Child and Adolescent Clinician at Domestic Violence Organization

Child and Adolescent Clinician

Do you thrive on collaborative trauma-informed approaches to providing clinical support to children and adolescents? Are you seeking a role where you can support survivors of domestic violence?

Transition House is hiring a Child and Adolescent Clinician. They have retained Riverwalker Talent for this search.

Location: Cambridge, MA (Central Square) - On-site position

Reports To: Clinical Director

Job Type: Full-time, 35 hours/week (35-hour work week with 1 hour unpaid lunch)

Schedule: Monday-Friday, 11am-7pm or 12pm-8pm; on-site role with some flexibility of hours and one day WFH; no weekends.

Salary: $69,000-$75,000

About Transition House:

Transition House’s mission is to end domestic violence and create communities where survivors can live in safety and thrive. Transition House has been providing holistic and innovative support since 1976.

Our greatest asset is our employees, encompassing a variety of origins, concepts, viewpoints, and life journeys. We've established a diverse and inclusive atmosphere filled with individuals who share a common purpose. Our leadership is characterized by openness, approachability, genuineness, and a commitment to nurturing our staff.

Transition House values diverse life experience and is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Bilingual/bicultural applicants, survivors of domestic violence, persons of color, people with disabilities and GLBTQI people are strongly encouraged to apply. Find out more about us

About the Role - A day in the life:

As a Child and Adolescent Clinician, you will be an expert on children as primary survivors of domestic violence, providing specialized trauma-focused therapeutic counseling using different modalities such as play and talk therapy, as well as parent support grounded in deep knowledge of attachment theory, child development, and trauma.

In this role, you will:

• Play a pivotal role in illuminating the unique needs of child domestic violence survivors and directly supporting their healing & recovery

• Skillfully support healthy attachment and communication within families, responding flexibly to shifting client needs and presentations

• Work collaboratively with direct service staff across Emergency Shelter, Long-Term Housing, and Community Support programs

• Provide counseling in formal and informal settings—office spaces, home visits, community locations, and shelter environments

• Navigate between shared office space at the main admin building, a specially designed play therapy area, and therapeutic space in the emergency shelter

• Receive weekly clinical supervision to process challenges and insights, plus regular programmatic supervision for team collaboration

What a typical week might include:

• Individual play therapy and talk therapy sessions with children and adolescents

• Co-facilitating parenting groups for survivors

• Collaborative intakes and case planning with shelter and housing staff

• Supporting families at IEP meetings or DCF appointments

• Providing consultation to staff on trauma-informed responses

• Planning and participating in family events (movie nights, seasonal outings, celebrations)

• Clinical documentation and care coordination

Duties & Responsibilities:

Direct Client Support:

• Conduct comprehensive assessments of children or adolescents.

• Provide long term and brief counseling to children & teens in accordance with trauma informed best practice for domestic violence.

• Develop and deliver differentiated models of counselin g for child survivors, including longer term models and brief post-incident crisis oriented models; liaise or bridge with collateral providers when appropriate.

• Provide parenting support and consultation to parents, guardians, grounded in deep knowledge of development, trauma, the rich emotional life of children, family and community dynamics, and the intersection of all of these areas.

• Collaboratively conduct intakes with direct service staff to evaluate child and family needs and goals; develop service plans, coordinate trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate support services.

• Provide or coordinate children specific workshops or groups.

• Work closely with Program Directors to ensure trauma informed spaces especially in residential programs are suitable to the needs of children.

Parenting Support and Resources:

• Coordinate and co-facilitate psychoeducational parenting groups for survivors of domestic violence that offers a safe and supportive space for parents to share experiences, learn from each other, and acquire new parenting skills.

• Provide parenting support and consultation to parents/guardians, grounded in deep knowledge of development, trauma, the rich emotional life of children, family and community dynamics, and the intersection of all of these areas.

• Continuously research, curate, and share parenting resources to clients, including information on child development, positive discipline techniques, managing challenging behaviors, co-parenting strategies, and promoting healthy family communication.

• Develop and maintain a robust network of external parenting support groups and specialized resources within the community.

Advocacy: Education, Court, and DCF Support:

• Assist families with Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings.

• Attend and offer support and advocacy for court hearings.

• Provide comprehensive DCF support to parents, including preparing for and attending DCF meetings, clarifying processes and rights, helping parents understand and comply with mandated case plans, and advocating for family well-being and reunification

Clinical Referrals:

• Help families identify and connect with appropriate external youth or adolescent clinicians when necessary.

• Match children and adolescents to other long term support post their exits and transition from the residential programs.

• Maintain and sustain a referral network of mental health, health, social service, substance abuse and domestic violence resources relevant for parents, guardians and children.

Training and Partnerships:

• Develop and provide occasional training to internal volunteers, PALS (playspace volunteers) and staff, as well as community service providers and early childhood educators.

• Provide clinical guidance to volunteers facilitating children’s play spaces as necessary.

• Supporting agency staff in the planning, coordination, and execution of engaging family and youth events throughout the year. (Movie nights, self-care evenings, seasonal outings like apple picking, and holiday celebrations)

Additional Responsibilities:

• Maintain confidential and up-to-date records on each participant in a confidential database- EmpowerDB, and in accordance with agency and license protocols.

• Supervise mental health interns seeking child focused specialization, when relevant.

• Familiarize oneself with benefits, and other resources in Cambridge and Somerville areas.

• Familiarize oneself with statewide resources and trends for supporting survivors of domestic violence.

• Attend agency and external training as often as possible, minimum 3 per quarter.

• Participate in statewide and coalition initiatives to develop, enhance, and incorporate best practice program models for supporting children and their families.

Qualifications

Required:

• Master's degree and licensure in counseling or social work (LCSW, LICSW, LMHC, or LMFT)

  • Candidates with LCSW or LMHC credentials who need supervision hours toward full licensure are encouraged to apply—supervision can be provided

• Fluency in English both verbal and written.

• Personal commitment to the mission, work and values of Transition House.

• 3-5 years of direct service experience working with marginalized people including individuals who are experiencing homelessness, mental illness, substance use, or domestic violence.

• Demonstrated experience sustaining therapeutic relationships with culturally and linguistically diverse multi-stressed families.

• Familiarity with children who have experienced trauma and/or children in shelter settings, and sensitivity to and skill in navigating the dynamics of child rearing in congregate settings.

• Self-motivation, cultural humility, respect and value of diversity, belief in client autonomy, and ability to work collaboratively and constructively with others while maintaining healthy boundaries.

• Ability to balance competing priorities efficiently, such as agency and program requirements and client needs, treatment expectations and individual autonomy, reporting requirements and maintaining client trust.

• Ability to initiate, develop, and sustain strong collaborations with colleagues and providers from multiple external community organizations.

• High level of proficiency with Google Suite, ZOOM, and Microsoft Office Suite

• Ability to climb stairs frequently and move items up to 30 pounds unassisted.

• Ability to communicate effectively and creatively with adults and children of varying ages.

We'd Love to See:

• Fluency in one or more of the following languages: Spanish, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Amharic, & Portuguese (additional compensation provided)

• Specialized training in evidence-based child trauma modalities

• Experience with childhood education and development

• Experience working with children in shelter settings or congregate care environments

• Experience facilitating psychoeducational groups

• Familiarity with DCF systems, processes, and IEP advocacy

• Experience supervising graduate students or interns

What We Offer:

• Salary Range: $69,000-75,000 annually, great benefits package, professional development opportunities, empowering supervisor, and opportunities for growth.

  • Clinical supervision toward independent licensure

• Schedule: Mon-Fri - 11am-7pm or 12pm-8pm, with some flexibility and 1 day WFH. No weekends.

• Hybrid: 4 days in the office, 1 day remote

• Location: Cambridge, MA (Central Square)

• Type: Full-time, exempt, with one-hour lunch break

• Reports To: Clinical Director

• Opportunity to work in a collaborative and mission-driven organization where your ideas and expertise are valued.

Comprehensive benefits package includes health, and dental, retirement plan, and paid time off. Transition House provides ongoing weekly supervision, and opportunities for all staff to participate in education and training regularly throughout the year.

It is our policy to complete a Criminal Offense Record Information (CORI) background check prior to hire. Findings will not automatically disqualify candidates.

Transition House values diverse life experience and is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Bilingual/bicultural applicants, survivors of domestic violence, persons of color, people with disabilities and GLBTQI people are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply:

Transition House is partnering with Riverwalker Talent (formerly Jessye Kass Consulting) for this search. Instead of a cover letter, applicants will be asked to answer the following short-answer questions and upload their resume:

1. How do your experiences and values align with our work supporting children and families impacted by domestic violence? What draws you to the mission of Transition House?

2. Flexibility is essential in this role—you might provide therapy in a play therapy room one hour and in a family's shelter room the next. How does your therapeutic approach adapt to different settings, and what do you see as the benefits and challenges of working in non-traditional spaces?

3. This role involves navigating multiple systems and making referrals for families—schools, DCF, healthcare providers, legal services, and community resources. Share a specific example of a time when you helped a child or family access resources or navigate a complex system. What barriers did you encounter, and how did you address them?

4. I have read the job description and can confirm I am available for either the 11am-7pm shift or the 12pm-8pm and have a Masters degree and licensure in counseling or social work. (Yes/No)

If you have any accessibility issues, need accommodations, or have questions, please contact Jessye Kass Karlin at [email protected]

No phone calls, please.

Transition House’s mission is to end domestic violence in our community. To learn more about us: