Therapist - Dignity Rising

At The New York Foundling, we trust in the power and potential of people, and we deliberately invest in proven practices. From bold beginnings in 1869, our New York-based nonprofit has supported hundreds of thousands of our neighbors on their own paths to stability, strength, and independence. We help children and families navigate through and beyond foster care. We help families struggling with conflict and poverty grow strong. We help individuals with developmental disabilities live their best lives, and we help our neighbors access quality health and mental health services—core to building lifelong resilience and wellbeing. Together, our interrelated programs provide a whole-person, whole-family, and whole-life approach that unlocks solutions for a lifetime.

Reporting to the Clinical Supervisor, the Therapist provides home- and office-based clinical treatment to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) involved in the justice system. Dignity Rising is new program combining two evidence-informed therapeutic models in an innovative adaptation designed to promote stability, reduce recidivism, and support community integration.

Reporting to the Clinical Supervisor, the Therapist provides home- and office-based clinical treatment to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) involved in the justice system. Dignity Rising is new program combining two evidence-informed therapeutic models in an innovative adaptation designed to promote stability, reduce recidivism, and support community integration.

Core Responsibilities:

• Provide home and community-based clinical treatment for up to 5 people - with coverage for peer's caseloads as needed - in Brooklyn and Queens using Multisystemic Therapy-Emerging Adult and Dialectic Behavioral Therapy-Skills System as an Alternative to Incarceration for clients 16+ years with or suspected of I/DD, including Traumatic Brain Injury.
• Conduct screenings, intakes, and assessments for people with or suspected of an I/DD diagnosis, collaborating with the Foundling Psychologist, external social workers, and client advocates. Review referral information, identify and engage key participants, identify systemic strengths and weaknesses, and conduct individualized treatment planning
• Collaborate with the Clinical Supervisor to schedule and facilitate Skills Systems groups at the Queens and Brooklyn NYF office locations, which are likely to be conducted in the evening 1-2 times per week. Works with staff and people supported to motivate attendance. Supports clients in travelling to group sessions.
• Attend all court appearances with clients and provide updates to the court. Partner with court social worker and other external stakeholders to identify and connect people supported and their families with community-based resources. Support people without OPWDD approval in connecting to resources. Monitor participation and accompany people to appointments, as needed.
• Identify and address family risk factors that give rise to possible re-arrest and incarceration due to continued referral behaviors or new risk/safety factors. This includes the completion of safety plans, court notifications, and incident reports if necessary. Adopt a strength focused approach with person supported, families, stakeholders, and within the program/treatment team.
• Manage the extensive documentation requirements in all databases to successfully comply with various mandates from agency, court, and model. Maintains clear, concise, and timely documentation of treatment efforts in progress notes and court reports that demonstrate compliance with MST-EA and Skills System expectations and supervisory review feedback.
• Provides 24/7 coverage during the week and participates in weekend phone coverage for emergencies.
• Meets all other model and agency requirements, such as consistently meeting Key Performance Indicators, participating in trainings, compliance with the NYS Central Register of Abuse and Neglect protocol, participating in individual and group coaching, and a demonstrated commitment to The Foundling’s mission, vision and values.

The New York Foundling is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse employee population, the Foundling will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

• Master’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling or a related subject area required. Provisional licensure (MHC-LP, LMSW) or full licensure (LMFT, LMHC, LCSW) preferred.
• 2+ years of accumulated experience (internships through post-graduate) providing direct services, preferably in peoples’ homes and communities that led to a strong understanding and the ability to implement: safety planning, risk and safety assessments, social skills assessment and intervention, crisis management, incident reporting, creating and following a Treatment Plan.
• Preferred experience working with clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or justice involvement and/or utilizing pragmatic, trauma-informed, and evidence-based practices such as cognitive behavioral techniques, Multi-Systemic Therapy, and/or Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
• Willingness and ability to be strengths-focused when working with and advocating for the person supported and their community.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively communicate with diverse stakeholders (people supported, families, peers, supervisor, external stakeholders). This includes during program implementation, staff meetings, and when receiving and executing feedback from supervisors.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills required to prioritize tasks, attend all appointments on time, manage deadlines, enter information into databases in a timely manner, and other tasks required to support the implementation of a new program.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in program design and service delivery. Experience with and willingness to work with culturally diverse populations.
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred, but not required.