Mental Health Therapist (GAP)

NCCF; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 73,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

NCCF in Bethesda is seeking a licensed social work professional to plan and provide therapeutic care for adolescents in out-of-home care. The role emphasizes trauma-informed, relationship-based therapies on campus and in family homes.

Requirements include a Maryland LGSW (or LGPC) and strong crisis intervention, assessment, and documentation skills. The position offers full-time stability in a residential setting with a supportive multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Social Work with Maryland LGSW Licensure or related degree.
• Experience with child victimization, offender treatment, crisis intervention and behavior management.
• Experience in individual, group and family therapy.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal/conflict resolution skills.
• Cross-cultural competencies.
• Willingness to lead and advocate for adolescents.

Responsibilities

• Integrates knowledge of mental health issues and impact on adolescent behaviors.
• Provides crisis and early intervention for residents with pro-social challenges.
• Works as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Assists residents in developing skills for placement stability.
• Provides individual and group therapy on campus and in homes as needed.
• Conducts trauma assessments of individuals and family systems.
• Prepares documentation including treatment plans and discharge summaries.
• Coordinates referrals and transportation to supplemental services.

Skills

Written and verbal communication

Interpersonal skills

Conflict resolution

Cross-cultural competencies

Education

Master's Degree in Social Work with Maryland LGSW Licensure

Job description

***Must possess LMSW or LGPC Licensure***

Position Purpose: Responsible for planning and providing therapeutic care for adolescents in out of home care who have histories of abuse, neglect and victimization through diverse relationship-based therapies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Integrates knowledge and understanding of underlying mental health issues and the impact on individual adolescent behaviors, needs, and requisite interventions.
• Provides crisis and early intervention with resident struggling with pro-social behavior, adaptation, and acute mental health needs.
• Works as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Assists resident in developing skills and strategies for dealing with issues that have impacted their placement of out of home care.
• Provides individual and group therapy as well as specialized treatment modalities both on the NCCF campus as well as in the homes of families as necessary.
• Conducts detailed and comprehensive trauma assessment of individuals and their family system.
• Provides feedback and input regarding Individual Treatment Plans and Family Services Plans, ensuring that they occur within the first 30 days of admission and every 90 days thereafter.
• Participates in Individualized Treatment Plan (ITP) meetings, Emergency Case Reviews, Unplanned Discharge Meetings, as needed.
• Develop and complete CANS within the first 30 days of admission and every 90 days thereafter.
• Prepares appropriate, timely and accurate documentation regarding the therapeutic treatment of residents, to include court reports and discharge summaries.
• Provides crisis intervention services, including but not limited to supporting a GAP-R resident who requires hospitalization or psychiatric services.
• Provides referrals, follow up, coordinator, and transportation to supplemental treatment services, such as partial hospitalization, psychiatric rehabilitation, substance abuse treatment, etc.
• Completes home visits as needed to resident visiting and/or placement resource.

Non-Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides training for child care staff on a variety of mental health issues.
• Participates in all COMAR required trainings.
• Serves as an advocate for residents’ needs.
• Presents and writes professionally in the field of adolescent residential treatment.

Minimum Position Requirements:

• Masters’ Degree in Social Work with a Maryland LGSW Licensure, Counseling, or Related Degree.
• Experience and knowledge in the areas of child victimization, offender treatment, crisis intervention and behavior management.
• Experience in individual, group and family therapy.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development.
• Commitment to and understanding of the residential treatment milieu and relevant teamwork orientation.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal/conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstration of cross-cultural competencies.
• Willingness to lead and advocate in the best interest of the adolescent.
• An attitude compatible with the goals and purposes of the National Center for Children and Families.

Physical Demands/Work Environment:

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use their hands and fingers, to handle and feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms, stoop, kneel, or crouch. Vision abilities include close vision with a computer monitor. The noise level is usually quiet to moderate. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Salary: $73,000 - $80,000