Lead Clinician - Bilingual (Spanish) Unaccompanied Minors

POSITION:  Bilingual Lead Clinician – Unaccompanied Minors Program
REPORTS TO:  Assistant Director 
CLASSIFICATION:  Full Time (Management Team)
EXEMPT/NONEXEMPT:  Exempt

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Lutheran Safe Haven Shelter and Transitional Foster Care Program is a 24-hour program that serves unaccompanied children (UCs) in immigration custody who are awaiting release to their sponsors. The Lead Clinician is responsible for the oversight and execution of all therapeutic and case management requirements for the shelter and foster care programs.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES include:
•    Represents Lutheran Social Services of New York’s mission, values and ethics; upholds agency Code of Conduct; and ensures adherence to agency policy and procedures by clinical staff.
•    Provides supervision and support to clinicians via individual sessions, staff meetings and in-house trainings.
•    Monitors staff fulfillment of caseload assignments.
•    Approves timecards of clinical staff and addresses any changes in clinical staff schedules.
•    Performs initial intake and assessment for safety and trafficking concerns within 48 hours of each UC’s arrival as needed.
•    Provides weekly individual counseling to UCs and ongoing crisis intervention as needed.
•    Provides mental health referrals as needed.
•    Coordinates clinical services
•    Participates in the hiring and training process for newly hired clinical staff 
•    Develops group counseling as needed.
•    Participates in weekly team meetings to provide mental health and educational updates.
•    Revise and edit clinical staff progress notes and reports 
•    Regularly assesses the safety and well-being of all UCs.
•    Ensures quality and excellence in service provision.
•    Participate in a rotating on-call schedule with management team members 
•    Ensures compliance with local, state, and federal rules and regulations, as well as funder’s requirements.
•    Become certified to facilitate trainings in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) for all Safe Haven employees
•    Performs other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISES:
•    Clinicians
•    Social Work Interns

EDUCATION:
•    Master’s degree in social work from an accredited university; OR
•    Master's degree or Ph.D. in psychology, sociology, or other relevant behavioral science in which clinical experience is a program requirement.
•    Must be a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in the state of New York.

EXPERIENCE:
•    Minimum 2 years of post-master’s experience providing direct services to immigrant young persons.
•    Must have supervisory experience. 
•    Knowledgeable about psychotropic medications and familiar with medication risks and side effects
•    Strong mental health background; highly knowledgeable about mental health diagnoses

SKILLS & ABILITIES:
•    Bilingual in Spanish and English
•    Excellent speaking, listening, and writing skills
•    Ability to establish a systematic course of action to accomplish specific objectives, determine priorities and allocate time and resources effectively
•    Ability to develop and manage social work interns
•    Ability to effectively meet and communicate face-to-face with Program stakeholders
•    Detail oriented
•    Strong interest in working with immigrant young persons
•    Strong clinical, communication and presentation skills, including the ability to facilitate trainings
•    Superior organizational skills
•    Ability to work independently and as part of a team
•    Experience and facility with Microsoft Office Applications, including Microsoft Word and Excel

This position description contains the major responsibilities required to perform this job.  These responsibilities may change at any time to meet the needs of our clients, residents or agency.