Therapist

Purpose

The MST-EA program provides intensive, evidence-based, home- and community-based treatment to transition-aged youth and emerging adults ages 17 to 26 who are transitioning from group residential care back to their families, communities, and natural support networks. Using the Multisystemic Therapy for Emerging Adults (MST-EA) model, the program works to reduce behaviors that place youth at risk for placement disruption or reentry into higher levels of care and to promote successful, sustainable community reintegration.

Services begin prior to discharge from residential care and continue following the youth’s transition to the community. Treatment focuses on addressing the individual, family, peer, school, employment, behavioral health, and community factors that impact stability and functioning.

Through intensive clinical intervention, collaboration with caregivers and natural supports, safety planning, and coordination with community systems, MST-EA helps emerging adults and their support networks develop the skills and resources necessary to manage challenges independently, strengthen stability, and achieve long-term success in the community.

Position Overview

The MST-EA Therapist provides intensive, evidence-based clinical services to transition-aged youth and emerging adults ages 17 to 26 as they transition from residential care to their families, communities, and natural support networks. The therapist works with youth beginning approximately two months prior to discharge and may continue providing services for up to 10 months following discharge.

The MST-EA Therapist works primarily in the home and community and partners with the emerging adult, caregivers, natural supports, and other involved systems to:

• Support a successful transition from residential care to the community and reduce the risk of placement disruption or reentry into a higher level of care.
• Reduce the frequency and severity of behaviors that interfere with the emerging adult’s safety, stability, relationships, education, employment, and successful community functioning.
• Identify and address individual, family, peer, school, employment, behavioral health, and community factors that contribute to identified concerns.
• Strengthen the emerging adult’s natural support network and build the skills and resources necessary to respond effectively to challenges and maintain progress following treatment.
• Provide intensive, individualized treatment using the MST-EA model, including frequent home and community-based sessions, ongoing assessment, safety planning, care coordination, and collaboration with relevant systems.
• Support continuity of care between Cedar Knolls House and Kaplan House residential programs and the emerging adult’s community-based support throughout the transition and discharge process.

Conduct mental status examinations and ongoing clinical and safety assessments as clinically indicated.

• Conduct comprehensive MST-EA assessments, including reviewing referral information, identifying and engaging key participants, assessing systemic strengths and barriers, and developing an understanding of how identified behaviors function within the emerging adult’s ecological environment.
• Engage emerging adults, caregivers, family members, and other identified natural supports in active, change-oriented treatment by identifying and addressing barriers to engagement.
• Develop and maintain individualized, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and culturally responsive treatment plans in collaboration with the emerging adult and their identified support network.
• Conduct ongoing safety and risk assessments and develop, implement, and update comprehensive safety plans as clinically indicated.
• Participate in the program’s on call coverage structure to provide clinical support to emerging adults and their identified support networks outside of regular business hours, including evenings and weekends, as required by the MST-EA model.
• Maintain flexibility in scheduling to meet the needs of emerging adults and their support networks. This position requires home and community-based services and may include evenings, weekends, and other nontraditional hours based on clinical need and MST-EA model expectations.
• Utilize the MST Analytic Process to guide problem conceptualization, treatment planning, intervention development and implementation, outcome monitoring, and ongoing revision of treatment strategies.
• Provide intensive home and community-based treatment, generally three to four contacts per week, or at the frequency determined by the MST-EA Supervisor and Consultant based on clinical need and model expectations.
• Provide direct clinical interventions consistent with MST-EA principles and practices and the clinician’s professional scope of practice.
• Maintain timely, clear, accurate, and clinically appropriate documentation of assessments, treatment interventions, client progress, collateral contacts, safety planning, and other required services in accordance with agency policy, regulatory requirements, and MST-EA standards.
• Ensure documentation and clinical practice demonstrate adherence to the nine MST Principles and the MST Analytic Process and support ongoing supervisory, consultation, and quality assurance review.
• Collaborate with relevant systems and key participants, including family and natural supports, residential programs, behavioral health providers, schools, employers, child welfare partners, legal systems, and other community-based providers, as applicable, to maintain alignment throughout treatment.
• Coordinate with Cedar Knolls House and Kaplan House prior to and throughout the emerging adult’s transition from residential placement to support continuity of care and successful community reintegration.
• As program needs require, provide clinical support within Cedar Knolls House and Kaplan House, including assisting with Integrated Treatment Model (ITM) implementation, skills reinforcement, group or individual clinical interventions, and other clinical services consistent with the clinician’s scope of practice.
• Participate in all required MST-EA training, weekly supervision, consultation, therapist development activities, fidelity monitoring, and ongoing quality assurance processes.
• Participate in weekly program team meetings, case conferences, high-risk reviews, and other clinical or administrative meetings as required.
• Monitor client progress throughout treatment and coordinate transition and discharge planning with the emerging adult, natural supports, residential team, and other involved systems.
• Administer urine drug screens when clinically indicated and permitted by program policy to support assessment and monitoring of substance use and treatment progress.
• Complete other clinical and program responsibilities as assigned and consistent with the scope and needs of the MST-EA program.

CORE COMPETENCIES for the Position Include

• Commitment to recovery-oriented trauma-informed practice
• Embraces youth-guided family-driven care
• Promotes teamwork
• Takes initiative
• Liaise between department staff and middle managers/administration
• Good interpersonal communication and collaboration skills
• Solution Focused
• Uses Data to Inform & Guide Practice
• Values and Demonstrates Cultural Competency
• Values professional development and participation in clinical supervision and training

Educational/Training Required

Master’s degree in clinical or counseling Psychology, Social Work, or a related subject area required and a license in a counseling field (LMSW, LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, LCAT, etc); limited permit will be considered.

Experience Required/Language Preference

• Clinical experience working with transition-aged youth, emerging adults, and families with complex behavioral health, trauma, family, and community-based needs.
• Experience utilizing evidence-based and evidence-informed clinical interventions, including cognitive behavioral, behavioral, family systems, structural, strategic, functional, or solution-focused approaches.
• Experience engaging families, caregivers, significant others, and natural support networks in treatment.
• Experience providing home-based, community-based, residential, or other intensive behavioral health services strongly preferred.
• Experience assessing and addressing behaviors within the context of the emerging adult’s natural environment, including family, peer, school, employment, and community systems.
• Demonstrated ability to engage clients who may be difficult to engage, resistant to services, or who have experienced disruptions in treatment or service involvement.
• Experience conducting clinical assessments, treatment planning, safety and risk assessments, crisis intervention, and discharge or transition planning.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and external systems, including child welfare, behavioral health providers, schools, employers, community agencies, legal systems, and other service providers.
• Ability to provide services independently in home and community settings while maintaining appropriate clinical boundaries, documentation, communication, and safety practices.
• Experience implementing interventions across multiple systems that influence an emerging adult’s functioning, including family, peer, school, employment, and community environments.
• Experience with Multisystemic Therapy (MST), MST-EA, or another intensive evidence-based community treatment model preferred but not required.
• Previous experience working with child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, residential treatment, or similar systems preferred.
• Bilingual Spanish preferred

Computer Skills Required

Prior experience with electronic health records and Microsoft Office

Visual and Manual Dexierity

Able to read data and documents, including spreadsheets, reports and Electronic Health Records in printed form and on computer screens.

Able to input data into