Bilingual Sanctuary Group Counseling Clinician

POSITION:  Bilingual Sanctuary Group Counseling Clinician/Director – Emergency Sanctuary Facilities Program

REPORTS TO:  Assistant Executive Director for Residential Services

CLASSIFICATION:  Full Time

EXEMPT/NONEXEMPT:  Exempt

LOCATIONS: Vanguard House & Fortitude House

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Lutheran Emergency Sanctuary Facilities Program is a 24-hour program that serves asylum-seeking migrants. Fortitude House, at 1668 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY, shelters up to 84 families. Vanguard House, at 29-27 40th Road, Long Island City, NY, shelters up to 143 families. The Group Counseling Clinician/Director is responsible for the direct psychosocial support, therapeutic interventions, and administrative oversight of social work interns at both facilities.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 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.
• Works to reduce culturally-rooted mental health stigma by normalizing group counseling and non-traditional therapeutic models of care for asylum-seeking children and families.
• Provides weekly individual group counseling to facilities and ongoing crisis intervention as needed.
• Coordinates clinical services for talk therapy, group counseling, family therapy, art/music therapy and other non-traditional interventions
• 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 residents of the facilities.
• Ensures quality and excellence in service provision.
• Participates in a rotating on-call schedule with management team members
• Regularly assesses the safety and well-being of all clients being served
• Establishes and maintains therapeutic relationships with clients, maintaining professional boundaries and a non-judgmental, unbiased approach.
• Conducts psychosocial assessments of clients.
• Assists residents and their families in navigating disruptive mental health challenges to meet their needs.

• Manages two or more ongoing groups; tracks client participation.

• Conducts intake interviews for new residents, completing assessments and paperwork in line with program and funder standards.
• Maintains client records as “audit-ready” at all times. This includes, but is not limited to, recording progress notes, constructing service plans, updating medical and mental health information, and completing psychosocial assessments.
• Advocates for safe, effective, client-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable mental health care to promo