ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW 

Nourishing Hope, formerly known as Lakeview Pantry, is a dynamic Chicago nonprofit providing food, mental wellness counseling and other social services, such as job and housing assistance, to our neighbors in need. Founded in 1970, we strive to serve the needs of the whole person — with respect and dignity, always.

Long known as one of the largest and longest-operating food pantries in Chicago, Nourishing Hope has evolved to become more than a solely a hunger relief organization. We also provide social services, such as job and housing assistance, and free mental health counseling with a growing team of licensed therapists. 

Nourishing Hope serves tens of thousands of people each year, providing more than 4 million meals through our programs, in addition to partnerships with other community organizations. This year, more than 5,000 low-income neighbors will also receive case management and social services. 

Position Summary:

Nourishing Hope presents a unique working environment for therapists seeking to further hone their clinical expertise.

Therapists here have the rare opportunity to practice their craft unencumbered by the bureaucracy of health insurance and Medicaid. Mental health counseling is free at Nourishing Hope — no strings attached. This is made possible by grant funding and the support of our generous donors.

Nourishing Hope therapists work in a vibrant and bustling environment, alongside others who believe deeply in serving people with dignity and respect. Our mental wellness team takes a client-centered approach to connect them with the therapist who is the best fit for their needs. 

There’s ample opportunity to develop creative programs and counseling groups to meet the diverse needs of the people we serve. We also provide weekly onsite supervision, as well as opportunities for professional development outside of the organization. 

The Clinical Therapist position’s primary responsibility to oversee and implement all clinical mental health outpatient services provided through Nourishing Hope’s Sheridan Market location, including, but not limited to: client outreach, direct service through scheduled appointments, and facilitating referrals through the social services team by focusing on individuals in the BIPOC community. 

This position will support the Manager of Mental Wellness in program tracking, assessment, evaluation, and reporting to the greater Nourishing Hope community. This position will work out of the Sheridan Market location (3945 N. Sheridan Rd.)

Essential Job Functions

• Oversee and implement all clinical outpatient individual, couples, family, and group therapy appointments as scheduled, managing a full caseload of 20-25 client sessions per week.
• Reach out to clients who request mental wellness appointments to schedule appointments, complete an intake assessment, and coordinate care with other mental wellness team members.
• Provide direct services, using trauma-informed care practices, as needed to Nourishing Hope clients via scheduled appointments face-to-face and via telehealth as needed.
• Implement targeted programs to identified high-risk populations as assigned.
• Maintain accurate client case records that include assessments, interventions, service plans, and case notes in hard files and in Salesforce as appropriate.
• Respond to inquiries from the community members about services and refer to internal and external programs as appropriate.
• Refer clients on caseload to internal Care Coordinator for wraparound social services; including, but not limited to: case management, career services, public benefits assistance, and financial assistance.
• Develop internal mental health focused programs based on assessed needs of clients.
• Collaborate with the Nourishing Hope program team (food and social services) to ensure client needs are met when receiving services by identifying and addressing potential barriers to access to services.
• Stay informed on local, state, and federal policies and trends and the impact on clients.
• Participate in community meetings, trainings, gatherings, and events to act as a steward on behalf of Nourishing Hope and to seek resources that can be helpful for clients.
• Help supervise and train master’s level social work/clinical students as assigned by the Manager of Mental Wellness.
• Work collaboratively with all Nourishing Hope team members, recognizing the importance of each department and role to ultimately provide quality services to Nourishing Hope clients.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work or counseling, LCSW, LCPC, or LMFT required.
• Minimum two years experience working in a human services setting and engaged in direct client work.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish, Polish or Russian) preferred.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google Products.
• Strong human relations skills.
• Understanding of the widespread impact of food insecurity and a willingness to work as a part of a team to ensure access to food and support services for all.
• Understanding of the impact of social determinants, institutionalized discrimination, structural inequality, and oppression of social groups including but not limited to: race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, religion, age, and ability status, and the ability to identify how systems have impacted clients and intervene accordingly.
• Understanding of and belief in the importance of trauma-informed care practice.
• Creative and motivated self-starter.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
• Ability to handle volatile situations calmly, professionally, and respectfully.

Nourishing Hope requires all staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 including a booster (when eligible). Job offers are contingent upon proof of full vaccination or proof of medical/religious exemptions.