Child Advocacy Center Mental Health Therapist

## Description

**About One Place:**

**One Place,** a 501C3, believes that one child hurt is too many. For more than 26 years**, One Place** has focused on ending child abuse, increasing capacity for child mental health, and ensuring educational readiness. At One Place, we create hope for children and families by connecting our community to resources. We seek employees with an entrepreneurial mindset who see transformation possible in our community. Our organization focuses on organizational health internally so we can contribute to wellness in our community.

The Child Advocacy Center provides a compassionate response to the trauma of child abuse in a safe and child friendly environment. Children are referred to the Child Advocacy Center from law enforcement and child protective services due to suspected sexual and physical abuse and/or neglect. Through specialized services such as family advocacy, forensic interviews, comprehensive medical evaluations and mental health services, suspected victims birth through age 17 receive quality and timely care by sharing their story and beginning their path to a healthy future.

**The Child Advocacy Center’s mission: Because children are no small matter, together, at One Place, we provide a caring and comprehensive response to children hurt by abuse - Hope and Healing begin here.**

**Position Summary**

Under direction of the CAC Clinical Services Director, the **Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Mental Health Therapist**provides evidence supported, trauma-focused mental health services to child victims and their supportive, non-offending family members. This position also serves as a back-up forensic interviewer. The primary responsibility of this position is to provide mental health services; additional duties will include forensic interviewing. This position adheres to clinical standards, professional codes of ethics, funders, HIPAA compliance, agency policies and standards set forth by the Onslow County Interagency Agreement & Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Protocol, the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) and Children’s Advocacy Centers North Carolina (CACNC).

**Key Responsibilities**

• Provides evidence supported, trauma-focused mental health services, including individual, group, and family therapy to child victims and their supportive, non-offending family members
• Administers evidence-based assessments to inform treatment
• Develops individualized treatment plan for child clients and other family members
• Provide referrals to other community services as needed
• Participate in individual clinical supervision and group clinical supervision
• Participate in peer review and continuing education activities
• Collaborate with all members of the staff and multidisciplinary teams to ensure coordinated comprehensive care for clients
• Provides clinical consultation to CAC Staff and MDT Partners
• Maintains confidential documentation of client case and progress
• Follows all mental health/therapy standards, protocols, policies, and procedures set forth by OPCAC, NCA, and CACNC
• Conducts developmentally appropriate, legally sound forensic interviews on an as-needed basis with children ages 3-17 who are involved in child abuse investigations
• Maintains qualifications through training and participation in quarterly peer review; remains current with forensic interviewing, child abuse and child development research, literature and best practice
• Attend and facilitate trainings as requested
• Provide expert and/or fact testimony in criminal and civil courts regarding child abuse issues
• Participates in on-going initiatives of organization and programs to include philanthropy
• Participates in agency meetings and trainings
• Various other duties and special projects to be assigned by Clinical Services Director

## Qualifications
**Qualifications**

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) or Licensed Marriage or Family Therapist (LMFT).
• Prior training, credentialing and experience providing evidenced-based treatment modalities for childhood trauma required.
• 2-4 years required of clinical experience providing services to children preferred
• Successful, documented completion of a 40-hour forensic interview training by a national recognized organization or willingness to become trained
• Experience with Children’s Advocacy Centers or with Child Welfare/Human Services is favored
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to plan and prioritize work is essential
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work in databases
• Ability to work both independently and as a member of various teams
• Displays leadership and professional integrity
• Demonstrates ability to hold self and others accountable
• Proven ability to work effectively with diverse populations and as a member of multidisciplinary teams with a willingness to appreciate and value different points of view
• Extended work hours are necessary on occasion
• Passion for the work is critical and necessary