JYF - MST-FIT Therapist

About the Role 

The Justice for Youth & Families MST (Multi-systemic Therapy) team at Rising Ground supports scholars in NYC, ages 12-17.5, with intensive in-home family and community-based treatment as they transition to Aftercare following placement in one of our Close to Home facilities. MST addresses the multiple factors known to be related to juvenile justice involvement across the key settings, or systems, within which youth are embedded (i.e. family, peers, school, neighborhood). MST starts this process by initiating treatment for the youth and the family while the youth is still in placement. MST Therapists strive to promote behavior change in the youth’s natural environment using the strengths of each system to facilitate change. The MST model promotes personal responsibility, education, work ethic, community responsibility and an intolerance of violence and prejudice.

• Adheres to all agency and departmental safety procedures including reporting any unsafe practices, equipment and environment, and takes an active role in correcting the unsafe practice, equipment or environment through proper notification.
• Conduct MST assessment including review of referral information, identifying and engaging key participants, identifying systemic strengths and weaknesses, and developing an analysis of the fit of problem behaviors within the ecological context.
• Engage primary caregiver and other key participants, including staff at the designated placement in active change-oriented treatment by identifying and overcoming barriers to engagement.
• Implement a problem conceptualization, treatment planning, intervention implementation and outcome review and strategy revision procedure using the MST analytical process.
• Maintain clear and concise documentation of treatment efforts that promote peer and supervisory review and feedback, and that demonstrate compliance with the MST principles, concepts and strategies.
• Collaborate with all relevant systems and key participants within each system to ensure their buy-in and cooperation throughout MST treatment.
• Provide direct clinical treatment using methods compatible with MST principles and practices.
• Participate in all MST training, supervision and consultation activities.
• Stays abreast to developments in the juvenile justice system.
• Document all progress notes in CONNECTIONS within 5 days of contact.
• Provide necessary referrals for families in need of housing, health, mental health or preventive services, as needed.
• Provide supervision, if needed, to ensure the safety of all family members. If possible, to strengthen the parental role in the family.
• Develop and submit weekly email updates to ACS (Administration for Children Services) and participate in bi-weekly case update calls as requested.
• Participates in release conferences, post-discharge community conferences, and any Elevated Risks conferences and maintain communication with ACS and the Rising Ground case planning team.
• Other duties that may be assigned.

• Master’s Degree in a New York State Licensable degree (incl. LMSW, LCSW, PhD, PsyD, LMFT, LMHC) preferred.
• Bilingual is English and Spanish.
• Preferred clinical experience in: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Family systems theory, Social ecological theory, Cognitive-behavioral theory, Behavioral therapies, Pragmatic family therapies, Child development research, social skills assessment.
• MST certified (can be trained when hired).
• 24 hours/7 days availability (rotating on-call system).

Position Type/Expected: Hours of Work: Full time position, 35 hours per week. Daily schedule and hours will fluctuate to meet the needs of the team and families. The therapist is expected to be available to families by phone and be flexible to schedule sessions at times that work best for the family, which include both during the day, afterschool/evening times and weekends on occasion. Participation in group consultations and supervision expected to take place in the office once per week.

Travel (if required): The MST team provides services to families who reside in the 5 boroughs of NYC. The MST Therapist provides their own transportation and work-related travel expenses will be reimbursed.

 Additional Requirements: 

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Ability to work in-person in New York City (NY) for at least 3 days or more per week.
• Ability to travel to other Rising Ground sites (if required)

 Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is the policy of Rising Ground that the Agency wholly complies with equal treatment of all employees and applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination as to an individual’s perceived or actual race, creed, color, national origin, alienate, citizenship status, gender, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or veteran status in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, layoff and termination and all other terms and conditions of employment.