FIT Paraprofessional - Community Service Agency

CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES INC•Fall River, MA

26d•$19 - $23

About The Position

The Family-Based Intensive Treatment (FIT) Paraprofessional works as part of a multidisciplinary team providing intensive family therapy, care coordination, targeted case management, and Family Partner support to youth under 21 who have experienced a Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) and meet other Medical Necessity Criteria (MNC). The role supports the clinician’s treatment plan and helps youth and families achieve therapeutic goals, strengthen family functioning, connect with community resources, and maintain natural supports. The position is responsible to the Clinical Team Lead and CSA Program Director. Services are provided in different settings, and travel is required to attend agency meetings, events, and trainings. Evening and weekend availability is required. The role requires a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation that meets the CFS Driver Policy. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Duties and responsibilities may change as needed.

Requirements

Intern in a master’s-level degree program in a human services field, or hold a bachelor’s-level or associate’s degree in human services.
Experience navigating child- and family-serving systems.
Experience advocating for family members involved with behavioral health systems.
Availability during evening and weekend hours.
Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation that meets the CFS Driver Policy.
Awareness of personal attitudes, beliefs, biases, and assumptions about others.
Knowledge of dimensions of diversity, including gender, race, and ethnicity.
Recognition that people from other cultural groups may have different beliefs, practices, and perceptions of experiences.
Cultural knowledge of key populations served to address disparities in service delivery.
Positive attitudes toward cultural differences, demonstrated through respect and openness toward people from different social and cultural backgrounds.
Communication and interaction skills across cultures, including the ability to recognize and manage personal behaviors, moods, and impulses to foster an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming agency climate.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with FIT team members and the family, or a subset of the family, to implement focused, structural, or strategic interventions and behavioral techniques that strengthen problem-solving, limit-setting, risk management, safety planning, and communication.
Build family skills to strengthen the family, advance therapeutic goals, and improve ineffective patterns of interaction.
Help families identify and use community resources and develop and maintain natural supports for youth and parents or caregivers.
Maintain positive working relationships with the FIT team, including the supervisor and clinician, as well as collateral contacts and community providers.
Support implementation of the clinician’s treatment plan and assist youth and families in achieving its goals.
Coach youth and families in decision-making during crisis and non-crisis situations.
Attend and assist with facilitating family therapy sessions, and facilitate individual sessions with clients.
Assist the clinician in implementing therapeutic objectives addressing youths’ mental health, behavioral, and emotional needs.
Make referrals as determined by the family, FIT team, and treatment plan.
Promote linkage with outpatient providers by helping youth and families attend outpatient appointments.
When requested by the family and clinically appropriate, attend and support youth and families at meetings concerning the youth’s behavioral health needs and treatment.
Support families in the education system by attending school meetings and participating in the development of school plans or IEPs, and support them in other systems such as courts, state agencies, and community organizations.
Use the treatment plan to identify and actively help families obtain and monitor the delivery of available, agreed-upon services.
Engage in discharge planning beginning at intake and help youth and families assess and access other levels of care as clinically appropriate.
Participate in weekly individual supervision and weekly clinical supervision, as appropriate to program needs.
Participate in program and agency meetings, clinical supervision, and team meetings.
Engage in effective care coordination and collaboration.
Participate in independent education and training opportunities.
Use clinical skills involving knowledge of the DSM-5.
Provide psychoeducation and advocacy as appropriate.
Maintain consistent communication with the supervisor and team, remain available via work cell phone, and read and respond to work-related emails daily.
Keep paperwork and documentation up to date, maintain scheduled sessions and regular contact with youth and families, and consistently meet program expectations.

Benefits

Benefits eligibility at 20 or more hours per week.
Medical insurance through Harvard Pilgrim/HealthPlans Inc.
Dental insurance through Unum.
Vision insurance through EyeMed.
Employee wellness program through Wellworks for You.
Vacation accrual: two weeks over the first year, three weeks after three years, four weeks after five years, and five weeks after 20 years.
12 sick days, 10 paid holidays, and two personal days per year.
Flexible spending accounts for medical expenses and dependent care.
401(k) plan: CFS matches the first 1% at 100% and matches 2%–6% of annual earnings at 50%.
100% employer-paid life insurance.
100% employer-paid long-term disability and AD&D insurance.
Supplemental or voluntary life, AD&D, accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance available for employees and their families.
Tuition reimbursement up to $1,500 per calendar year.
Professional licensure reimbursement for LICSW and LMHC.
24-hour travel assistance.
Mileage reimbursement.
Discounted Healthtrax gym membership.
Employee appreciation events.
$1 per hour language differential for eligible languages: Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, or ASL.
Offer may include a bonus or other incentives depending on role eligibility.