Community-based therapist (Multi-systemic Therapy- MST PSB)

Department: Juvenile Justice

Location: Irving Park

Address: 6417 W Irving Park Road Chicago, IL 60634

Schedule: Full- time Varied according to caseload

Category: Social Services

Do you have a passion for working with children and families? Youth Outreach Services is looking for compassionate, dedicated people in the greater Chicagoland area who want to empower youth and families by creating strength-based behavior change that will be sustained long after treatment ends. Therapy services are currently being offered remotely for the safety of our clients and staff. When it is safe, under the direction of the MST Program Manager, therapists work with families in their natural environments, including their homes, schools and communities. A clinical adaptation of Multi-Systemic Therapy, MST-PSB is specifically designed to treat youth (and their families) for problematic sexual behavior. MST-PSB is delivered in the community (clients' homes, schools, neighborhoods) to ensure ecological validity and treatment generalization, occurs with a high level of intensity and frequency (often three or more sessions per week), incorporates treatment interventions that are strongly supported and informed by research, and places a high premium on approaching each client/family as unique. MST-PSB places significant emphasis on clinician development.

You will receive ongoing training in the Multisystemic Therapy for youth with Problematic Sexual Behavior (MST PSB) model as you work with families, youth, their communities, and other key members of their ecology to implement MST as designed. Extensive research has proven the effectiveness of MST. MST therapists do whatever it takes, via close collaboration with all involved, to address the needs of juveniles with serious criminal offenses, or antisocial behavior such as: physical aggression, verbal aggression, poor academic performance, and substance abuse. You will empower families to address challenging and/or problematic behavior and to help youth aged 12 - 17 make life-transforming changes. Treatment progress is made through intensive interventions such as skill building, changing unhelpful family interactions, and increasing social support, to name a few. For more information on Multisystemic Therapy, please watch this video: How Does MST Work? 

Duties & Responsibilities 

Provide direct clinical treatment using the MST PSB treatment model and principles. Some principles include leveraging strengths and focusing on the positive, understanding sequences of behavior, and increasing mature behavior. 

Conduct a thorough assessment of the client and family: gather information on behaviors of concern and strengths in the family and their ecology to inform conceptualization of the problem behaviors and interactions within the family’s ecological context. 

Continuously work to engage the primary caregiver, family members, supports, and community agency staff (school, probation, child welfare) in change-oriented treatment. 

Dedicate time to weekly case planning and evaluation of case progress, with ongoing support from your supervisor and team members.  

Receive regular training, professional development, supervision, and consultation activities designed to help you acquire extensive clinical skills within the MST treatment model. 

Assure, along with fellow clinicians, that clients have access to 24 hours/day, 7 days/week support as needed.