Mental Health Counselor, IICAPS

Family & Children’s Agency (FCA) is a nonprofit human service organization that is committed to increasing the social and emotional well-being of our clients – people throughout Fairfield County. Our Agency builds better lives by offering more than 30 programs that meet needs across all ages, delivering services to more than 13,000 people each year. Our clients reside primarily in Norwalk, Wilton, Darien, Westport, Weston, New Canaan, Stamford, and Greenwich. Our Home Care and Foster Care programs provide assistance to residents throughout Fairfield County, and the Adoption program is both nationwide and international.

Our Mission is to partner with individuals, families, organizations and communities to build better lives.

• FCA is proud to currently offer a hybrid working model to our employees.
• Employees enjoy a wide array of benefits that make up our competitive compensation package.
• We are proud to offer generous employer contributions to our medical plans, continued education credits offered at no cost, annual tuition reimbursement stipend, employer paid Life & LTD policies, FSA and Dependent Care, 401K with a match and safe harbor contribution and a generous vacation and time off policy to include Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth!
• We also offer employee discounts to multiple organizations, events and your cell phone plan.
• Our benefits don't stop there - we offer an EAP program, paid for CEUs and clinical supervision, summer Fridays and employee appreciation events along with wellness incentives and challenges!
• This position is also eligible for the public service loan forgiveness program.

The purpose of the IICAPS program is to provide home and/or community-based services for families in the greater Norwalk area who are experiencing crisis due to issues related to a child’s mental health issues. A full-time IICAPS Mental Health Counselor position is available in our intensive in-home psychiatric program (IICAPS) for emotionally disturbed children/adolescents and their families.

• The Mental Health Counselor will carry a caseload of 8-10 families at a time providing intensive clinical strength-based in-home treatment for families in the greater Norwalk/Stamford area. Work with a partner (clinician) to provide crisis stabilization supports in an attempt to stabilize family units designed to prevent psychiatric hospitalizations for the child/adolescent or to support families upon the return home of a child from such a placement.
• Establish a trusting, supportive strength-based relationship with family members through direct contact in the context of 2x or more weekly home visits, phone contact and assistance in times of crisis.
• Work as part of the treatment team with the assigned clinician and interact with other service providers as appropriate.
• Assist clinician in developing with the family a treatment plan, which will help the family improve understanding of their child’s challenges, while helping to strengthen parenting of a child with psychiatric problems, and accessing community services
• Provide case management, interfacing with schools, other providers, probation officers, etc. as needed.
• Accompany parents to appointments, such as school meetings, as needed
• Attend case rounds weekly.
• Participate in weekly clinical supervision and bi-weekly staff meetings.
• Maintain a caseload of up to 8-10 cases.
• Expected to maintain client records in a timely manner (within same week of service) and submit necessary data to Yale via web-based system and/or other means on time. It is expected that 18 hours of direct/indirect service will be provided per week per staff member.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field and experience/interest in family systems, mental health issues and children/adolescents.
• Must have awareness of the cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients served
• Must be able to work with diverse populations and be willing to provide home based supports.
• Demonstrate maturity, professionalism and self-awareness, a non-judgmental attitude, the ability to deal with resistance and rejection, cultural competency and the ability to work independently as well as part of a team.