Lead Therapist (MST-CAN)

Position Summary

The MST-CAN Lead Therapist is responsible for providing model adherent, culturally competent, clinically oriented, short-term treatment to Families in our Multi Systemic Therapy- Child Abuse and Neglect (MST- CAN) program. They also provide supervisory support to the staff and assist the supervisor with program oversight. MST-CAN lead therapists report to the MST-CAN supervisor. MST- CAN is a clinical, evidence-based intensive family therapy model of approximately 6-9-months duration. This program works with the whole family with a focus on the parent and working with them to improve family functioning utilizing such tools as TF-CBT, prolonged exposure, drug treatment and family therapy techniques. Our MST-CAN program is exclusively home-based and works with the whole family unit.

Essential Duties

• Understand and promote the organization’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values to ensure alignment with organizational policies and procedures.
• Carry caseload of approximately 4 MST-CAN cases.
• Fulfill all OCFS, and ACS accountability requirements including timely completion of FASPs, Progress Notes and Plan Amendments.
• Comply with all ACS timelines for outreach on new cases.
• Complete all home-based contacts and seek to maintain 10-12 case work contacts per month per family as specified by the model.
• Attend all MST-CAN trainings as required as well as all mandated ACS trainings.
• Participate in all weekly Group Supervision and Consultation sessions with MST-CAN Supervisor and MST-CAN consultant.
• Complete all MST-CAN documentation in a timely manner.
• Conduct MST assessment including review of referral information, identifying and engaging key participants, identifying systemic strengths and weaknesses, and developing an analysis of the fit of problem behaviors within the ecological context.
• Engage primary caregiver and other key participants in active change-oriented treatment by identifying and overcoming barriers to engagement.
• Implement a problem conceptualization, treatment planning, intervention implementation, outcome review and strategy revision procedure using the MST Analytic Process.
• Maintain clear and concise documentation of treatment efforts that promote peer and supervisory review and feedback, and that demonstrate compliance with the nine MST Principles and the MST Analytic Process.
• Collaborate with all relevant systems and key participants within each system to ensure their buy-in and cooperation throughout MST-CAN treatment.
• Provide direct clinical treatment using methods compatible with MST principles and practices.
• Build a relationship with community stakeholders (i.e., child protection services, Guardians, judges, schools, etc.) to ensure cooperation among service providers.
• Be available by phone 24/7 or as needed to respond to client crises. This includes ability to conduct sessions on weekends as needed, to accommodate client availability.
• Able to work flexible hour, including working remotely in the field, community or various CA offices to meet the needs of families and improve efficiency and management of time and resources.
• Participate in all FTC’s as prescribed by ACS.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 1-year of MST-CAN experience required; 2 years preferred with fidelity ratings that meet or exceed the standards set forth by the model.
• Master’s degree required in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling or a related subject area- Progression towards license preferred.

Key Competencies

• Bilingual in English/Spanish is preferred but not required.
• Demonstrates an ability to lead.
• Ability and willingness to work with families and teens in the home, school and other appropriate settings in the community.
• Able to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends as needed.
• Ability to work independently, as well as contribute to a team.
• Strong clinical skills and ability to work under pressure with high-risk, crisis-oriented cases.
• Very good interpersonal/communication skills, including ability to write well and meet copious amount of documentation in a timely manner.
• An evaluation with Overall Exceeds expectations.
• Direct use of pragmatic (i.e., structural, strategic and functional) family therapies.
• Individual therapy with children and adults using cognitive behavioral techniques.
• Marital therapy using behaviorally based approaches.
• S Substance abuse treatment for adults and children using behaviorally based approaches.
• Behavioral therapy targeting behavioral change in children at home and school.
• Trauma treatment for adults and children using exposure, cognitive therapies, and stress inoculation training.
• Implementation of interventions within or between systems in the youth’s natural ecology that affect or influence the behavior of youth (i.e., family, peer, school, and neighborhood).