Trauma Counselor - Safe Way Forward

Summary:

Safe Horizon’s Safe Way forward program provides comprehensive trauma-informed client-centered services to families who are affected by intimate partner violence and are involved in the child welfare system. Our goal is help those who have experienced physical, emotional or other forms of abuse to establish long-term safety and healing from the effects of trauma. Safe Horizon uses a client centered, trauma informed, anti-oppressive approach to supporting clients. Safe Horizon recognizes that families who have experienced intimate partner violence may want to or need to stay in contact with the person causing harm in the family. The Safe Way forward program (SWF) was designed to engage family members with support to assist in healing and explore ways for families to maintain contact where safe to do so. In this model, all participating members of the family are considered clients (survivor, person causing harm, and their children).

Hybrid schedule:

2 days on site, 3 days remote.

Essential Job Functions:

The Trauma Counselor provides both practical trauma intervention and support to domestic violence survivors, their children and the person causing harm (separately).

Duties may include some or all of the following:

• Administer trauma screenings and trauma assessments to children, survivors of domestic violence and/or persons causing harm in intimate partner relationships
• Develop treatment goals with clients
• Engage clients and provide trauma-focused mental health treatment with fidelity to evidence-based models
• Provide evidence-based trauma-focused treatment through individual, dyadic, and group models
• Work in close partnership with SWF team members and ACS to coordinate service provision for children and families impacted by domestic violence
• Conduct comprehensive assessments for survivors and/or persons causing harm and their families
• Provide crisis intervention and short- and long-term trauma intervention for children, survivors of domestic violence and/or persons causing harm in intimate partner relationships
• Engage in safety assessment and risk management dialogues with clients to follow up on safety plan
• Conduct home visits with clients and their families.
• Participate and support clients in family team conferences
• Maintain clear, concise, and timely documentation with all relevant client information including data entry into a computerized record keeping system
• Attend training relevant to position, including learning and consultation on evidence-based treatment models
• Actively participate in individual and group supervision
• Prepare for and participate in regularly scheduled FFP team case review meetings about new and on-going cases
• Maintain open communication with supervisors and team members
• Collaborate with other service providers internally and externally as needed
• Participate in the service team of clinicians and case planners responsible to maintain a mixed caseload of families (including survivors and their children and persons causing harm)
• Implement strategies for addressing vicarious trauma

 Required Skills:

• Sensitivity towards and understanding of victimization, especially the experience of survivors of domestic violence and all members of their families including the person causing harm in the family;
• Strong communication and organizational skills;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, be assertive and well organized;
• Ability to work under pressure in a calm and reassuring manner;
• Demonstrate the ability to work independently and also work on a team with an appreciation of different points of view
• Ability to work evenings as needed and maintain a flexible work schedule
• Strong oral and written communication skills

Qualifications:

• Basic understanding of computer and systems for managing case records
• An advanced degree (LMSW) (license required) or related field.
• Prior experience working with children and families impacted by domestic violence, abuse and/or trauma

Strongly Preferred:

• Bilingual Spanish/English fluency Experience with family therapy or individual therapy preferred with survivors of domestic violence or persons causing harm in a trauma-informed setting;
• Knowledge of the New York City domestic violence service system, public benefits, child welfare, housing system and other social services.

AmeriCorps, Peace Corps and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.

Please follow this link to view complete EEO Law and complaint filing information: https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf

Full-time Hours: 35 Hours per week 

Full-time Benefits: Vacation Time, Paid Sick Time, Holidays, Medical, Dental, Vision, 403(b) Retirement Plan, Company Life Insurance, Medical/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Tuition Assistance Program, Commuter Benefits Program, Gym Reimbursement, Parental Leave, Employee Learning Center