Senior Therapist 

 The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter square miles in the city have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Senior Therapist position.

An Overview
The Senior Therapist provides services in both office and community settings; Conducts intake assessments, crisis intervention, and individual, group and family therapy with children and adolescents experiencing substance abuse and/or mental health challenges and their families; Consults and maintains excellent working relationships with stakeholders within the system of care, i.e. child welfare, juvenile justice, schools. May represent the division on inter-agency collaborative work group or planning team. May provide clinical and administrative supervision to psychology externs.

What You Should Bring
The ideal candidate should have excellent knowledge of the signs and symptoms of substance abuse, as well as evidence based treatment and prevention and early intervention strategies for adolescents; Excellent knowledge of diagnosis, risk assessment and treatment strategies for children and adolescents who experience emotional difficulties/dual diagnosis; Knowledge of evidence based interventions with youth and their families; Very good knowledge of family treatment strategies; Ability to conduct substance abuse assessments, treatment planning and ongoing therapy; Ability to work successfully with youth and their families, assisting in development of their strengths and abiding by their goals and preferences; and the ability to collaborate with host partners and treatment team members.

The Opportunity

• Conducts mental health and substance abuse evaluations with diagnostic formulations;
• Develops treatment plans with youth and their families based on their strengths, needs, preferences, and goals;
• Engages youth and families in evidence-based youth led and family driven individual, group and family therapy, including crisis intervention;
• Collect outcome data and administers satisfaction surveys on a regular basis to the persons served;
• Maintains communication with referring agencies to coordinate services and progress in treatment;
• Prepares a variety of written reports including case notes, initial treatment plans, quarterly treatment updates, clinical/mental health evaluations, status reports and reports to referral agencies;
• Participates in multi-disciplinary inter-agency workgroups and treatment planning meetings;
• Collaborates and coordinates with referral sources and stakeholders within the system of care, i.e. child welfare, juvenile justice, schools;
• Provide services and maintain medical records in accordance with an accreditation body, Department policies, licensing and Medicaid regulations;
• Coordinates client care with the team case worker as needed;
• Follows department policies and procedures, including those related to productivity expectations, client payment issues, training and clinical licensure;
• Performs all other relevant duties as assigned.

About the Department
The Center for Children and Families (CCF) provides programs and services for Behavioral Health, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault, Child Welfare & Child Protective Services, Early Childhood and Youth Development. CCF provides compassionate, collaborative and effective person and family-centered services based on best practices.  Our teams support self-determination, safety, recovery and resiliency for Alexandria children and all residents affected by abuse, neglect, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders.