MPI Mental Health Practitioner

Metropolitan Family Services•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Metropolitan Family Services is hiring a Mental Health Practitioner for its Metropolitan Peace Academy office. The role supports the Communities Partnering 4 Peace framework, which brings community-driven strategies together to reduce violence and gang activity through work with high-risk individuals and residents. This position provides behavioral health and crisis-response services in community and transit settings. The practitioner assesses clients, provides case management, counseling, advocacy, education, and other services, and coordinates behavioral health care across community and transit systems. The role also develops partnerships, supports crisis-response initiatives, provides training and facilitation, and helps strengthen trauma-informed social work services and programming. The role involves an overnight schedule and requires riding trains and working on train platforms and at transit stations. The posting describes two shifts, 12:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.–3:00 a.m., and says candidates must be available for both with no alternative shifts. The qualifications section separately describes a fixed schedule of 7:00 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

Requirements

Master’s degree in social work or a similar field from an accredited college or university.
Two years of related post-master’s experience at an intermediate skill level.
Licensed Social Worker (LSW) or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential.
Availability for the overnight schedule and comfort riding trains and working on train platforms and at transit stations.
Mobility to work with a community-based caseload.
Ability to maintain assigned community and home-based services.
Ability to work effectively with diverse individuals and groups.
Open availability for both shifts listed in the schedule description; no alternative shifts are available.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual Spanish.
A master’s degree and applicable clinical license such as LSW or LPC may qualify candidates for a higher starting salary, although the qualifications section separately requires a master’s degree and an LSW or LPC.

Responsibilities

Identify, de-escalate, and mediate tense situations related to mental health concerns; build trust with diverse individuals and groups; and provide post-crisis follow-up support.
Engage with community members, local businesses, and high-risk individuals using professional and trauma-informed approaches.
Maintain timely and accurate documentation of incidents, interventions, and referrals while protecting confidentiality and following professional standards.
Perform comprehensive clinical assessments and psycho-social assessments and intakes as assigned.
Provide case management, counseling, advocacy, educational, and related services to Community Safety and Transit Operations.
Coordinate behavioral health services across community and transit systems, review complex cases, support high-risk crisis responses, ensure compliance with clinical, ethical, and organizational standards, and implement strategies to improve service effectiveness and team performance.
Develop and strengthen partnerships with community stakeholders, behavioral health systems, hospitals, public safety agencies, and leadership.
Collaborate with CPRU team members on crisis de-escalation, mediation, relationship-building, and post-crisis support.
Provide support for Metropolitan Peace Academy; deliver trainings and facilitation; and provide ongoing support, curriculum development, and facilitation.
Identify and use agency and community resources; assess community conditions and resource gaps; and join or develop groups and coalitions to address community needs.
Recommend financial assistance for clients and provide group services as indicated by program needs.
Meet contractual requirements, including 24-hour crisis coverage.
Represent and interpret agency programs in the community; support and attend Light in the Night events; and potentially serve on regional or agency-wide committees.
May provide clinical guidance and shadowing opportunities for students.
Attend team meetings, case consultations, and individual supervision.
Establish referral networks and linkages with outside agencies for participants and their families.
Take a proactive role in developing social work services and programming that supports trauma-informed care.
Meet agency expectations for direct-service quantity and record-keeping.
Work effectively with diverse staff and service populations and travel to different city neighborhoods as needed.
Maintain assigned community and home-based services.