Mental Health Therapist for Transitional Age Youth (TAY)

Transition Age Youth Services (TAYS) Clinicians provide community-based, intensive strategies to address any current need for stabilization, crisis intervention and individual trauma-focused treatment. Clinicians must have strong clinical and advocacy skills, demonstrate flexibility, utilize a strengths-based approach, and have demonstrated experience working with adolescents with high mental health needs.

As a TAYS Clinician, you will:

• Provide mental health screening to assess cognitive, emotional and social functioning and needs; facilitates the identification and engagement in mental health services.
• Provide individual or family intensive mental health services and clinical case management, as part of a collaborative wrap service team.
• Provide risk assessments, crisis intervention, stabilization, and create safety plans.
• Assist youth in developing and executing their transition to adulthood plan.
• Coordinate services with other agencies and resources to address youth’s needs including: housing, medical/physical health, mental health, education, employment, independent living skills, advocacy, placement stability, and age-appropriate enrichment activities.
• Make collateral contacts on behalf of clients as needed including Child Welfare Workers, Juvenile Justice personnel, parents and caregivers, and other providers.
• Assist youth in accessing and utilizing community resources and benefits.
• Understand and comply with policies, procedures, documentation and paperwork for EPSDT Medi-Cal billing.
• Comply with WestCoast and California state Boards’ requirements pertaining to supervision, consultation and case conference attendance.
• Provide services in the community, for which travel by car is necessary.
• Participate in agency and program meetings and professional development trainings as required.
• Work proactively with the program director to ensure the strength of the program and the overall agency contract deliverables.

The ideal candidates have…

• An advanced degree (Master’s or Doctorate) in clinical psychology, social work or related field required. 
• Current CA Board of Behavioral Science or Board of Psychology license and/or registration required.
• At least 1-2 years of direct clinical experience working with transition age and system-involved youth in a community-based setting, specifically CSEC youth. 
• Knowledge of Alameda County community resources for TAY youth.
• Bilingual clinicians and clinicians of color are strongly encouraged to apply. 
• Proven effectiveness working with clients who have complex traumatic histories and attachment difficulties, and ability to be supportive and provide guidance in a non-judgmental manner.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development, trauma, chemical dependency and dual diagnosis.
• Ability to demonstrate professional and ethical conduct at all times as a representative of the WestCoast community.
• Cultural humility - knowledge and self-awareness of issues of race, class, and ethnicity; experience in working with diverse communities.
• Clinical service skill – assessment/evaluation, crisis intervention, ability to use supervision effectively, ethical and legal practices, and high quality clinical documentation.
• Collaboration and team functioning - able to work independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Commitment to completing high quality and timely documentation and meeting agency deadlines.
• Knowledge of Medi-Cal reimbursement procedures and billing.
• Prior knowledge and experience with EHR such as Welligent, preferred.
• Excellent communication skills: written and verbal.
• Clean CA DMV record and current car insurance and car; travel is required.

Why work here?

-Be part of a compassionate, driven team that is social justice-focused: We have Staff Affinity Groups such as Staff of Color, LGBTQ+, Equity and Inclusion, Health and Wellness, and more!

-Make a difference for the Bay Area’s most vulnerable populations: We serve hundreds of vulnerable kids and their families each year to create positive changes in their lives!

-Access a growth-oriented learning community: As a Joint Commission Accredited agency, we are dedicated to providing the highest standard of care, and offer extensive clinical trainings and seminars led by field experts. Some of our trainings include:

• CSEC and CSE-IT
• Child and Adolescent Development
• Complex Trauma/Trauma-Informed Care
• Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS)
• Supervisor in Training program, and much, much more!

-Receive clinical supervision (individual and group) by a dedicated supervisor to assist toward licensure

Position details and compensation:

Salary range for all clinician positions is $58,500-$64k+ annually depending on experience and current licensure status, plus a 5% language differential, if applicable.

Benefits:

• Competitive pay commensurate with experience (base salary starting at $58,500 post-masters)
• Bilingual pay differential for qualified candidates (5% of yearly salary)
• Quarterly and yearly incentive compensation and retirement plan contribution
• 100% Employer paid medical (base plan, Kaiser HMO), dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability coverage for full-time employees
• Variety of medical plan options including a variety of carriers and types of plans
• 403b retirement plan with ROTH and 403b contribution options
• Flex-spending options - Medical, Dependent Care and Commuter Plans
• 20 days paid time off per year (equivalent to 4 weeks), 11 Paid Holidays, plus Self-Care Leave (additional PTO accrual with increased years of service)

WCC is passionate about leading and encouraging open conversations around race, gender, power, and privilege, and how these impact community mental health. Our staff affinity groups include Staff of Color Council, LGBTQ Staff Group, White Accountability Group, and Equity and Inclusion Council.

We are  an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to diminishing the influence of privilege and discrimination in our field and our workplace, whether due to differences concerning age, citizenship, color, disability, marital or parental status, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.