Brief Strategic Family Therapist
About The Position
The Brief Strategic Family Therapist works within the evidence-based Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) model, delivering preventive interventions to children and families. The therapist maintains a caseload of approximately 13 families and provides trauma-informed services that are sensitive to the cultural needs of the population. Services are delivered in home and community settings, primarily to families in Niagara County, with some families in Erie County. The position requires a flexible Monday–Friday schedule, with evening and weekend availability as family needs require. The therapist engages family members in treatment, identifies family strengths and problems, develops and implements strategies to improve family relationships and competence, and connects families with community supports. The role includes BSFT training and certification, clinical supervision, collaboration with agency teams and community partners, and timely maintenance of confidential electronic and paper case records. The therapist must hold a relevant master’s degree and a license, and meet the agency’s driving, safety, and physical requirements.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in a human services field specializing in mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, or a similar field.
- Professional license is required.
- Valid driver’s license, adequate auto insurance, and compliance with the agency’s driver’s license and auto insurance policies.
- Ability to work effectively with clients, families, staff, and community contacts from varied cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
- Ability to work effectively with children and youth facing behavioral, emotional, or mental health challenges and their families.
- Ability to accept supervision and work as part of a team.
- Flexibility and ability to adapt to change.
- Ability to communicate with individuals and groups through written communication, email, telephone, and other mediums.
- Strong organizational, communication, and interaction skills.
- Ability to pass the annual physical required for Category 1 job classification.
- Compliance with agency safety standards and responsibility for actions and conduct related to safety and healthy working conditions.
Responsibilities
- Maintain a caseload of 13 families.
- Provide weekly in-person services to youth and families for approximately 60–90 minutes in accordance with BSFT standards.
- Conduct a safety assessment at each home visit.
- Maintain a flexible work schedule, including evenings and weekends.
- Organize a therapist-family work team and develop a therapeutic alliance with each family member and the family as a whole.
- Partner with families to identify strengths and problems.
- Develop treatment strategies that capitalize on strengths and address problematic family relations to increase family competence.
- Implement change strategies and reinforce family behaviors that sustain improved family competence.
- Participate in training to competency in Brief Strategic Family Therapy, which may include travel, and maintain BSFT model certification.
- Participate in BSFT-related clinical supervision, including video-taping sessions.
- Collaborate with team members on case coverage and consultation, and attend scheduled team meetings.
- Link youth and families with community supports and collaborate with formal systems, service providers, and informal networks involved with them.
- Communicate regularly with Niagara County Probation Officers and Erie County Case Managers.
- Enter and update required documentation in NetSmart myEvol and CONNECTIONS.
- Maintain accurate and timely electronic and paper case records, including progress notes and tracking mechanisms.
- Keep verbal and written youth and family information confidential.
- Participate in regular supervision, mandatory in-service training, and continuing education as needed.
- Adhere to agency and department policies and procedures, utilize normative culture, and follow the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor.
Benefits
- 105 hours of paid time off in the first year, plus 13 agency holidays.
- Medical, dental, and life insurance coverage.
- 401(k) with up to 3% agency match.
- Guaranteed raises after the first year.
- Opportunities for advancement.
- Regular supervision, in-service training, and continuing education opportunities.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
