Intensive FFT Lead Therapist, The ATLAS Project

Rising Ground, Inc. • New York, NY

6d • $80,000 - $85,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

ATLAS, an initiative of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety in partnership with United Way of NYC, aims to reduce community and interpersonal violence by engaging people in a change process that nurtures hope and strengthens relationships. Atlas meets people at times of crisis, such as an interpersonal or family conflict, a recent arrest, or a recent court case and connects them to free community-based therapeutic programming. The therapeutic approaches offered through Atlas are evidence-informed, meaning they have strong evidence of effectiveness in promoting personal change and preventing future involvement in violence or incarceration. The approaches are culturally competent, trauma-informed, and deeply respectful of the strength, wisdom, and personal agency that resides in people.

ATLAS seeks to enhance peace and prevent violence in New York City through transformative investments in families, community-based organizations, and in the systems meant to maintain accountability and public safety. We recognize the impact “systems” have on the lives of marginalized persons; keeping them in a cycle of involvement that impacts their freedom, self-efficacy, and dignity. Atlas is an investment in the agency and self-reliance of people affected by system involvement and in the community partners that serve them.

Through our work, we are committed to building on people’s strength and agency, and transforming government from enforcement and coercion to avoiding harm and ensuring that we approach people with transparency about racial trauma, economic disparities, the impact of poverty on experiences and behaviors, and social justice as factors that contribute to their true and perceived success.

The FFT Therapist provides Functional Family Therapy (FFT) to youth ages 13–18 referred to a specialized program serving youth who are high-risk, difficult to engage, and have a history of violent felony offenses. Youth may be living in the community, residential settings, or juvenile justice facilities. Unlike traditional voluntary services, referred youth may not be aware of the referral or interested in participating, requiring the therapist to use creativity, persistence, and strong clinical and relational skills to establish trust and build therapeutic alliances.

All services are provided in person, with therapists expected to meet youth where they are and partner with families, peer groups, and systems to establish and maintain engagement. Therapists are supported by Case Managers and Credible Messengers who provide complementary engagement and wraparound services to help connect participants to the program and support successful completion of FFT. The therapist maintains an active caseload of approximately 5–8 youth and is expected to demonstrate flexibility in scheduling and service delivery to maximize participant access and engagement.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology, or another related field is preferred.
• Clinical experience working with adolescents and/or young adults experiencing significant behavioral, emotional, social, or justice-system involvement.
• Demonstrated ability to engage youth and families who may be resistant to services, difficult to reach, or ambivalent about treatment.
• Strong clinical judgment and ability to manage complex cases, elevated risk, crisis, and challenging engagement situations.
• Strong understanding of strengths-based, family-centered, and culturally responsive practice.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build trust with youth, families, staff, and community partners.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and support the professional development of other clinicians.
• Experience providing clinical supervision, consultation, or peer coaching is strongly preferred.
• Ability to use data to monitor progress, identify trends, and support improvements in clinical practice and team performance.
• Experience managing projects, coordinating initiatives, or leading team-based efforts is preferred.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective partnerships with community organizations, service providers, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to organize competing priorities, work independently, and follow through on team and program initiatives.
• Ability to remain calm, flexible, and clinically grounded in fast-paced and unpredictable environments.
• Comfort working in community-based settings and traveling to meet youth and families where they are.
• Commitment to addressing systemic inequities and understanding the impact of systemic oppression on youth, families, and communities.
• Competency in serving LGBTQIA+ identities is strongly preferred.
• Ability to establish and maintain appropriate professional boundaries while fostering strong therapeutic and working relationships.
• Willingness and ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and other nontraditional hours when necessary.
• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Ability to work in-person in New York City (NYC)
• Ability to travel to other Rising Ground Sites (if required)
• Ability to travel within the community and do visits

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology, or another related field is preferred.
• Experience providing clinical supervision, consultation, or peer coaching is strongly preferred.
• Experience managing projects, coordinating initiatives, or leading team-based efforts is preferred.
• Competency in serving LGBTQIA+ identities is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership and oversight for the specialized FFT team.
• Supervise, coach, and provide clinical consultation to FFT Therapists, including support with complex and high-risk cases.
• Maintain an active caseload of 5 youth at all times and provide intensive, in-person FFT services.
• Monitor FFT fidelity, clinical quality, engagement, documentation, and treatment progress.
• Conduct regular case audits and chart reviews and address identified clinical or documentation concerns.
• Track and analyze team-level clinical data, including engagement, caseloads, completion, and outcomes, and identify areas for improvement.
• Support therapists in managing risk, resistance, crisis, and challenging engagement situations.
• Foster team morale, cohesion, accountability, and professional development.
• Lead community engagement and outreach efforts to strengthen relationships with youth, families, and community partners.
• Develop partnerships and identify resources and opportunities that benefit the program and participants.
• Collaborate with Case Managers, Credible Messengers, and external partners to strengthen participant engagement and outcomes.
• Represent the clinical perspective of the team with internal and external stakeholders, in partnership with the Team Supervisor.
• Identify clinical or team-level barriers and bring recommendations to the Team Supervisor for resolution.
• Other related duties as assigned by supervisor.

Benefits

• Competitive salary structure
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• PTO policy (11 Paid Holidays, Paid Sick Time, Paid Vacation & Paid Personal Days)
• Remote / flexible work options (If applicable)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level