Senior Therapist in Nashville, Tennessee at Oasis Center

LEVEL: V

JOB TITLE: Senior Therapist

PROGRAM AREA: Emergency Shelter Program

JOB OBJECTIVE: To provide direct clinical services to youth and families in the emergency shelter while supporting the overall clinical functioning of the space. This role delivers crisis intervention, assessment, and short-term counseling, while also influencing treatment planning, supporting staff and interns, and partnering with leadership to strengthen the clinical model within the shelter environment.

Direct Service

Essential Functions:

• Provide crisis intervention counseling services through the crisis phone line, walk-in support, and on-site shelter response
• Provide intake, assessment, and service planning for youth and families referred to the Shelter and Community-Based Counseling program
• Provide individual, family, and group counseling services for youth experiencing crisis and housing instability
• Maintain a clinically appropriate caseload, including direct service with shelter youth
• Support youth and families in conflict resolution, mediation, and stabilization
• Utilize trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and creative therapeutic approaches beyond traditional talk therapy
• Operate from a family systems approach to strengthen family engagement and connection
• Assist in the development and implementation of individualized service plans and discharge planning
• Engage in case conferencing with youth, case managers, and internal/external partners to support coordinated care
• Provide crisis response support in helping youth manage conflict with families, peers, and other relationships
• Conduct therapeutic groups including Multiple Family Group, Peace Circles, and other skill-building groups
• Participate in clinical on-call rotation, providing after-hours consultation, crisis response, and support for emergency situations
• Provide real-time clinical guidance to staff supporting youth in the shelter environment, including support with de-escalation, safety planning, and decision-making
• Support the overall clinical environment of the shelter by helping to shape and reinforce clinical practices, expectations, and interventions within a 24/7 setting
• Provide clinical support to agency youth as needed
• Transport clients as needed
• Complete additional related tasks as assigned

Administration

Essential Functions:

• Maintain consistent and timely records, including documentation required for licensing, funding, and agency standards (RHY, HMIS, etc.)
• Assist in preparation for monitoring visits by funding and licensing sources
• Partner with the Clinical Director and Emergency Shelter Director to inform clinical practice, program development, and implementation within the shelter
• Support onboarding, training, and ongoing development of clinical interns, including modeling best practices and supporting integration into the shelter environment
• Provide guidance, support, and informal coaching to staff and interns to strengthen clinical quality and consistency
• Participate in staff meetings, clinical supervision, and program development efforts
• Participate in the hiring process and onboarding of staff, as appropriate
• Participate in community education efforts to increase awareness of shelter services and youth crisis needs
• Serve on intra-agency committees when requested or representation is significant to the agency mission

Non-Essential Functions: Serve on related community committees when requested

Benefits:

Free Employee Only: HDHP

Vision, Dental, LTD

Employer HSA contribution

12 Paid Holidays

PTO

401K + up to 3% Match

Paid parental Leave

Minimal Requirements / Performance Standards:

• Strong capacity to form meaningful, caring, and affirming relationships with all young people, including LGBTQ+ youth
• Knowledge and ability to apply:
• Crisis intervention theory
• Behavior management techniques
• Basic counseling principles
• Group work theory
• Systems theory
• Adolescent and family development
• Ability to implement Positive Youth Development, Trauma-Informed Care, and evidence-informed practices
• Clear understanding of racial inequities and systemic barriers, with a commitment to operating from an anti-oppression, equity-centered framework
• Ability to deliver services through a low-barrier, youth-centered approach
• Ability to access and connect youth and families to community resources
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to use phone and computer-based systems for documentation and communication
• Demonstrated ability to support and guide interns or early-career clinicians
• Minimum of three (3) years of relevant clinical experience, including work with youth and families
• Active clinical licensure (LPC-MHSP, LCSW, LMFT, or equivalent) required or license-eligible with strong progress toward licensure

Educational Requirements: Master’s degree in a human services or related field (e.g., Counseling, Social Work, Psychology) from an accredited college or university.

Supervisor: Emergency Shelter Director

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The physical demands of this position may be reasonably accommodated for individuals with disabilities on a case-by-case basis.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and distance vision.

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position.

Oasis Center is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and is operated in accordance with a policy which does not permit discrimination because of race, color, sex, age, handicap, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.