Lead Therapist - Intern and Training

The Dallas Children's Advocacy Center is seeking an experienced Lead Therapist - Intern & Training for the Therapy Department.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Reporting to the Director of Clinical Services, the Lead Therapist (Intern & Training) oversees the development, implementation, and coordination of the Master-level intern program. This individual also acts as a liaison between the Therapy and Education departments to coordinate and provide community trainings while providing evidence-based trauma informed mental health services for children and adolescents.

Number of Staff Supervising, and positions: six (6) interns

(Subject to change based on time availability or other circumstances)

ABOUT DCAC: The mission of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center is to improve the lives of abused children in Dallas County and to provide national leadership on child abuse issues. DCAC is a non-profit organization and the only agency of its kind in Dallas County, working in agreement with public and private agencies to investigate, prosecute, and provide healing services for child abuse
cases in Dallas County. We reduce the victimization of the child, remove barriers to investigation and treatment, and enhance criminal prosecution with our distinctive multidisciplinary and united approach to these complex and severe cases, all at no cost to our clients. Each year, DCAC serves over 13,000 children and their non-offending family members.

We are a national and international leader in the Children's Advocacy Center movement, recognized
for our expertise in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of child abuse cases; cutting edge clinical services and programs for the victims and their non-offending family members; and our community and professional training programs.

Essential Duties and Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Training:

• Provides administrative, organizational, and programmatic oversight to Master-level therapeutic internship program.
• Reviews and approves internship applications from Master-level intern candidates.
• Assists in the coordination of candidate interviews.
• Coordinates the assignment of an intern supervisor.
• Acts as liaison between DCAC and the qualified educational institution.
• Develops, updates, distributes, educates, and maintains the Intern Procedures Manual.
• Trains Master-level interns on agency and departmental processes and policies.
• Provides clinical support and guidance to Master-level students and their in-house agency supervisor.
• Collaborates with the assigned agency intern supervisor to evaluate performance and provide progress reports to the educational institutions.
• Acts as a liaison between the Therapy and Education Departments to coordinate, prepare and assign the provision of community trainings.
• Collaborates with leadership to coordinate internal department trainings.
• Coordinates educational institution on-site visits at DCAC.

Clinical Oversight:

• Provides administrative, organizational, and clinical supervision of up to six (6) Master-level interns.
• Actively engages in clinical supervision on issues of clinical difficulties, administrative topics, and personal trauma resilience.
• Enters data and performs self-audit in client database and ensures accurate, professional data is entered in a timely manner and within guidelines and standards.
• Follows the Therapy Program Standard Operating Procedure Manual set forth by DCAC.
• Actively engages in clinical supervision on issues of clinical difficulties, administrative topics and personal trauma resilience.

Client Therapeutic Services:

• Provides evidence-based, trauma-informed mental health services for a small caseload of children/adolescents:
  • Administer, score, interpret and document clinical assessments and assign diagnosis (when warranted).
  • Provides evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment for children involving caregiver(s).
  • Maintains electronic mental health records of clients (i.e., informed consent, assessment reports, treatment plans, session notes, and disposition).

Other Duties:

• Participates in therapy and family advocate supervisor, on-call rotation.
• Communicates regularly and effectively with DCAC staff and MDT (multi-disciplinary team) partners (i.e.: Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) case managers, law enforcement, medical providers, Dallas County District Attorney’s Office prosecutors.
• Participates in staff meetings, professional development, and training to increase clinical skills and improve outcomes for child abuse victims.
• Provides expert and/or fact testimony within Dallas County criminal and civil courts regarding child abuse issues.
• Attends and participates in monthly supervisory meetings.
• Attends monthly employee meetings.
• Attends and participates and/or volunteers at the annual Crimes Against Children Conference.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education: master’s degree in social work, psychology or similar.

Experience: Past or current supervision of clinical interns and oversight of a clinical internship program; experience with individual, family and/or group therapy modalities. Experience in the areas of child development, positive parenting, child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, trauma, racial trauma, and other related children’s issues.

Language: Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred, but not required.

Required License(s) or Certifications:

• Licensed in the State of Texas to practice as a mental health provider (i.e., with full credentials for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Psychologist (LP).
• Clear and valid Texas Driver’s License

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of risk assessment, crisis intervention, standardized assessment tools and report writing, cognitive-behavioral theory and ethics.
• Knowledge of child development and family dynamics; knowledge of sexual abuse dynamics as it relates to victims and perpetrators.
• Skilled at working with representatives of the Department of Protective and Family Services (DFPS), law enforcement, medical providers, and the District Attorney’s prosecutor’s department.
• Creative, resourceful, detail-oriented, and flexible, possessing a positive attitude, tact, good judgement, and cultural sensitivity.
• Ability to build relationships and work well as a team member with staff, community professionals and volunteers.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to maintain client confidentiality and adhere to HIPAA regulations.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work Location: All work must be performed in the office due to client confidentiality. Some presentations or trainings will be held off-site.

Mental and Physical Abilities: Duties are usually performed seated with occasional periods of standing or walking. Limited physical effort is required associated with lifting and carrying objects (less than 25 lbs.).

Working Conditions: Work may be performed but is not limited to an office environment.

Essential Functions: This job description should not be interpreted as all-inclusive. It is intended to identify the essential functions and requirements of this position. The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this job description.

Core Values:

Must demonstrate/live our organization’s core values: 1. We are child-centered, family focused and community driven. 2. We act with dignity and compassion in all that we do. 3. We recognize our staff as our greatest asset. 4. We operate as a seamless team

DCAC is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and we believe in an inclusive culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work Location: All work must be performed in the office due to client confidentiality.

Mental and Physical Abilities: Duties are usually performed seated with occasional periods of standing or walking. Limited physical effort is required associated with lifting and carrying objects (less than 25 lbs).

Working Conditions: Work may be performed but is not limited to an office environment.

Essential Functions: This job description should not be interpreted as all-inclusive. It is intended to identify the essential functions and requirements of this position. The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this job description.

Core Values:

Must demonstrate/live our organization’s core values: 1. Put the child first in all we do, 2. Operate as a part of a seamless team, 3. Work with a servant’s heart.

DCAC is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and we believe in an inclusive culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.