About Roca

Roca’s mission is to be a relentless force in disrupting incarceration, poverty, and racism by partnering with young adults, the police, and systems at the center of urban violence to create safety, address trauma, and find hope.

Roca is a fast-paced, data-driven, and relentless organization that annually serves 1,800 young people at the center of urban violence – the young people most likely to shoot or be shot. Founded just outside of Boston in 1988, Roca operates a nationally acclaimed Intervention Model with five sites in Massachusetts, one in Hartford, CT and one in Baltimore, Maryland.

Over 36 years, Roca has learned that to impact urban violence, we must work directly with the young people and systems at the center of it. Roca’s Intervention Model engages this population of very high-risk young adults in an intensive three-year program to address trauma, teach life-saving cognitive-behavioral skills, and break the cycle of incarceration and poverty that traditional youth programs alone cannot break. And, because it takes all of us, Roca also helps institutions like police and state agencies change the way they work with young people who are traumatized and living at the intersection of gangs, drugs, poverty, violence, immigration challenges, and involvement with multiple public systems.

Roca’s approach is rooted in understanding brain development, neuroplasticity, and the impact of trauma on the brain; the Intervention Model is built on the foundational theories of Cognitive Behavioral Theory, Stages of Change and Systems Change.

Recognizing that the young people we work with have barriers to accessing clinical services in traditional settings, Roca contracts with clinical behavioral and mental health partners to provide therapeutic support within Roca’s umbrella of supports for young people, meeting them where they are at and where they feel safe, and being available for support in times of crisis and when young people are inconsistent or experience setbacks.

Position Overview

The Contracted Clinician will work under the direction of the Assistant Director of Clinical Supports and Special Projects and will provide individual therapy and care coordination to Roca participants, primarily at Roca’s Chelsea site. 

Clinician Responsibilities:

•    Provide trauma-informed individual therapy to adolescents and young adults needing support in managing mental health conditions and developing greater safety, stability, and wellbeing.

•    Engage in face-to-face and virtual coordination/collaboration with Roca youth workers, collateral providers,

•    Provide paperwork and documentation needed by participants and/or collaterals, including letters, assessments, and referrals.

•    Ensure timely and quality completion of treatment plans, progress notes, and attendance/engagement tracking.

•    Attend regular meetings with Assistant Director of Clinical Supports.

•    Track service provision hours and submit monthly invoices.

Clinician Qualifications

•    Master’s degree in relevant human services field.

•    Active Massachusetts clinical licensure and 2 years of post-licensure experience in the field of adolescent mental health.

•    Active professional liability insurance.

•    Must be highly flexible, able to adapt to changing conditions and requirements, problem-solve, and use sound judgment to resolve issues.

•    Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

•    Demonstrated interest in Roca’s mission to help high-risk young people move out of violence and poverty.

•    Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred, language differential provided.

•    Familiarity and experience with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) preferred.

•    Experience working with child welfare and criminal justice systems preferred.

•    Background check required.

•    Must complete Mandated Reporter Training.

Work setting: Primarily on-site at Roca Chelsea with potential for mutually agreed upon remote work arrangements. 

Schedule: Flexible hours according to program need and clinician availability. Estimated 10-20 hours per week, through June 30, 2027, with a potential extension dependent upon funding.  

Rate: $75-$100 per hour depending on level of experience.