Reconnection Hub Therapist - Central States SER

Description

About Enlace Chicago:

Enlace Chicago convenes, organizes, and strengthens the capacity of stakeholders across Little Village to confront systemic inequities and expand access to economic and social opportunity. For more than 35 years, Enlace has served as a trusted community anchor—championing opportunity, improving lives, and building partnerships that drive lasting change.

Through our work, we advance community health, protect human rights, empower futures, promote safety, and foster resilience for families throughout Little Village. Our core departments—Education, Community Safety, Mental Health, Community Health, and Immigration & Advocacy—deliver critical, culturally responsive services that uplift and support the strength and dignity of our community

Position Overview:

As a member of the Enlace Chicago Mental Health Services Team, the Reconnection Hub Therapist (RHT) is responsible for providing time-limited, goal-directed and solution-focused individual and group therapy tailored to the client’s needs at our partner agency, Central States SER. Central States SER promotes economic self-sufficiency and upward mobility for low-income community residents through education and employment. The RHT will support referred youth 16 - 24 years of age facing additional barriers to education and employment due to mental health concerns, including trauma, by providing a safe space to receive the mental behavioral health counseling they need. By supporting the healing necessary, the RHT will help these individuals prepare for and succeed in education and employment opportunities. The RHT spends 80% of their time on site at Central States SER and 20% at an Enlace Chicago site. As an essential member of the Enlace Chicago Mental Health Services Team the RHT participates in weekly individual supervision and biweekly group clinical supervision.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide individual and group therapy services to individuals referred for services to a wide array of participant presentations across the behavioral health spectrum.
• Plan, coordinate, and implement treatment services and other clinical activities for identified clients, while being aware of cultural, ethnic, and environmental differences.
• Responsible for supporting the increase of staff capacity to implement trauma-informed and culturally-informed practices cross departmental and for partner agencies through consultation and facilitation of professional development workshops.
• Participate in regularly scheduled case consultation and debrief meetings with other providers to ensure continuity of care
• Maintain required case notes and documentation on services rendered and perform other administrative duties, as required by the agency or funders.
• Collaborate with Central States SER staff and partners to make referrals to resources that meet critical needs, including food, educational opportunities, immigrants' rights, tenants' rights, and housing or clothing assistance.
• Build and maintain relationships with local organizations, leaders, and affiliates.
• Facilitate workshops for community members on topics related to mental health.
• Provide leadership and advocacy in the areas of clinical practice, education, health services, program evaluation, program development, and training.
• Ability to travel to local sites to engage participants or collaborate with various organizations and teams.

Core Competencies:

Mental Health Expertise

• Extensive knowledge of mental health conditions and best practices for psychological treatment and familiarity with privacy, health and safety laws.
• Well-developed listening and interview skills to explore client needs and administer treatment plans.
• Strong oral communication skills to counsel and advise clients.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills to develop effective treatment plans.
• Organization skills to maintain up-to-date, easy-to-navigate client files.

Ethical and Professional Conduct:

• Adhere to ethical guidelines set by the professional code of conduct.
• Maintain confidentiality and respect client privacy.
• Recognize and manage potential ethical conflicts in practice.

Cultural Competency:

• Demonstrate awareness and understanding of diverse cultures, identities, and experiences.
• Effectively work with clients from various backgrounds, including consideration of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.
• Interpersonal sensitivity to cultural and environmental differences found in individuals from a high risk community.

Communication and Collaboration:

• Establish rapport and build trust with clients through active listening and empathetic communication.
• Collaborate with other professionals (e.g., medical providers, educators, community agencies) to coordinate client care.
• Clearly document client interactions and progress in agency electronic health records.

Emotional Intelligence:

• The ability to recognize and understand your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This includes understanding how your behavior impacts others.
• The ability to understand other people's feelings and see things from their point of view.
• The ability to effectively manage and respond to an emotional experience. Exhibit consistent ability to stay calm and composed in challenging situations.
• Ability to communicate and interact effectively with others in a social context.

Advocacy and Social Justice:

• Understand and advocate for clients' rights and needs within the healthcare system and community.
• Engage in policy advocacy to promote social justice and address systemic barriers.

Professional Development:

• Participate in ongoing continuing education to maintain licensure and stay current with best practices.
• Seek supervision and consultation to enhance clinical skills and address complex cases.

Requirements

Required Knowledge and Experience:

• A Master's degree in Social Work, Clinical Psychology, Marriage And Family, Forensic Psychology, Criminal Justice and/or other related fields, required.
• 1-2 years of counseling/social work experience.
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) highly desirable
• Must have access to reliable transportation to perform essential job functions.
• Connection to the Little Village community is preferred.
• Ability to speak/write/read in English/Spanish is highly desirable

Ability to:

• Work independently, plan and effectively organize tasks and projects.
• Show openness to learning; regularly seeing challenges and change as opportunities to learn and adjust
• Adapt/ability to organizational change
• Act as a role model for others throughout the organization on matters of professionalism.

Compensation: The salary range for this position annually is between $60,000 and $65,000. Salary is commensurate with experience in addition to the generous benefits package listed below.

Benefits:

• Health benefits. Enlace Chicago offers you and your family access to a low-cost comprehensive health care plan, which includes medical (Bluecross Blue Shield), dental (Guardian), and vision (VSP) coverage.
• Enlace Chicago also provides life insurance coverage and short-term and long-term disability insurance at no cost to you with options of additional coverage.
• Retirement program. Enlace Chicago offers a voluntary 403(B) plan which begins at a 1% contribution. Enrollment is available after a 90-day grace period beginning on the first day of employment. An enrollment packet will be mailed to you.
• Paid time off. You will receive 96 hours of Upon Hire hours, which will be prorated depending on your start date. After your 3rd month, you will accrue 3.33 hours per pay period or a total of 6.66 per month . All vacation days are considered above and beyond the approved holiday schedule. Enlace has 12 paid holidays with a Holiday week between Christmas and New Year’s Day that will not be deducted from your PTO.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion:

At Enlace Chicago, we are deeply committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where all voices are heard and valued. We believe that diverse perspectives are essential to addressing the complex social challenges we seek to solve, and we strive to create a culture that promotes belonging, respect, and opportunity for all. Our mission is rooted in uplifting the stories of those who have been historically marginalized, and we actively work to ensure that our programs, partnerships, and workplace reflect these values. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and encourage candidates who share our passion for social justice, equity, and inclusion to apply.

Enlace Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Deadline for submission: Open until filled.