Children’s Aid offers a continuum of short-term, evidence -based interventions of varying levels of intensity in four boroughs. The preventive services continuum consists of Family Support, Therapeutic Interventions and Family Assessment Program (FAP) services, as well as the Safe Way Forward Program for families impacted by Domestic Violence. Our preventive service interventions help families avert current, future or repeat involvement with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Program Description: The Children’s Aid Safe Way Forward Program (SWF) provides child welfare involved families affected by intimate partner violence (IPV) with comprehensive general prevention services including case management and therapeutic intervention services to address the IPV. This joint prevention-clinical services model offers comprehensive trauma-informed services to the whole family, including the survivor of IPV, the person causing harm (PCH), and to children exposed to the IPV/DV in the home. Our range of services includes in-home visitation, crisis intervention, case management, advocacy, trauma-informed individual counseling, group counseling/education, and referral to other appropriate services. The SWF program will serve a total of 65 families residing in the Bronx.

Position Summary: The Therapist will provide comprehensive trauma-informed individual and group counseling services to survivors of IPV, the PCH, and children exposed to IPV. The Therapist will help survivors to relinquish self-blame, increase safety for themselves and their children, and begin to heal from the trauma of abuse, while simultaneously holding the PCH accountable for the harm they caused the family while encouraging and supporting their behavior change. The Therapist will report to a Program Supervisor.

Essential Duties:

• Provide trauma-informed individual educational counseling/therapy mirroring the program’s 26-week accountability group for persons causing harm.
• Conduct joint home visit with SWF team Case Planner on all assigned cases.
• Conduct comprehensive differential assessment, including the ACS Domestic Violence Screening Tool, and complete service plan for family members affected by IPV.
• Provide trauma-informed, client-centered individual and family short-term counseling and long-term therapy to survivors of IPV and their children; Approximately 15-18 cases.
• Co-facilitate a 14-week trauma-informed psychoeducational and evidence-informed group designed for mothers who are survivors of IPV, and a 14-week evidence-based group for children (ages 4-12) exposed to IPV.
• Co-facilitate a 26-week trauma-informed accountability group designed for fathers who have used abuse in their intimate partner relationship and caused harm to their children.
• Attend and successfully complete all required trainings.
• Become trained in and implement TF-CBT.
• Maintain compliance with timely reporting and detailed tracking of services provided to clients; responsible for CONNX and PROMIS system updates and all other Accountability and compliance requirements.
• Maintain comprehensive case files and all relevant information for internal and external review and audit purposes.
• Coordinate and collaborate on assigned cases with SWF team Case Planner to ensure clients are receiving services that meet their needs and that safety is prioritized.
• Contribute to the FASP for all families on your caseload.
• Participate in individual and group supervision as schedule; in team and all-staff meetings; and other professional development activities, including training and workshops.
• Participate in Family Team Conferences and Service Termination Conferences of all client cases on caseload.
• Perform administrative and program support functions as needed.
• Reports to clinical supervisor.
• In-person collaboration is an essential function of the job.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Counseling Psychology, or equivalent degree required with licensure or on track for licensure; LCSW preferred.
• Bilingual in Spanish/English preferred.
• Bilingual in French/French Creole preferred.
• Minimum of 1-2 years’ work experience providing trauma-informed domestic violence prevention and intervention services to underserved families.
• Experience working with adults who have caused harm in their relationships; and/or experience working with abuse/batterer intervention programming (BIP).

Key Competencies:

• Training and experience working with NYC ACS child welfare involved families preferred.
• Knowledge of child development and trauma-informed practice as well as family systems, relational and attachment theories and framework preferred.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to function independently and work on a team.
• Ability to work flexible hours on weekdays, work 1 -3 evenings/week, and be available on Saturdays, as needed.
• Ability to take on a wide range of administrative tasks.