Therapist (Adoption Competent)

Paths for Families•Greenbelt, MD

About The Position

Paths for Families is an adoption and family well-being organization that partners with communities dedicated to the life-long work of building and sustaining families. For over 30 years, they have supported expectant parents exploring adoption, birth parents, prospective and current adoptive families, children in need of adoption, people who were adopted, and professionals in the community. Their mission is to build and support healthy lifelong connections for every child and advocate for continuous improvement of systems that strengthen family well-being. The organization practices IDEAS Principles (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Social Justice) and welcomes all children, families, and team members regardless of gender identity, gender expression, age, race, religion, wealth, health, marital status, or sexual orientation, believing in cultivating a healthy environment where all employees feel supported. The Therapist provides individual, family, and parent counseling and clinical case management to families, offering intake assessments, adoption/permanency competent, trauma informed counseling services to adoptive and guardianship families, crisis intervention, and case management.

Requirements

Master's degree in social work with a current Maryland social work license.
Professional experience in child welfare or as an adoption/permanency-competent, attachment-focused, trauma-informed clinician is highly preferred.
Complete (and maintain as necessary) a physical exam to include a TB screening, a criminal background check in identified jurisdictions, Child Protective Services Registries check in identified jurisdictions, and orientation training.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of the clinical issues associated with adoption, foster care, kinship care, attachment disruption, and in trauma informed care.
Knowledge of the impact of trauma and trained in therapeutic interventions and treatment for children, youth and families involved in child welfare in varying levels of permanency, including adoption, guardianship, foster care, and reunification.
Experience in providing attachment focused, trauma informed, and permanency competent therapeutic services.
Excellent interpersonal, clinical, and organizational skills.
Ability to work in a team and independently.
Ability to prioritize and problem solve.
Proficiency in Microsoft office suite of products and database case management.
Ability to communicate and express ideas clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
Ability to work cooperatively with others, both clients and colleagues.
Administrative ability to manage cases and maintain client files/case notes.

Responsibilities

Provide therapeutic services (individual, family, group) to a caseload of approximately 16-18 children, adolescents and/or families in an adoption competent, trauma focused, and permanency competent manner.
Specific services include initial intake assessments, intensive counseling, crisis-intervention, and case management to families.
Sessions will include support and education around the following (but not limited to): loss and grief; trust and attachment; identity formation; effects of early childhood trauma; mental health, physical health, and development delays; school issues; foster care to guardianship; open adoption; foster care to adoption; transracial and/or transcultural adoption; and LGBT adoption.