Intake Therapist

The New Foster Care; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The New Foster Care in Michigan seeks an Intake Therapist (Personal Wellness) to serve as the primary entry point for services, delivering outpatient, trauma-informed therapy to a capped caseload of youth and emerging adults with foster care experience.

You will lead intake, screenings, biopsychosocial assessments, and referrals, coordinate with navigators and care team, and maintain thorough clinical documentation within an integrated, relationship-based care model.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a related human services field.
• Current State of Michigan licensure (LMSW, LPC, or LP) with LLMSW considered; fully licensed clinicians preferred.
• Experience providing therapy to youth or emerging adults impacted by child welfare, complex trauma, or system involvement.
• Substance use credential (CADC/CAADC) preferred or willingness to pursue if required by program needs.

Responsibilities

• Manage the participant intake lifecycle from initial contact through program assignment or external warm handoff.
• Conduct phone screenings and integrated biopsychosocial assessments using required screening tools and trauma-informed evaluation approaches.
• Triage incoming cases based on clinical appropriateness, acuity, and program capacity.
• Coordinate active, warm-handoff referrals to external community providers when internal clinical capacity is full or when specialized care is required.
• Maintain and monitor internal clinical waitlists and intake tracking, communicating with prospective participants and referral partners.
• Provide individual, group, and/or family therapy using evidence-informed and trauma-responsive approaches to a capped caseload of 12 active participants.
• Collaboratively develop treatment goals aligned with participant-identified priorities.
• Monitor progress, adjust interventions as needed, and support emotional regulation, coping, and wellbeing.
• Maintain clear boundaries around therapy scheduling to ensure dedicated availability for intake screenings and triage remains uninterrupted.
• Build trusting, respectful therapeutic relationships with participants, including those who may be ambivalent or difficult to engage.

Skills

Trauma-informed practice

Relational approach

Cultural responsiveness

Education

Master’s degree in Social Work or related field

Job description

The New Foster Care’s (TNFC) is a 501c (3) non-profit organization based out of Oakland County launched in 2016. TNFC is a faith-based organization committed to making transformative change within the Michigan foster care system and to creating measurable, meaningful impact on the lives of youth and emerging adults with lived experience in foster care.

TNFC serves people ages 14–29 through the Bridge Program, our comprehensive transitional support model that centers the young person as the driver of their own life plan. Services support progress across five life transition domains: Employment & Career, Living Situation, Educational Opportunity, Community Life Functioning, and Personal Effectiveness & Wellbeing.

Our work is grounded in relationship-based, trauma-informed, and strengths-focused practice, delivered through an integrated multidisciplinary team.

Position Summary

The Intake Therapist (referred to as Personal Wellness in participant-facing settings) serves as the primary program entry point to services at TNFC while providing outpatient, trauma-informed mental health therapy to a capped, small caseload of youth and emerging adults with foster care experience.

This role emphasizes engagement, emotional wellbeing, skill-building, and clinical support while collaborating closely with Navigators (case managers), peer support specialists, and other members of the care team. The Intake Therapist owns the intake pipeline including initial outreach, phone screenings, comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments, and referral triage while maintaining a dedicated, capped therapy caseload of 12 active participants.

While clinically licensed and responsible for providing therapeutic services, the intake therapist practices in a way that is accessible, relational, and non-stigmatizing. Clinical care is delivered within an integrated model that respects role boundaries, client autonomy, and confidentiality.

Core Responsibilities

Program Intake, Assessment & Triage

• Manage the participant intake lifecycle from initial contact through program assignment or external warm handoff
• Conduct phone screenings and integrated biopsychosocial assessments using required screening tools and trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate evaluation approaches
• Triage incoming cases based on clinical appropriateness, acuity, and program capacity
• Coordinate active, warm-handoff referrals to external community providers when internal clinical capacity is full or when specialized care is required
• Maintain and monitor internal clinical waitlists and intake tracking, communicating with prospective participants and referral partners

Clinical Care

• Conduct integrated biopsychosocial assessments and required screening tools
• Provide individual, group, and/or family therapy using evidence-informed and trauma-responsive approaches to a capped caseload of 12 active participants
• Collaboratively develop treatment goals aligned with participant-identified priorities
• Monitor progress, adjust interventions as needed, and support emotional regulation, coping, and wellbeing
• Maintain clear boundaries around therapy scheduling to ensure dedicated availability for intake screenings and triage remains uninterrupted

Engagement & Coordination

• Build trusting, respectful therapeutic relationships with participants, including those who may be ambivalent or difficult to engage
• Collaborate with internal team members (Navigators, peer support specialists, transition navigators, legal attorney) to support coordinated care
• Communicate clinically relevant information to the team in accordance with role-based access and confidentiality standards

Documentation & Compliance

• Complete clinical documentation accurately and in a timely manner, consistent with licensure standards, agency policy, and funding requirements
• Maintain clear boundaries between shared clinical records and psychotherapy process notes
• Participate in supervision, consultation, and quality improvement activities as required

Safety & Crisis Support

• Conduct immediate risk assessments during the intake process and support participant safety planning and stabilization efforts within defined role expectations
• Participate in team-based crisis response in accordance with agency protocols
• Support participant safety planning and stabilization efforts within defined role expectations
• Availability outside of standard work hours is limited to scheduled or assigned crisis support and does not imply ongoing on-call status unless otherwise specified

Professional Contribution

• Participate in staff training, professional development, and ongoing learning related to trauma-informed care and the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) Model
• Provide consultation and support to team members within the scope of clinical expertise when appropriate

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a related human services field
• Current State of Michigan licensure (LMSW, LPC, or LP). Limited License Master Social Worker (LLMSW) may be considered; fully licensed clinicians preferred
• Experience providing therapy to youth and/or emerging adults impacted by child welfare, complex trauma, or system involvement
• Substance use credential (CADC/CAADC) preferred or willingness to pursue if required by program needs

Desired Skills & Competencies

• Strong foundation in trauma-informed, strengths-based, and culturally responsive practice
• Ability to engage participants in a nonjudgmental, developmentally appropriate, and relational manner
• Comfort working within an integrated, multidisciplinary team while maintaining clear role boundaries
• Strong clinical documentation and organizational skills
• Adaptability and problem-solving in community-based and systems-involved settings

Additional Requirements

• Valid, unrestricted driver’s license with current automobile insurance
• Reliable personal transportation for work-related travel as required

This position is clinically licensed and accountable to professional standards. While the work is presented to participants as “Personal Wellness,” it includes the provision of outpatient mental health therapy within an integrated care model.