Mental Health Therapist (LCSW, LPC, LMFT) - Full Time [Licensed or Associate] at Catholic Charities of Central Colorado, Inc. – Colorado Springs, Colorado

Mental Health Therapist (LCSW, LPC, LMFT) – Full Time

Licensed or Unlicensed

Catholic Charities of Central Colorado is seeking a Full-Time Mental Health Therapist to provide trauma-informed, evidence-based counseling to clients – individuals, children, and families. Clinicians deliver high-quality therapeutic services addressing a range of issues including depression, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, and marital conflict, as well as providing court-ordered therapy in cases involving relinquishment of parental rights.

We are looking for a compassionate, culturally responsive clinician experienced in serving vulnerable and diverse populations. Caseload expectations include approximately 20 client contact hours per week, plus care coordination and clinical documentation in a collaborative, mission-driven team environment.

Position Details

• Full-time, 40 hours/week, Monday–Friday, in person
• Exempt (fully licensed) | Non-exempt (pre-licensed)
• Salary: $54,000–$72,000 annually (based on licensure and experience)

Why Join Catholic Charities?

• Purpose-driven work serving vulnerable populations
• Clinical leadership support and peer collaboration
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• ~17 paid holidays + 15 days Discretionary Time Off (increases with tenure)
• Pension plan (6% employer contribution) + 403(b)
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer

If you are a mission-driven therapist committed to strengthening individuals and families in our community, we encourage you to apply.

Qualifications

Education

• Master’s degree in a behavioral health field (Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, etc.) is required.

Licensure

• This job is open to candidates, licensees, and certificate holders
• Active licenses must be in good standing in the State of Colorado (LCSW, LMFT, LPC, LMFT-C, or LPC-C). All licenses and certifications must be maintained as a condition of employment.

Experience

Preferred, but not required:

• Bilingual in English and Spanish is a plus
• Experience providing therapy to children, families, and couples is a plus
• Experience in trauma-focused therapy is a plus
• EMDR training is a plus.

Essential Duties

• Completes comprehensive assessments for intake diagnostics, safety and risk management, and treatment planning that are strengths based and culturally inclusive of client preferences.
• Effectively develops and communicates treatment recommendations to clients that are grounded in diagnostic evidence and measured by clinical outcome tools.
• Delivers expert, quality, and transparent individual, group and family therapy that is evidence based and outcomes informed, based on scope of practice.
• Provides treatment involving clients as co-owners of their treatment plans and driving care based on and measured by client feedback about quality of care, therapeutic rapport, and status of symptoms.
• Develops and implements treatment plans providing a variety of behavioral health referrals and defining goals and objectives which determine the need for social, behavioral, medical, and/or psychological services.
• Engages at-risk clients with strategic safety planning and de-escalation, stabilization techniques.
• Develops safety plans that balance risk assessment with client strengths, support systems, and supervisor feedback, as needed. Completes all crisis-related documentation in a clear, comprehensive, and timely fashion.
• Ensures all clinical documentation is completed in a timely manner, meets quality standards, and maintains compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Efficiently manages time to provide approximately 20 hours of client contact per week.
• Demonstrates multicultural awareness and sensitivity to client treatment preferences.
• Utilizes client feedback mechanisms to assess treatment progress, level of motivation, treatment preferences, and recommends treatment modalities by balancing these factors in clinically appropriate ways.
• Provides relinquishment therapy for court ordered DHS clients who are in the process of relinquishing parental rights including preparation of legal paperwork, such as affidavits and exhibits for relinquishment of parental rights.
• Facilitates referrals to specialty mental health services and supports smooth transitions from specialty mental health services to primary care.
• Connects clients with external mental health resources to increase their level of care if their condition is not improving.
• Provides staff and community training on social-emotional development and mental health topics.
• Provides group and individual consultations to staff and community partners.
• Actively participates in all required agency meetings and in-service training sessions.

Competencies

• Comfortable with and experienced in serving low-income and culturally diverse clients with mental health issues, substance abuse issues, and chronic health conditions.
• Knowledgeable about social issues such as poverty, mental illness, gender bias, racism, domestic violence, substance abuse, child maltreatment prevention, and cultural diversity.
• Familiarity with therapy and social work theories and practices sufficient to fulfill the job duties effectively.
• Possesses training and/or formal education, and considerable experience in providing trauma-informed care and employing a holistic approach to service delivery.
• Experienced in conducting intake interviews, proficient in identifying and assessing client strengths as well as mental health issues and concerns.
• Capable of establishing rapport, building trust, and maintaining effective professional relationships with clients, enabling their learning and growth.
• Able to empower and motivate clients, and to advocate on their behalf.
• Able to be present and create a safe space during intense emotional situations, gently confronting difficult client behaviors and making prompt decisions in the best interest of clients.
• Maintains up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge of community resources (such as mental health services, substance misuse services, reentry services), and demonstrates the ability to collaborate effectively with other agencies to receive and make referrals.
• Possesses management and organizational skills necessary to ensure timely completion of all clinical documentation within electronic health records, meeting quality standards in compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Demonstrates complex problem-solving skills and experience in de-escalating conflicts or situations requiring rapid response.

Requirements

• Demonstrates sensitivity to issues involving individuals who have experienced homelessness and/or other trauma.
• Possesses the ability to work with people in crisis with a calming and positive attitude.
• The job scope necessitates critical thinking and analytical skills that prioritize empathy, compassion, decisive judgement, and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrates ability to apply culturally appropriate skills in interactions with clients, co-workers, volunteers, partner agencies, and other community members.
• Excellent communication (verbal and written), problem-solving, listening, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to form and maintain positive work relationships.
• Maintains confidentiality of privileged, personal, and private information.
• Capable of forming and maintaining positive work relationships.
• Possesses a valid driver’s license.
• Ability and willingness to work within the established structure of Catholic Charities.
• Availability for occasional evenings and weekends to accommodate meetings and special events.

Work Environment

• A majority of the assigned duties are performed in an office environment.
• The employee is subject to both inside and outside environmental conditions.
• Reasonable accommodation can be provided to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions of this position.

This description is not intended, and should not be construed, to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the principal job elements essential for making compensation decisions.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The salary for this position is $54,000 - $72,000 annually. Salary is determined based on the applicant’s incoming licensure, skills and experience, and the budget at time of hiring.

Position Classification & Schedule

• Exempt (fully licensed) | Non-exempt (associate/pre-licensed)
• Full Time, 40 hours/week, Monday - Friday, in person
• Occasional evenings and weekends are required to accommodate meetings, and special events.

Benefits

• Paid Leave
  • 17 paid holidays annually (approximate, depending on calendar year)
  • 15 days of Discretionary Time Off (DTO) during your first year, increasing with seniority according to policy.
  • Spiritual Enrichment (2 hours monthly)
  • Your Birthday!
• Health & Wellness Benefits Options
  • Medical Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • $2,000 Dependent Life Insurance for spouse and each eligible child
• Income Protection
  • Short-term Disability Insurance after 30 days of employment
  • Long-term Disability Insurance after 6 months of employment
  • Workers’ Compensation Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • $50,000 Term Life/AD&D (accidental death & dismemberment) Insurance
• Retirement Benefits
  • Pension Plan (6% of wages plus interest) with 20% vesting after each year of service
  • 403(b) Tax Deferred Annuities (TDAs)
• Other: We are a qualified Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer

Equal Employment Opportunity

Catholic Charities is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis of age 40 and over, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and length, protective hairstyles), color, national origin or ancestry, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, creed, national origin, pregnancy, childbirth or any related conditions, disability, marital status, military status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This prohibition includes unlawful harassment based on any of these protected classes. Unlawful harassment includes verbal or physical conduct which has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

Applicants and employees need not be Catholic. However, all employees are governed by Canon Law or the teachings of the Catholic Church.

*This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your I-9 Form information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.*