Clinical Counselor/Licensed Clinical Counselor

Children's Home Society of Florida

Clinical Counselor

ANNUAL RATE OF $45,000 for Unlicensed Candidates / $52,400 for Licensed Candidates

Help Shape a Child’s Story From the Very Beginning

A Clinical Counselor at CHS does more than provide therapy—they help heal some of life's earliest wounds and strengthen the relationships that shape a child's future.

Working with children from infancy through age 5 and their caregivers, Clinical Counselors use compassion, clinical expertise, and hope to help families build secure connections, heal from trauma, and develop the skills they need to thrive. With low caseloads, counselors have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with families and provide thoughtful, individualized care.

This work can have an impact that lasts a lifetime. By helping children and caregivers develop healthy emotional connections during the earliest years of life, Clinical Counselors help create a stronger foundation for children's future development and well-being.

Clinical Counselors also partner with child welfare and court systems, providing clinical insight, progress updates, and advocacy that help inform important decisions regarding children's safety, permanency, and well-being. Their work bridges healing and accountability while ensuring that the voices and needs of children and families are represented throughout their journey toward stability and recovery.

Since opening our doors in 1902, CHS became a part of Florida's history.

CHS has been committed to growing and evolving to provide the right services and solutions to address the needs of children and families throughout the changing times. Every day, our team works with parents and kids to empower them and encourage them. With innovative technology solutions and a dedicated, experienced team throughout the state, we're changing the face of foster care and positively impacting children and families' lives for generations to come.

Join our team to continue to do good and create history serving Florida's children and families!

WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS

The earliest years of a child's life can shape their emotional development, relationships, and future well-being. As a Clinical Counselor, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference during this critical stage of development.

You'll work closely with young children and their caregivers to:

• Build secure, healthy relationships between children and caregivers.
• Help families understand and heal from the effects of trauma.
• Support healthy emotional and developmental growth.
• Give families tools and strategies they can use long after services end.
• Advocate for children and families within child welfare and court systems.
• Help inform decisions that affect children's safety, permanency, and future.

With low caseloads and the opportunity to work closely with families, you'll be able to focus on quality care and meaningful connections—not simply the number of cases you manage.

PRIMARY JOB FUNCTIONS

1. Provide trauma-informed clinical services to young children and their families.

• Provide trauma-informed individual, family, and group counseling services to children and families in CHS offices/facilities, client homes, schools, and community settings.
• Provide developmental observations and clinical assessments to understand the needs of young children and their caregivers.
• Deliver evidence-based treatment interventions, including Trauma-Focused Care and Infant Mental Health approaches.
• Provide ongoing support to families between sessions, as appropriate.
• Develop, implement, and monitor individualized treatment plans.
• Provide case management services, including information, referrals, and linkages to community resources.
• Coordinate services with other professionals, paraprofessionals, social service agencies, and community partners.
• Provide clinical insight and recommendations regarding the needs and progress of children and families.
• Oversee behavioral programs or treatment interventions associated with the client's treatment plan.
• Meet established program productivity goals while upholding the CHS standard of care.

1. Advocate for children and families throughout the child welfare and court process.

• Prepare timely monthly court reports documenting clinical progress, family needs, and recommendations related to permanency and reunification.
• Participate in team meetings, case staffing, and court proceedings as needed.
• Provide thoughtful clinical information and progress updates to help inform decisions affecting children's safety, permanency, and overall well-being.
• Advocate for the needs and voices of children and families throughout their journey toward stability and recovery.
• Coordinate and supervise therapeutic family visitation, when necessary.
• Collaborate with child welfare professionals and other members of the family's support team.

1. Maintain quality clinical care and documentation.

• Complete timely clinical documentation in the electronic health record, child welfare systems, and other required data systems.
• Complete billable units and enter applicable data in accordance with program and contract requirements.
• Participate in peer review and quality assurance processes to ensure services comply with contract, Medicaid, licensing, COA, and internal standards.
• Review and monitor billing for clinical services.
• Train direct care team members regarding components of individualized treatment plans, when necessary.

1. Strengthen families and communities.

• Engage in community outreach and education to increase awareness of available services.
• Develop and maintain relationships with community partners that support children and families.
• Facilitate psycho-educational classes and/or groups as appropriate.
• Participate actively in departmental meetings, training, education, and quality improvement activities.
• Develop a strong knowledge base and stay current on job-related issues, trends, and best practices.
• Demonstrate the CHS Common Bond values in the performance of all job duties.
• Comply with CHS's code of conduct, policies, procedures, and other obligations.
• Assist with training other team members and providing backup when necessary.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

WHY JOIN CHS?

• Make a lifelong impact: Help children and families build healthy relationships during some of the most important years of a child's development.
• Meaningful, relationship-based work: Work closely with young children and caregivers to create lasting change.
• Low caseloads: Have the time and space to provide individualized, high-quality care.
• Uplifting mission-driven work culture
• Make an impact in your community and become a part of Florida's history!
• Growth and professional development opportunities
• Great benefits package, including generous paid time off and holidays.
• Work with children from infancy through age 5, helping establish a foundation for lifelong emotional well-being.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Licenses & Certifications

• MA/MS from an accredited university/college in Social Work, Psychology, Marriage & Family Therapy or Mental Health Counseling – OR – MA/MS from an accredited university/college with a major in the field of Nursing, Rehabilitation, Special Education, Health Education or a related human services field AND have completed graduate level coursework in at least 4 of the following 13 content areas: human growth and development, diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology, human sexuality, counseling theories and techniques, group theories and practice, dynamics of marriage and family systems, individual evaluation and assessment, career and lifestyle assessment; research and program evaluation, personality theories, social and cultural foundations, counseling in the community settings, and substance use disorders.
• FL Drivers' License within 30 days/hire, along with daily access to a reliable and insured vehicle.
• For the Early Learning Centers Support Team: A non-licensed candidate shall be a registered intern working towards licensure to be considered.

Experience

• Two years of post-Bachelors experience working with at-risk children and families or one year post-Masters experience.
• Two years of experience providing services to persons with behavioral health disorders and/or the ability to be supervised by a licensed practitioner of the healing arts (LPHA).
• Three years of experience dealing with emotionally disturbed children/adolescents, preferred.

Competencies

Knowledge of:

• Community resources

Skills and Proficiency in:

• Planning, organization and time management, oral & written communication
• Interpersonal relationship building, collaboration, teaming
• Computer systems and MS Office, including Word, Excel and Outlook
• Bilingual in English/Spanish, preferred.

Ability to:

• Perform at a high level of autonomy, with general supervision.
• Perform under strong demands in fast-paced, diverse, sometimes ambiguous environments.
• Handle stressful, sensitive situations; preserve confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Meet critical deadlines, while maintaining attention to detail, accuracy and quality.
• Solve practical problems and document results using sound judgment.
• Demonstrate the behaviors of our CHS Common Bond Values.
• Interact effectively with children and families from diverse backgrounds.
• Set appropriate limits and boundaries with clients; act decisively to protect clients, when necessary.
• Assess and apply proper intervention strategies.
• Identify and understand environmental stressors.
• Recognize the importance of social, economic, and environmental factors in the development and resolution of personal/family problems.
• Be sensitive to service population's cultural/socioeconomic characteristics.
• Commit to providing high customer satisfaction with positive service delivery results.
• Be energetic, passionate, and adaptable with a deep commitment to social service, empathy for children and families, and a positive approach to embracing and managing change.

All applicants are subject to background screening through the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). For more information, visit https://info.flclearinghouse.com