (Clearinghouse Education and Awareness Website: https://info.flclearinghouse.com)
• National Sex Offender Registry search
• Office of Inspector General (OIG) check (if you have previously worked for DCF, including Contract or Subcontract Provider)
• Drug screen
• Tuberculosis (TB) test
• Pre-employment computer skills testing
• Applicants must be at least twenty-one (21) years old and possess a valid Florida Driver’s License with no more than three (3) points on their driving record to be insured under BCI’s automobile insurance policy.

Conditions of Employment

Continued employment is contingent upon:

• Satisfactory reference check and a DCF Level II background screening, repeated at five (5) year intervals
• Post-employment drug or alcohol testing upon reasonable suspicion of use or through monthly random selection
• Completion of BCI new associate orientation and the associate checklist, and of all required BCI training annually, including recertification in NVCI, ARC, and Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)
• Successful completion of a ninety (90) day on-the-job work trial period

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse populations while displaying sensitivity, respect, and cultural competence.
• Ability to engage and build rapport with adolescents and young adults, including youth involved in the juvenile justice system, and their families.
• Strong assessment, case management, crisis intervention, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to make sound decisions in emergency or high‑pressure situations.
• Ability to facilitate individual and group interventions using evidence-based practices.
• Knowledge of State Service Definitions, including outpatient therapy, and the ability to understand and apply relevant laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, community partners, schools, courts, and other stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, manage time and prioritize multiple tasks, meet documentation deadlines and productivity standards, and remain flexible to meet client needs.
• Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office programs and electronic health record (EHR) systems.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of client information in accordance with HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, and BCI policy, with careful attention to protection of PHI and professional boundaries.
• Commitment to the ethical standards of the profession, the BCI Code of Ethics, and the Florida Certification Board (if applicable).

Duties / Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provide community- and office-based behavioral health services to youth experiencing substance use and co-occurring mental health challenges.
• Screen DJJ and school-based referrals, assisting the therapist with assessment for the appropriate level of care using the Children’s Functional Assessment Rating Scale (CFARS) to determine the individual and group services needed.
• Assist in completing comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments, including trauma history and co-occurring disorders, and participate in developing individualized, strengths-based treatment plans in accordance with Medicaid and other payor requirements.
• Identify youth and family strengths, resources, and supports through Strengths-Based and Cultural Discovery, and use the Casey Life Skills Questionnaire to help youth set achievable, age-appropriate life skills goals.
• Facilitate community-based substance use, social skills, anger management, and life skills groups using evidence-based practices, including Seven Challenges, that give group members voice and choice in a safe, peer setting.
• Provide individual counseling, case management, care coordination, and ongoing support to youth and their families, including transportation and respite as needed.
• Learn, model, and coach parents and youth in Conscious Discipline and whole-brain strategies.
• Link referrals to appropriate services, including BCI Outpatient, Case Management, or CAT services, and make alternative referrals for those not eligible for BCI services.
• Provide motivational interviewing, intervention, and resources for families seeking out-of-home placement, including linking to Family Team Staffings with Targeted Case Management, initiating required paperwork for SIPP placements, and transitioning families to TCM services as necessary.
• Support education needs, including academic tutoring, homework assistance, guidance on Individual Education Plans / Progress Monitoring Plans, and coordination with school-based providers.
• Support youth and families involved with juvenile justice in completing mandated sanctions and avoiding probation violations; collaborate with DJJ, probation officers, and other partners; and attend court hearings to support and advocate for youth and families.
• Develop safety plans with families and collaborate with the youth’s therapist when a youth is at risk for, or has experienced, a Baker Act initiation; provide crisis intervention services as needed; and monitor youth in aftercare to support successful transition to community-based services.
• Participate in Family Team Conferences, staffings, and consultations in the settings where youth participate, such as schools, work, and recreational environments.
• Utilize a Recovery-Oriented System of Care (ROSC) approach and coordinate referrals and linkages to community resources to promote recovery, resiliency, and long-term success.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant documentation in BCI’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) system following the Golden Thread (assessment, diagnosis, treatment plan, progress notes, and discharge), with progress notes completed within forty‑eight (48) hours of contact.
• Complete monthly agency reports for clients with judicial or child welfare involvement within required timeframes, ensuring a current Release of Information is on file.
• Participate as an active member of the multidisciplinary CAT Team, including staff meetings, supervision, case consultations, and training on serving youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance and young adults with Serious and Persistent Mental Illness, consistent with Wraparound fidelity principles.
• Participate in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities, including PDCA, Peer Reviews, and Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs).
• Travel between homes, schools, and community locations, as well as BCI’s FWB and CV offices, to meet clients when and where they are available.
• Participate in the CAT Team’s 24/7 on-call rotation, providing coaching, crisis intervention, or respite to clients after regular business hours as required by client needs and as directed by the DCCS.
• Ensure a safe, therapeutic, and culturally responsive environment, and comply with all federal and state regulations, agency policies and procedures, confidentiality standards, and safety requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support program operations and client success.

Work Location, Schedule, & Compensation

Work Location: Community-based work, with travel between BCI’s Fort Walton Beach (FWB) and Crestview (CV) locations required.

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday; forty (40) hours per week. Some flexibility, including evening or weekend availability and participation in the CAT Team on‑call rotation, is required to meet program needs.

Hourly Wage: $20.00 per hour

NOTE: APPLICANTS WHO DO NOT MEET MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Bridgeway Center, Inc. (BCI) is a Drug-Free Workplace and an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO)