Black Birthing Health Therapist

Homeless Children’s Network

TITLE: Black Birthing Health Therapist

SALARY: $90,000

SCHEDULE: Full-time position. Onsite

BENEFITS: Health, Dental, and Vision insurance; Commuter stipend and travel reimbursement, gym membership, 6 Weeks paid time off, 13 paid holidays, Work Laptops Provided

HOMELESS CHILDREN’S NETWORK MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Homeless Children’s Network is to decrease the trauma of homelessness and domestic violence for children, youth, and families; to empower families; and to increase the effectiveness of collaborative efforts among service providers to end homelessness and poverty.

Homeless Children's Network is a community-based organization providing mental health and family support services to children and families who are homeless and formerly homeless.

Black Birthing Health Program Overview

Homeless Children's Network’s (HCN) Black Birthing Health Initiative (BBHI) is a comprehensive, vital community wellness program aimed at addressing the unique needs of Black/African American birthing individuals and their families in San Francisco. It mitigates, and where possible, removes barriers to care for Black/African American birthing persons, their children, spouses/partners. These barriers include the stigma associated with mental illness, distrust of the healthcare system, absence of culturally competent providers from diverse backgrounds, and lack of insurance or underinsurance. BBHI will contribute to ensuring that every Black/African American mother and birthing person has a strong support system in preconception, throughout pregnancy and childbirth, and postpartum. We envision a future of quality, universal maternal mental health access with equitable outcomes for all Black/African American San Franciscans and their families.

This initiative is designed to promote mental health and wellness, provide client-centered and culturally tailored care, and ensure accessibility to essential services. BBHI offers a comprehensive range of services tailored to the unique needs of Black/African American birthing individuals and their families in San Francisco.

Position Summary

The Black Birthing Health Therapist is a compassionate and culturally competent Program Therapist that will provide therapeutic support to pregnant and postpartum Black individuals. This position offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by addressing the unique mental health needs of Black mothers and supporting their well-being throughout the perinatal period. They will provide individual and group therapy to pregnant and postpartum Black individuals. The Black Birthing Health Therapist will collaborate with obstetricians, midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, and other perinatal care providers to ensure integrated and holistic care for clients. This position will also support advocacy for the inclusion of mental health support as an integral component of perinatal care for Black mothers within healthcare systems and community organizations by engaging in outreach and community education efforts to raise awareness about Black maternal mental health disparities and reduce stigma surrounding mental health in Black communities.

Required Qualifications

• Obtained at least a Master's Degree, especially in Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Social Work/Social Welfare, Marriage and Family Therapy, or similarly related field
• Experienced and knowledgeable in child development, especially in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, POC) families and communities; Familiar with resources and communities in San Francisco.
• Registered with the Board of Behavioral Science (BBS) or active in the registration process - need to provide documentation by phone screen stage.
• License-eligible or licensed in California
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Preferably experienced in the provision of therapy through EPSDT (MediCal)
• Experienced and knowledgeable in child development, especially in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, POC) families and communities.
• Knowledge of and interest in early childhood (0 - 3 years old) development and supports
• Ability to work flexible hours
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge about diverse cultures and ability to provide competency in working with youth and communities of racial, cultural, ethnic and sexual differences.
• Knowledge of computer software, particularly MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Ability to work independently and as an active team member.
• Ability to pass a criminal background check.
• Courteous, professional, and able to reason logically.
• Detail-oriented and well organized.
• Able to establish and meet deadlines.
  
  

Essential Functions

• Assessment: Conducting thorough assessments of clients to determine their mental health needs, strengths, and challenges. This may involve conducting interviews, administering standardized assessments, and gathering information from other sources.
• Treatment Planning: Developing individualized treatment plans based on the assessment findings and in collaboration with the client. Treatment plans typically include goals, objectives, and interventions aimed at addressing the client's mental health concerns.
• Therapeutic Interventions: Providing evidence-based therapeutic interventions to clients, such as individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, or couples therapy. Therapeutic interventions may include cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, psychodynamic therapy, or other modalities depending on the needs of the client.
• Crisis Intervention: Responding to crises and emergencies as they arise, including assessing risk of harm to self or others and implementing appropriate interventions to ensure the safety of clients.
• Documentation and Record-Keeping: Maintaining accurate and timely documentation of client interactions, treatment plans, progress notes, and other relevant information in accordance with legal and ethical standards.
• Collaboration and Consultation: Collaborating with other professionals, such as psychiatrists, social workers, case managers, and other members of the treatment team, to coordinate care and ensure a holistic approach to treatment. This may also involve consulting with supervisors or colleagues for case consultation and support.
• Advocacy: Advocating for clients' needs and rights within the program and within the broader community. This may involve connecting clients with resources and services, providing education and support, and working to reduce stigma surrounding mental health issues.
• Professional Development: Engaging in ongoing professional development activities to stay current with best practices, ethical guidelines, and emerging trends in the field of mental health therapy.
• Self-Care: Practicing self-care strategies to maintain personal well-being and prevent burnout. This may include engaging in activities such as mindfulness, exercise, hobbies, and seeking supervision or support from colleagues.
• Collaborate closely with other program manager and program director
• Attend staff meetings, committees, teams and trainings as required and work closely and collaboratively with the BBHI & HCN team to strengthen programming.
• Uphold HCN policies for safety, supervision, mandated reporting, and risk management.
• All other duties as assigned by your supervisor.
  
  

At HCN, we don’t just accept differences; we CELEBRATE them! At HCN, we thrive on

your humanness, your individualism, and your authenticity. Mohawks, weaves, braids, bald,

twists, dreads, straight, mullet? Yes, that, too. The people we serve are as diverse as a jar

of multicolored marble, and for the benefit of our clients, our employees must be, too.

HCN is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer.