Bilingual (Spanish/English) Senior Therapist

The City of Alexandria is located in Northern Virginia and is bordered by the 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 of the City's square miles have been designed 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
Using a fluent level of written and verbal Spanish and English communication, the Bilingual Senior Therapist with the City of Alexandria's Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court Service Unit provides psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families and groups of clients with emotional, behavioral, psychological and/or chemically dependent problems. The work in this position is performed under the general supervision of the Director of Crime Prevention Programs with Alexandria’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Service Unit.

What You Should Bring
An employee in this class is expected to possess senior level experience providing services to youth and families, many of whom are dually diagnosed with co-occurring psychiatric and substance abuse/addiction disorders, as well as those on probation or parole and those participating in prevention, diversion and partner programs.
The Opportunity

• Engage fully and actively with court-involved youth and families, helping them to address their feelings, attitudes, behaviors, fears, and anxieties related to their history of legal, trauma, mental health and/or substance abuse problems, and to assist with problem solving.
• Provide diagnostic evaluations which provide therapeutic information and guide the therapist in the need for referring the consumer to additional treatment services, job opportunities, medical treatment, and to other community referral sources, as needed.
• Conducts these tasks during regular working hours, but they may be called upon to provide emergency services to Court Service Unit clients and families and to the community, as needed.
• Conduct custody investigations and to facilitate FOCUS education groups for parents and guardians involved in custody and/or visitation cases, as ordered by the Court, and may also be required to provide parenting, anger management or other group classes based on the needs of the Court and the community.
• Perform under the general supervision of the Director of Crime Prevention Programs with Alexandria’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Service Unit. A Senior Therapist provides services to youth and families including those on probation or parole and those participating in prevention, diversion and partner programs.

About the Department
The Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court Service Unit is made up of a dedicated team of professionals working to support the strategic direction of City and State governments through the commitment of excellent in Public Safety by providing effective prevention and intervention programs and services that improve the lives of youth, strengthening both families and communities.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

Possession of Master's 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.

Preferred Qualifications

Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills (preferred for this position in order to meet service needs); Employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state of their residence.
Three or more years post graduate experience providing direct treatment services with school-age clients with legal, substance abuse, psychiatric and emotional disorders; Three or more years of experience providing family therapy; Two or more years of experience implementing evidence based practices with adolescents, particularly trauma related; Two or more years working with youth who have substance abuse challenges; Two or more years of experience with youth who have a serious emotional disturbance; Excellent computer/word processing skills; Basic knowledge of the juvenile court system.

Notes

This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to:
FBI/Federal Records;
VA State Child Abuse/Neglect Registry;
Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Database;
Driver's License from state of residence and
Verification of education/certifications.

Schedule: This position has a 40 hour, flexible schedule, with at least 5 hours after 5:00 pm throughout the week.