Senior Therapist

Oasis Center•Nashville, TN

16d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Therapist role within the Emergency Shelter Program is responsible for providing direct clinical services to youth and families. This position involves crisis intervention, assessment, and short-term counseling. The Senior Therapist also influences treatment planning, supports staff and interns, and collaborates with leadership to enhance the clinical model in the shelter environment. Key responsibilities include providing crisis intervention through phone lines and on-site response, conducting intake and assessments, offering individual, family, and group counseling, and maintaining a caseload. The role emphasizes trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and family systems approaches. Additionally, the Senior Therapist assists with service and discharge planning, participates in case conferencing, provides crisis response support, and offers real-time clinical guidance to shelter staff. This position is crucial for shaping and reinforcing clinical practices in a 24/7 setting and may involve participating in an on-call rotation. Administrative duties include maintaining records, assisting with licensing and funding compliance, partnering with directors on clinical practice and program development, and supporting the training and supervision of clinical interns. The role also involves participating in hiring processes, community education, and serving on committees.

Requirements

Strong capacity to form meaningful, caring, and affirming relationships with all young people, including LGBTQ+ youth.
Knowledge and ability to apply: Crisis intervention theory, Behavior management techniques, Basic counseling principles, Group work theory, Systems theory, Adolescent and family development.
Ability to implement Positive Youth Development, Trauma-Informed Care, and evidence-informed practices.
Clear understanding of racial inequities and systemic barriers, with a commitment to operating from an anti-oppression, equity-centered framework.
Ability to deliver services through a low-barrier, youth-centered approach.
Ability to access and connect youth and families to community resources.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to use phone and computer-based systems for documentation and communication.
Demonstrated ability to support and guide interns or early-career clinicians.
Minimum of three (3) years of relevant clinical experience, including work with youth and families.
Active clinical licensure (LPC-MHSP, LCSW, LMFT, or equivalent) required or license-eligible with strong progress toward licensure.
Master’s degree in a human services or related field (e.g., Counseling, Social Work, Psychology) from an accredited college or university.

Responsibilities

Provide crisis intervention counseling services through the crisis phone line, walk-in support, and on-site shelter response.
Provide intake, assessment, and service planning for youth and families referred to the Shelter and Community-Based Counseling program.
Provide individual, family, and group counseling services for youth experiencing crisis and housing instability.
Maintain a clinically appropriate caseload, including direct service with shelter youth.
Support youth and families in conflict resolution, mediation, and stabilization.
Utilize trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and creative therapeutic approaches beyond traditional talk therapy.
Operate from a family systems approach to strengthen family engagement and connection.
Assist in the development and implementation of individualized service plans and discharge planning.
Engage in case conferencing with youth, case managers, and internal/external partners to support coordinated care.
Provide crisis response support in helping youth manage conflict with families, peers, and other relationships.
Conduct therapeutic groups including Multiple Family Group, Peace Circles, and other skill-building groups.
Participate in clinical on-call rotation, providing after-hours consultation, crisis response, and support for emergency situations.
Provide real-time clinical guidance to staff supporting youth in the shelter environment, including support with de-escalation, safety planning, and decision-making.
Support the overall clinical environment of the shelter by helping to shape and reinforce clinical practices, expectations, and interventions within a 24/7 setting.
Provide clinical support to agency youth as needed.
Transport clients as needed.
Complete additional related tasks as assigned.
Maintain consistent and timely records, including documentation required for licensing, funding, and agency standards (RHY, HMIS, etc.).
Assist in preparation for monitoring visits by funding and licensing sources.
Partner with the Clinical Director and Emergency Shelter Director to inform clinical practice, program development, and implementation within the shelter.
Support onboarding, training, and ongoing development of clinical interns, including modeling best practices and supporting integration into the shelter environment.
Provide guidance, support, and informal coaching to staff and interns to strengthen clinical quality and consistency.
Participate in staff meetings, clinical supervision, and program development efforts.
Participate in the hiring process and onboarding of staff, as appropriate.
Participate in community education efforts to increase awareness of shelter services and youth crisis needs.
Serve on intra-agency committees when requested or representation is significant to the agency mission.