Senior Therapist, Court Service Unit

An Overview
The Senior Therapist, supporting the Substance Use Intervention Program with the Alexandria Court Service Unit, will be responsible for providing clinical services to court-involved youth and families including assessments, individual and group therapy, case management, crisis intervention, and coordination of treatment. Programmatic and curriculum development will also be an element of this position.
What You Should Bring
The ideal candidate should have excellent knowledge of diagnosis, assessment and evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents who experience trauma, mental health and substance use challenges. Ability to conduct behavioral health assessments, treatment planning, individual, group and family therapy. Ability to work successfully with youth and their families, assisting in development of their strengths and abiding by their goals and preferences. Ability to communicate both orally and in writing, in a clear concise manner, with other professionals and with the general public. Ability to collaborate with colleagues, the Court, and community partners.
The Opportunity

• Conduct individualized assessments to identify mental health and substance use treatment concerns.
• Maintain a caseload of individual therapy clients providing trauma-informed, evidence-based treatment.
• Facilitate treatment groups with a focus on topics related to substance use disorders.
• Develop programmatic elements of the Substance Use Intervention Program to best meet the needs of Alexandria court-involved youth and families.
• Collaborate with CSU colleagues and other community partners to ensure appropriateness of services and continuity of care.
• Provide crisis intervention if needed.
• Prepare written reports including assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, progress notes, etc.
• Participate in Treatment Team meetings and other CSU staff meetings as scheduled.
• Support learning opportunities for students in the Forensic Internship Program.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

About the Department
The Alexandria Court Service Unit (CSU) supports the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in the City of Alexandria. The Treatment Team provides services free-of-charge to youth and families involved in the juvenile justice and domestic relations systems. Possession of Masters degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, Education or related field; at least two years of post-graduate work experience in providing direct clinical services to consumers having one or more substance abuse, psychiatric, and emotional disorders; and licensure or license eligible (has completed all required education and supervision as required by applicable board) as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner (LSATP) or Clinical Psychologist in the Commonwealth of Virginia at the time of appointment; if license eligible, the employee must obtain Virginia licensure at the first available opportunity, but no later than one year after appointment; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
Employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state of their residence if they are in a position with driving responsibilities.Knowledge of the mental health classifications/DSM-5 and the ASAM criteria; training in Motivational Interviewing and trauma-informed treatment modalities; knowledge of the court system; at least one year of clinical experience with court-involved youth and families. Bilingual in English and Spanish.Schedule
Negotiated hours between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday with potential for some evening and/or weekend hours totaling 40 hours per week. This position will primarily be located at the Alexandria Court Service Unit and the greater Alexandria community with some options for remote work.Employment Type: Full-Time