Mental Health Clinician for Foster Youth

WestCoast Children's Clinic•Oakland, CA

3d•$72,000 - $82,000•Hybrid

About The Position

WestCoast Children’s Clinic is a non-profit community psychology clinic in Oakland, California, providing mental health services to Bay Area children, youth, and families. Its STAT Program offers Screening, Stabilization and Transition services to children entering foster care or experiencing placement changes in Alameda County. The STAT Clinician conducts mental health screenings and assessments and provides mobile, individual, family, and milieu-based therapy in community settings and at the AC TrSCF as part of a multidisciplinary team. The clinician provides short-term follow-up services to help youth stabilize in foster or group homes, coordinating closely with caregivers, social workers, and care teams. The program serves children and young adults from birth through age 20. Clinicians may also carry a small caseload of clients with chronic placement instability for up to a year. The role includes meeting state billing and documentation requirements and collaborating with leadership to improve program policies, procedures, and training. This is a regular full-time, exempt position based in Oakland, California, with a hybrid arrangement: client services are provided in person and documentation may be completed remotely. The regular schedule is Monday through Friday. Client travel may be required up to 90 miles from Oakland. Salary is $72,000 per year for master’s-level clinicians collecting hours toward licensure and starts at $82,000 for licensed clinicians. Qualified candidates may receive an additional 10% Spanish-language differential.

Requirements

Master’s or doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology, marriage and family therapy, or social work.
Master’s-level candidates must be currently registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
At least 1–2 years of post-graduate experience working with children or youth.
Experience providing individual psychotherapy, parent support, and family therapy to children, adolescents, and families, particularly youth in or entering foster care.
Demonstrated experience delivering culturally responsive care in diverse communities.
Current CPR, First Aid, and Bloodborne Pathogens certifications.
Ability to travel by car to meet clients, generally within a 90-mile radius of the Oakland office; employees must have a clean California DMV record and current vehicle insurance when driving for WCC.
Clinical skills in engagement, assessment and evaluation, crisis intervention, use of supervision, ethical and legal compliance, and clinical documentation.
Ability to deliver flexible, trauma-informed screenings and interventions in varied community and field settings.
Ability to work effectively as part of an integrated multidisciplinary care team.
Knowledge of attachment theory, brief psychotherapy modalities, early childhood and adolescent development, trauma, and milieu therapy principles.
Understanding of issues of race, class, culture, and ethnicity.
Ability to work effectively with clients with complex, multi-diagnosis histories.
Strong organization, time management, interpersonal, communication, and writing skills; ability to complete documentation promptly.
Knowledge of or ability to learn Medi-Cal reimbursement procedures and electronic health record systems.
High standards of professional ethics, boundaries, and accountability.

Nice To Haves

Current California mental health license, or eligibility for a waiver under California Department of Mental Health requirements before the hire date.
Prior residential, milieu, or community-based mental health experience.
Knowledge of de-escalation techniques.

Responsibilities

Conduct mental health screenings, informal assessments, and therapeutic interventions in community settings and at the AC TrSCF when children enter or transition within the child welfare system.
Partner with case manager engagement specialists, county social workers, foster caregivers, and multidisciplinary team members to assess needs and make comprehensive recommendations.
Provide short-term therapy, generally over a 30–60-day period, and offer collateral support and guidance to caregivers and partner providers to support placement transitions and stabilization.
Provide individual and family therapy, caregiver guidance, collateral contacts, and case management for children with chronic placement instability for 3–12 months as part of an integrated care team.
Deliver mobile, community-based services at WCC program sites, homes, schools, and partner locations, traveling up to 90 miles from Oakland.
Participate in multidisciplinary team-based care and consult and coordinate regularly with team members.
Make collateral contacts and advocate for clients as needed.
Maintain clinical caseload minimums and meet billable-hour and agency-defined goals; follow policies, procedures, and deadlines for billing, record keeping, and documentation.
Attend agency and program meetings, clinical supervision and consultation, clinical case conferences, and required professional development trainings.
Collaborate with leadership to improve program policies, procedures, and training.