Friends of the Children

Friends of the Children – Lane County is hiring a Lead Therapist to join our growing family. Reporting to the Clinical Supervisor and Program Director, the individual will inform decisions made by administrative staff, provide connections to local services, provide crucial insight and perspective for the continued development of the Lane County chapter, and work to ensure organizational compliance with Medicaid rules and regulations.

The successful candidate will thrive on building long-term relationships, a stellar communicator with a sharp head for business, detail oriented with a splash of creative style, and spark thrown in. They will also be self-motivated, proactive, results driven, and deeply passionate about the mission of Friends – Lane County.

If you are seeking an opportunity to join a lean team with an energetic, whatever-it-takes, start-up approach, here’s what we have to offer you: 

• You’ll start on the ground floor of a small nonprofit, then grow with us.
• You’ll be part of a dynamic and supportive national network, with a proven, evidence-based mentoring model.
• You’ll have new challenges daily. We commit to supporting you in every way, helping you serve our kids, and keeping your batteries charged.
• Salary: $60,000-70,000/yr
• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Most of all, you’ll play a critical role in helping Lane County’s children facing great barriers change the trajectories of their lives!

Intrigued? Want to know more? To learn more about the position’s responsibilities and qualifications see below:

Basic Function / Position Objective:  

The position will be supervised by a Clinical Supervisor and the organization’s Program Director.

As the Lead Therapist you will help enroll children and adults in services, draft treatment plans and provide oversight of skill-building and case management activities performed by other staff.  You will inform decisions made by administrative staff, provide connections to local services, provide crucial insight and perspective for the continued development of the Lane County chapter, and work to ensure organizational compliance with Medicaid rules and regulations. While direct services will be an element of this position it will only be one of the elements this role includes. The position will collaborate with all Friends – Lane County staff to complete their duties.  

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Works to ensure Friends - Lane County remains in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations regarding scope of practice, application of skills, and documentation.
• Completes and maintains assessments, treatment plans, and other documentation related to services provided to clients and family.
• Collaborates with Friends – Lane County staff to maintain accurate and timely invoicing based on provided services.
• Oversight and management of clinical documentation systems for all providers through Friends - Lane County.
• Monitors licensure/certification requirements; oversees clinical practice.
• Supervision for all people working as a QMHAs for Friends - Lane County.
• Relationship building and collaboration with local agencies and organizations, as well as with the children being served and their families.
• Support the development and adherence to child’s Roadmap or Transition Plan.
• Attend and contribute to team meetings and staff functions.
• Support the development of positive supports in children's lives through direct work with families, teachers, and other community members.
• Identifies and provides both external and internal education and training opportunities for staff development and compliance related to services provided.
• Creation of partnerships and collaboration with agencies and organizations to further the Friends - Lane County mission.
• Identifies and explores areas for continued growth and development related to clinical services including application of Neurofeedback, application of ACEs, and other potential pilot programs.

Essential Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to provide evidence based therapeutic services.
• Familiar with strategies for the delivery of trauma informed and culturally responsive treatment services. All treatment services shall be provided in a trauma informed and culturally responsive manner.
• Ability to work towards Oregon license/credential to provide clinical supervision of QMHAs and other staff providing covered services.
• Ability to provide leadership guidance related to clinical practice.
• Ability to partner with parents/caregiver to provide concrete and social emotional support for the family.
• Ability to connect with and develop trusting relationships with children, families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s support network.
• Ability to relate to children and to develop and sustain trusting, supportive relationships with them.
• Strong interpersonal skills  
• Ability to follow federal/state confidentiality requirements and communicate appropriately within the workplace.
• Ability to use creativity and initiative in planning activities to continually develop children.
• Ability to work independently in diverse environments with limited supervision. 
• Ability to work as a team player.
• Ability to manage several concurrent issues and solve problems effectively exercising appropriate discretion and judgment.

Job Requirements:

• Willingness to receive supervision from a licensed Clinical Supervisor.
• Have and maintain a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) credential and have completed two years equivalent of post-graduate clinical experience in a mental health treatment setting.
• Able to pass background and drug screenings.
• Must have valid driver’s license and be able to pass drivers check
• Interest in continuing education focused on youth and family-based services.
• Interest in collaboration, community building, and providing a meaningful service to families.
• Any of the following minimum requirements:
  • Bachelor’s degree in nursing and licensed by the State of Oregon. Nurses are accountable to abide by the Oregon Nurse Practice Act to determine if job descriptions are compliant with the competencies listed above;
  • Bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy and licensed by the State of Oregon;
  • Graduate degree in psychology, social work, recreational art or music therapy, or behavioral science field;
  • An equivalent degree as evidenced by providing transcripts indicating applicable coursework meeting the required competencies and approved by a Division certified behavioral health provider.
• Receive clinical supervision that documents progress towards certification and recertification.
• Experience working in a management level position for a year or more strongly preferred
• Experience working with youth and families is preferred.

Education and Experience:

This role can be positioned to help qualified individuals complete supervision and hours requirements for licensure.

Working Hours

This is a full-time, exempt position.  Due to the nature of a Friend’s role, the work hours may be non-traditional, and can include late afternoon and evening work.  We recognize that each working schedule will balance the various elements of a unique role, the needs of the individual children and families, and the Chapter’s schedule. In this roll, your accessibility as a clinical support may require flexibility related to the mentors’ emergent questions or concerns, though life work balance remains central to each Friends – Lane County team member.

Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices, and to working toward racial equity. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices, and to working toward racial equity. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, disability, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled.