Floating Therapist

By joining the San Diego Center for Children, you will empower children and families through transformative mental health care and educational services. Our vision is to inspire a world where children and families live joyful, healthy lives. We serve over 1,000 people every day - are you ready to make an impact? Join us - and work with purpose! POSITION BENEFITSTeam-oriented, Multidisciplinary ApproachOngoing, High-Level Learning and Development Opportunities Culturally Diverse Environment Joint Commission Accredited Organization Comprehensive Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision, Pet)Retirement Savings Plan: 403(b) - With Employer Match Up To 3%Generous Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick Leave, Holidays)Wellness ProgramsEAP - Employee Assistance ProgramEmployee Discounts For Those Pursuing a Higher EducationEmployee DiscountsEmployee Recognition ProgramOpportunities for Career AdvancementMay Be Eligible For State or Federal Loan Forgiveness Programs For Work With Underserved PopulationsAll Offsite Programs Have a Bonus Structure SUMMARYThe Floating Therapist provides flexible, high-quality clinical services across the Academy and Residential programs, or other programs as assigned, to ensure continuity of care, coverage during staff vacancies, leaves, or high-acuity needs, and to support program stability. This role delivers trauma-informed, culturally responsive therapeutic services to children and adolescents with complex emotional, behavioral, and educational needs. The Floating Therapist collaborates closely with interdisciplinary teams, families, schools, and community providers to promote safety, healing, and long-term success. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (Other Duties May Be Assigned) Provide individual, group, and family therapy to youth in residential, academy or program assignedComplete assessments, case management, treatment plans, progress notes, and discharge summaries in compliance with agency policy, licensing, and regulatory requirementsParticipate in treatment team meetings, IEPs, and multidisciplinary case conferencesRespond to crisis situations and provide clinical intervention and stabilization support as neededEnsure continuity of care during staff absences, transitions, or increased program needsMaintain clinical documentation in accordance with Medi-Cal, CCL, and other funding or licensing requirementsOther duties as assigned Program Support & CollaborationCollaborate with residential staff, educators, case managers, psychiatrists, and administrationProvide clinical consultation to direct care staff and teachers regarding behavior support and treatment strategiesSupport implementation of behavior intervention plans and trauma-informed practicesAssist with onboarding or mentoring of new therapists as assignedSupport program compliance with audits, reviews, and quality assurance standards Professional ResponsibilitiesAdhere to all ethical standards and professional licensing requirementsMaintain confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA, FERPA, and agency policiesParticipate in supervision, trainings, and professional development trainingsRepresent the agency professionally with families, districts, and community partnersStay informed on best practices therapy, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based interventionsMaintain Board of Behavioral Health Registration & SDCC required trainings Flexibility & CoverageFloat between Academy, Residential, and other assigned programs based on organizational needsAdapt to varying schedules, caseloads, and clinical demandsMaintain consistent clinical standards across all assigned programsProvide temporary caseload coverage to prevent service gaps. On The Job Mandatory TrainingsMaintain all certifications and licenses required for the role, ensuring they remain currentComplete and stay up-to-date with all mandatory trainings as specified by the San Diego Center for Children, including but not limited to: Residential Counselor Training, Intervention Toolbox, CPR and First Aid Certification S.P.A. Certification, False Claims, HIPAA, Safety, Trauma Informed Care, Annual Block Trainings as assigned. Any trainings assigned. Restraint & Safety Training RequirementsApply Safe and Positive Approaches (SPA) restraint techniques, which may involve: Lifting or holding a child in standing, sitting, or ground-level positionsSeparating clients who are acting in an unsafe manner to ensure the safety of both clients and staffProlonged standing, bending, and transitioning youth from a standing to a seated position.Must pass a two-day SPA training that focuses on safely initiating a physical hold with youth presenting as a danger to themselves or othersIt is recommended that staff be able to support up to 50 pounds LANGUAGE SKILLSAbility to read, analyze, and interpret medical records, journals, reports, and legal documents; Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community; Ability to effectively present information to management and public groups; Ability to produce clear, concise, and clinically appropriate records. REASONING ABILITYAbility to read, analyze, and interpret medical records, journals, reports, and legal documents; Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community; Ability to effectively present information to management and public groups. PHYSICAL DEMANDSThe 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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to run, walk, sit and drive a vehicle. The employee must be able to move and/or lift a student when clinically necessary, and must be able to follow a student that AWOLs in a walking or running pace. Applying SPA restraint techniques can involve lifting the student, holding the student down in a standing, sitting or ground level manner, as well separating clients who are acting in an unsafe manner to ensure the safety for the clients and staff. Due to the emotional instability of the clients the employee may be subjected to kicking, hitting, punching, biting, hair pulling, etc. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. CRISIS INTERVENTION Address immediate emotional and behavioral concerns, including de-escalation and safety planningSupport students during crises and collaborate with staff to maintain a safe school environment WORK ENVIRONMENTThe work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. DIVERSITY STATEMENTThe San Diego Center for Children is committed to: Actively recruiting, retaining, and supporting diverse staff at all levels of the organizationEnsuring that diverse perspectives are included in the development and implementation of policies, practices and services, and that individuals feel empowered to advance our mission within an atmosphere of trust, safety, and respectEncourage and provide access to professional development in order to deliver equitable and culturally informed services to the population we serve MINIMUM REQUIREMENTSMust have a current license or pre-license number issued by the State of California oversight board for that license: ASW/LCSW, AMF, MFT/MFC, Psych Assistant, PhD or PsyD. LPCC/APCC may be considered with additional educational requirementsMaster's Degree from an accredited university in Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, or related fieldExperience working with children and adolescence in therapeutic settings, preferable within a school environment Strong case management skills and the ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team PREFERRED REQUIREMENTSBilingual in SpanishExperience and/or Training in Case ManagementExperience in a Residential setting and with multi-disciplinary teams.Experience working with CWS, adoptions and/or foster care youth and caregiversExperience working with the education system and with IEP's.Training/experience in the area of latency and adolescent age students and families is desired as is the knowledge of basic case management skills.Training in Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Trauma Focused CBT, and/or Family Engagement and Family Therapy.