Mental Health Therapist/Caregiver Services

Position Summary:

The Mental Health Therapist/Caregiver Services role plays a vital role in advancing the mission of the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center by providing trauma-informed assessment, treatment, advocacy, and coordinated support services to caregivers of children impacted by abuse and other traumatic experiences. Recognizing that caregiver well-being is essential to a child's healing and recovery, this position works to strengthen caregiver functioning, resilience, protective capacities, and engagement in services.

This position conducts comprehensive caregiver assessments, develops individualized treatment recommendations, and provides trauma-specific, evidence-based therapeutic interventions to caregivers whose children are engaged in Dee Norton services/whose children are Dee Norton clients. Through psychoeducation, skill-building, supportive counseling, and family-centered interventions, the Caregiver Therapist and Services Specialist help caregivers address caregiver trauma-related symptoms, strengthen parenting, coping skills, and protective capacity, and enhance their ability to support their child's recovery.

As a member of Dee Norton's multidisciplinary team, this position collaborates closely with internal staff and community partners to coordinate services, reduce barriers to care, advocate for family needs, and ensure caregivers have access to the resources and support necessary to promote safety, stability, and long-term well-being. This role requires strong clinical judgment, excellent communication and collaboration skills, and a deep commitment to providing culturally responsive, trauma-informed care within a multidisciplinary child advocacy setting.

Many caregivers served through Dee Norton have experienced significant trauma, grief, victimization, substance use, interpersonal violence, or other adverse experiences that directly affect their ability to participate in their child's treatment and maintain long-term family stability. This position addresses those barriers through targeted therapeutic intervention, allowing caregivers to more effectively support their child's healing and recovery.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Caregiver Assessment, Support and Treatment

• Conduct trauma-informed caregiver assessments to evaluate caregiver strengths, needs, mental health concerns, trauma history, family functioning, and capacity to support the child's healing and recovery.
• Develop individualized treatment recommendations based on assessment findings and family needs.
• Provide trauma-specific, evidence-based treatment to caregivers whose children are actively engaged in services at Dee Norton.
• Deliver psychoeducation, skill-building interventions, and supportive counseling to address caregiver trauma symptoms, emotional distress, and barriers to effective caregiving.
• Assist caregivers in understanding the impact of trauma, abuse, and victimization on children and family systems.
• Support caregivers in developing coping skills, resilience, emotional regulation, and trauma-informed parenting strategies.
• Facilitate clarification, support, and therapeutic interventions designed to strengthen caregiver protective capacities and enhance family safety and stability.
• Monitor caregiver treatment progress and collaborate with the child's treatment provider to support coordinated family-centered care.
• Collaborate closely with child therapists to identify caregiver-related barriers impacting treatment progress and develop coordinated interventions to improve caregiver engagement, family functioning, and child outcomes.
• Identify barriers to treatment participation and develop strategies to increase caregiver engagement and retention in services.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential clinical documentation in accordance with agency policies, professional standards, licensing requirements, and funding expectations.
• Participate in ongoing training and consultation related to protection clarification, abuse clarification, caregiver trauma treatment, and family systems interventions.

Multidisciplinary Case Consultation

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary team partners, including law enforcement, child protective services, medical providers, prosecutors, victim advocates, forensic interviewers, and therapists to support coordinated case planning and service delivery for caregivers.
• Participate in case review staffing and contribute clinical insights regarding caregiver functioning, engagement, strengths, and treatment needs.
• Coordinate clinically relevant communication with internal and external providers to support continuity of care and treatment planning. 
• Collaborate with Family Advocates for case management and resource navigation to connect families with community-based support, including mental health, medical, educational, housing, financial assistance, parenting, and other supportive services.
• Monitor caregiver and family engagement in recommended services and implement strategies to address barriers to participation.
• Advocate for caregiver and family needs within the multidisciplinary team and community service systems.
• Maintain collaborative relationships with community partners to strengthen service coordination and improve outcomes for children and families.
• Assist families in understanding the child advocacy center process, available services, and recommendations resulting from multidisciplinary team involvement.
• Document case coordination activities, referrals, service outcomes, and follow-up efforts in accordance with agency policies, accreditation standards, and grant requirements.
• Promote a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and family-centered approach in all interactions with caregivers, children, multidisciplinary team members, and community partners.
• Promote a family-centered and systems-oriented approach that recognizes the impact of caregiver functioning on child safety, treatment engagement, and long-term recovery.

Qualifications:

Education & Experience:

• Master’s degree or higher in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a related health services field preferred.
• At least 2 years of experience working with children/families in a mental health setting.
• At least 2 years of experience working with adults in a mental health setting.
• Experience providing trauma-informed therapeutic services to adults and/or caregivers preferred.

Licensure/Certification:

• Active licensure (LISW, LPC, LMFT, or equivalent).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong understanding of child maltreatment, trauma, and family systems. 
• Excellent clinical assessment, case management, and crisis intervention skills. 
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills. 
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment. 
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
• Comprehensive knowledge of and adherence to HIPAA and confidentiality requirements. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and electronic case management systems.
• Knowledge of evidence-based trauma treatment models for both children and adults.
• Understanding of family systems theory and the impact of caregiver functioning on child treatment outcomes.
• Ability to collaborate across providers while maintaining clear clinical boundaries and treatment roles.

Other Responsibilities: 

• Participate in a minimum of two public awareness and/or fundraising events annually on behalf of Dee Norton. 
• Meet other needs as identified by the Executive Director and/or Leadership Team. 
• Abide by federal and state confidentiality and privacy requirements, as well as all Dee Norton policies and procedures. 
• Abide by and meet all grant requirements and objectives.

Core Competencies:

Every employee at Dee Norton is responsible for contributing to a positive work environment through teamwork, positive, honest and effective communication, and professional interactions with co-workers, volunteers, clients, and community partners.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate:

• Interpersonal Skills: Approaches others in a tactful manner; ability to work well under pressure and respond quickly to challenges; maintains confidentiality; keeps emotions under control; and remains open to others' ideas. 
• Cultural Competency and Humility: Demonstrates a commitment to furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and has a proven track record of working well with diverse clients and stakeholders. 
• Teamwork: Enjoys working as part of a team with individuals from a variety of disciplines; balances team and individual responsibilities; gives and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit; and supports everyone's efforts to succeed. 
• Ethics/Professionalism: Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; works ethically and with integrity; accepts responsibility for own actions; follows through on commitments; and upholds organizational values. 
• Quality: Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; applies feedback to improve performance; and monitors own work to ensure quality. 
• Initiative: Volunteers readily; undertakes professional development activities; and asks for and offers help when needed. 
• Planning/Organizing: Ability to work independently; prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; sets goals and objectives; and develops realistic action plans. 
• Adaptability: Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; and able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events. 
• Dependability: Is consistently at work and on time; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; and arrives at meetings and appointments on time; completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan. 

Physical Requirements:

In this position an employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 lbs. Must be able to work on a computer and/or telephone for extended periods of time. 

Salary and Benefits:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Paid time off (PTO) prorated based on number of hours worked per week and 13 annual paid holidays.
• 403(b) retirement plan with company match.
• Facility dogs on site.
• A culture that prioritizes the mental and emotional needs of team members, with access to EAP benefits, including up to 8 counseling sessions per family member, financial planning support, and guidance with legal documents.

The Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center promotes a culturally diverse and culturally competent community response network. The Center complies with all laws prohibiting discrimination against employees and applicants based on gender, age, ethnicity, race, faith and experience. Dee Norton abides by all Federal Equal Opportunity guidelines.