Therapist - Mental Health Counselor

FamilyForward; Ascalon (MO); On-site; USD 53,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off

Education assistance

Loan repayment eligibility

Company-matched retirement plan

Long-term disability & life insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Multiple paid holidays

Job summary

FamilyForward seeks a Therapist - Mental Health Counselor for its Developmental Trauma Center (DTC) to provide counseling to children aged 4–19 affected by abuse or family violence. You will deliver trauma-informed psychoeducation and therapies to help children navigate social, emotional, and behavioral challenges while guiding caregivers in supporting their child’s recovery.

The role emphasizes a smaller caseload, flexible scheduling with a minimum of two evenings, and a 40-hour work week with

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work or related helping profession and an active professional license or eligibility (LMSW, LCSW, PLPC or LPC).
• Experience providing mental health counseling to children or adolescents and trauma-informed practice is preferred.
• Ability to work with caregivers to support the child’s treatment and progress.

Responsibilities

• Provide trauma-informed mental health counseling to children aged 4–19 who experienced abuse or trauma.
• Deliver psychoeducation and interventions to address social, emotional, and behavioral challenges.
• Coordinate with caregivers to enhance understanding and support for the child.

Skills

Compassion for children and families

Trauma-informed care

Therapy and counseling skills

Caregiver collaboration

Education

Master's degree in social work or related helping profession

Licensed or licensure eligible (LMSW, LCSW, PLPC, or LPC)

Job description

Description

As a Therapist - Mental Health Counselor at FamilyForward's Developmental Trauma Center (DTC), you will provide mental health counseling services to children ages 4-19 who have experienced child abuse, neglect, or family violence victimization. You will provide trauma-informed psychoeducation and interventions to help children navigate their social, emotional, relational, and behavioral challenges and assist caregivers in enhancing their understanding of and confidence in supporting their child's challenges resulting from the experience of adverse life events.

FamilyForward is committed to upholding the Organizational Health Anchors that we have set for the agency, including safety; mindfulness and self-regulation; relational health; cultural diversity, inclusivity, equity, and anti-racism; clinical lens; vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.

Qualifications:

Master's degree in social work or other relevant helping profession and a professional license specific to degree (LMSW, LCSW, PLPC or LPC).

What puts FamilyForward Out Front:

• Smaller caseloads than traditional non-profit mental health service organizations
• Therapists can create their own schedules (must include a minimum of 2 evenings) and can flex time as needed.
• 40hr. work week. No work on weekends.
• Brand new facility built intentionally to support the needs of therapists and clients.
• Paid time-off December 25th to January 1st.
• No on call hours.
• Therapeutic service provision based in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics.
• Emphasis on professional learning, growth, and development.

How we wholeheartedly take care of our people:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family
• Optional short-term disability
• Virtual medical and mental health care coverage
• Pre-tax medical flexible spending accounts
• Health Reimbursement Account for deductible expenses over $1000
• 3% dollar for dollar company matched 403(b) retirement savings account
• Company-paid long-term disability and life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Additional 10 paid holidays, including 2 floating holidays for religious/cultural days
• Generous paid vacation time and health and wellness leave
• Education assistance program
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligible employer
• National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Eligible Site
• Member and active participant in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce
• Diversity Awareness Partnership Non-Profit Partner

What to expect on a given day as a Mental Health Therapist/Counselor:

• New team members receive a robust and supportive orientation process that allows them to shadow DTC colleagues, start their training in NMT and other trauma-informed frames used by FamilyForward, while gradually building their caseload.
• Your mornings are typically time for non-direct clinical work such as individual and group supervisory meetings, administrative work, and professional development trainings.
• Afternoons and evenings are devoted to direct clinical work such as individual, family, and group therapy. Therapists have the ability to see clients in their office at the DTC or meet the family in their home depending on necessity and the appropriateness of location.
• The Therapy Team is supportive of one another and always willing to assist a colleague when needed.
• You will be responsible for achieving 60 billable hours per month.
• You will communicate with caregivers on a consistent basis, including engaging in caregiver support and family therapy sessions, to ensure continuity of care from therapy session to daily life.
• You will connect the family to community resources and be an advocate for the child and family in various settings when needed.
• You will maintain clinical documentation of all work with the family in FamilyForward's electronic medical record system.
• You'll engage in monthly team building and cultural humility activities.

You would be a good fit for this position if you:

• Have compassion for children, families, and caregivers who have experienced adverse life events.
• Are willing to grow your knowledge of developmental trauma to better understand our clients and engage in regular training and skills-building.
• Enjoy using creativity to develop interventions for children and families.
• Can develop trust-based relationships with children, caregivers, and co-workers.
• Are comfortable supporting children experiencing challenging behaviors.

Starting salary range is $53,000 - $59,000; negotiable up to $63,000 depending on full licensure and experience.