Associate Clinican

POSITION SUMMARY

California Teen Center is seeking an Associate Clinician to provide individual and family therapy and co-facilitate adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) groups in person and/or virtually. This position is appropriate for a California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT), Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW), or Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) who is working toward independent licensure.

The Associate Clinician provides developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed behavioral health services under the supervision of a qualified licensed clinical supervisor.

The position offers opportunities to develop advanced clinical skills in adolescent mental health, individual and family therapy, therapeutic group co-facilitation, assessment, treatment planning, risk assessment and safety planning, clinical documentation, care coordination, telehealth services, and interdisciplinary treatment.

This is a part-time position with hours per week ranging from 10-15, depending on business needs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Associate Clinician will:

• Provide individual psychotherapy to adolescents and other assigned clients within the clinician's legal scope of practice, competence, and supervision.
• Provide family therapy, caregiver sessions, and family-focused interventions when clinically appropriate and within the clinician's scope of practice.
• Co-facilitate adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) therapeutic groups in person and/or virtually, as assigned, in collaboration with other clinical and program staff.
• Assist with the delivery of structured, evidence-informed therapeutic groups, including psychoeducation, coping skills, emotional-regulation skills, interpersonal and communication skills, process-oriented activities, and other interventions consistent with the adolescent's individualized treatment plan and Teen Center IOP curriculum.
• Support and maintain a safe, respectful, inclusive, developmentally appropriate, and therapeutically structured group environment.
• Monitor participant engagement, behavior, emotional presentation, group dynamics, and safety during IOP groups and promptly communicate clinical or safety concerns to the appropriate licensed clinician, Clinical Director, or designated clinical supervisor.
• Participate in pre-group planning and post-group consultation or debriefing when indicated and seek clinical supervision or consultation regarding group dynamics, risk concerns, treatment needs, scope-of-practice questions, or other clinical issues.
• For virtual IOP services, follow Teen Center telehealth policies and procedures related to participant location verification, privacy and confidentiality, emergency contacts, safety response, technology disruptions, and unexpected participant disconnection.
• Complete or contribute to required group documentation, attendance records, treatment-plan coordination, and other documentation associated with IOP services in accordance with Teen Center policies and applicable requirements.
• Complete clinical assessments and contribute to diagnostic formulation, treatment planning, treatment-plan reviews, and discharge planning.
• Develop individualized and measurable treatment goals in collaboration with clients and families.
• Utilize evidence-informed interventions appropriate to each client's developmental level, diagnosis, presenting needs, treatment goals, and level of care.
• Assess and respond to suicide risk, self-harm, abuse or neglect concerns, violence risk, substance-use concerns, and other clinical safety issues in accordance with Teen Center policies and supervisory direction.
• Develop and review individualized safety plans when clinically indicated.
• Complete accurate and timely clinical documentation in accordance with Teen Center policies, payer requirements, professional standards, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Provide appropriate coordination of care with parents/guardians, treatment-team members, psychiatric providers, schools, community providers, and other authorized parties.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality and obtain required authorizations before disclosing protected information.
• Participate in treatment-team meetings, case consultation, utilization review, quality-improvement activities, and other clinical meetings as assigned.
• Maintain appropriate professional and therapeutic boundaries with clients and families.
• Fulfill mandated-reporting responsibilities in accordance with California law and Teen Center policy.
• Participate consistently in required clinical supervision and seek consultation whenever a clinical situation exceeds the Associate Clinician's scope, competence, or experience.
• Participate in required staff training, professional-development activities, and competency assessments.
• Perform other clinically appropriate responsibilities consistent with the clinician's registration, scope of practice, and Teen Center program needs.

CLINICAL SUPERVISION

California Teen Center provides access to qualified clinical supervision for Associate Clinicians working toward independent California licensure.

Individual and group supervision may be provided based on BBS requirements, clinical needs, direct clinical services performed, hours worked, and organizational scheduling.

Associate Clinicians are expected to actively participate in supervision, prepare individual, family, and group cases for consultation, respond appropriately to supervisory feedback, and promptly seek consultation regarding risk, ethical concerns, mandated reporting, scope-of-practice questions, group dynamics, or complex clinical presentations.

Each Associate Clinician is responsible for maintaining an active BBS registration and collaborating with their clinical supervisor to ensure that supervision and experience documentation required for licensure is completed appropriately.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates must:

• Possess the graduate degree required for their respective California clinical licensure pathway.
• Hold a current and active California BBS associate registration as one of the following:
• Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT)
• Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW)
• Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC)
• Maintain their BBS registration in good standing and without restrictions or limitations that would prevent performance of the position's assigned clinical duties.
• Be eligible to practice under appropriate clinical supervision and accrue supervised professional experience when applicable.
• Demonstrate foundational competency in behavioral health assessment, treatment planning, psychotherapy, documentation, confidentiality, professional ethics, and mandated reporting.
• Demonstrate the ability to establish therapeutic rapport with adolescents and families.
• Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively within individual, family, group, and interdisciplinary treatment settings.
• Demonstrate willingness and ability to receive clinical feedback and appropriately utilize supervision.
• Complete required employment, credentialing, background, training, and onboarding requirements.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience, education, or training in one or more of the following is preferred:

• Adolescent behavioral health
• Individual psychotherapy
• Family therapy
• Adolescent therapeutic group facilitation or co-facilitation
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), or other structured behavioral health services
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Motivational Interviewing (MI)
• Trauma-informed care
• Suicide-risk assessment and safety planning
• Crisis intervention
• Substance-use and co-occurring disorders
• Working collaboratively with parents and caregivers
• Telehealth behavioral health services and/or virtual therapeutic groups

PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS

Associate Clinicians are expected to demonstrate professionalism, reliability, sound clinical judgment, cultural responsiveness, appropriate professional boundaries, respect for client autonomy, and a commitment to adolescent- and family-centered care.

Clinicians must practice within the legal scope of their respective BBS registration, training, competence, and supervisory relationship.

Associate Clinicians are expected to promptly seek supervisory consultation whenever there is uncertainty regarding client safety, scope of practice, mandated reporting, ethical responsibilities, diagnosis, treatment decisions, group dynamics or participant safety, or level-of-care needs.

COMPENSATION AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS

The position is compensated at $45.00 per hour.

This position does not include employer-sponsored benefits. Legally required wages, paid sick leave, expense reimbursement, workers' compensation, and other employment protections or benefits required by applicable law are not excluded by this designation.

Employment with California Teen Center is at will. Either the employee or the Teen Center may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without advance notice and with or without cause, subject to applicable law.

Nothing contained in this job description creates an employment contract or modifies the at-will nature of employment.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

California Teen Center provides equal employment opportunities in accordance with applicable federal and California law. Employment decisions are based on legitimate organizational needs, position requirements, qualifications, and performance.

Pay: $45.00 per hour

Expected hours: 10.0 – 15.0 per week

Work Location: Remote