Trauma-Informed Youth Therapist

Background: 

Joe Torre, together with his wife Ali, founded the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation in 2002 to end the cycle of violence and abuse through education, and to create a world where every young person feels safe, supported, and empowered.

Joe is known for his 60-year baseball career and as a nine-time All-Star, Hall of Famer, Broadcaster, Executive, and Manager of the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, Yankees, and Dodgers. But behind all the success was a hidden story—he grew up in an abusive home, carrying the pain of fear, isolation, and shame. As he came to terms with those experiences, he and Ali were moved to make sure no child felt alone the way he once did.

At the heart of Safe At Home is Margaret’s Place, named in honor of Joe’s mother. Margaret’s Place creates safe spaces inside schools offering healing, understanding, and empowerment. Through trauma-informed intervention and prevention services, every child learns what healthy relationships look like, how to care for themselves and each other, and how to support friends in need—so that they feel safer and braver at school, at home, and wherever they go.

This is a full-time, school-based position located at Riverview East Academy in Cincinnati, OH.  (Note: This position is funded by a grant. Employment is contingent upon the availability of grant funds, and the role may be terminated if the grant funding ends.)  

The Position: The school-based counselors/trauma-informed therapists are at the heart of the organization and provide a safer place to help children strengthen their resilience, ground them in the support of their communities, and underscore that the violence is not their fault.

Counselors will provide trauma-informed care, consultations, and training to school staff, families, and communities. Working under the supervision of a clinical supervisor, this position will provide an excellent opportunity for new social workers to obtain their clinical hours as well as valuable experience working with experts in the field. The position also offers the ability to work in both intervention and prevention, allowing counselors to develop a range of approaches and a more comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted impact of trauma.

The counselor must be a team player but also able to work independently. Approaching the job with an anti-oppressive lens, they must have multi-cultural humility and the ability to speak to a wide range of people with empathy and respect. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a passion for strengths-based youth empowerment work, exhibit creativity in their approach to challenges, and be self-motivated. Additionally, counselors will maintain the highest level of professionalism and ethical behavior.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Be physically present on the school campus when school is in session.
• Provide individual and group counseling to youth exposed to violence or abuse.
• Teach trauma education/violence prevention curriculum to youth.
• Develop, implement, and facilitate a weekly peer leadership group, peer leader-run events, and field trips, as needed.
• Develop and implement anti-violence campaigns and activities with peer leadership groups promoting healthy relationships and raising awareness about violence related issues.
• Provide outreach, referrals, and workshops for parents/legal guardians.
• Provide outreach, referrals, and training for staff and administration.
• Attend committee and staff meetings and develop and maintain relationships and collaborations with staff and administration.
• Participate in weekly individual and group supervision.
• Comply with the best practice standards for practice and documentation as per JTSAH and the state.
• Participate in and/or accommodate on-site program research, evaluation, and site visits.
• Participate in professional development related to job responsibilities and professional growth (e.g., clinical practice, adolescent development, navigating systems, etc.)

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Social Work from an accredited institution, or a related field.
• Active, unrestricted license conferred by the Ohio Counselor and Social Work Board.
• Experience working with children and adolescents. 
• Solid understanding of interpersonal violence (e.g., intimate partner violence, teen relationship abuse, child abuse, etc.) and trauma-informed principles and practice. 
• Strong counseling and crisis intervention skills. 
• Solid understanding of violence prevention work, preferred. 
• Experience with workshop and/or group facilitation. 
• Experience with school-based programming preferred. 
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with others. 
• A strong commitment to providing anti-racist, culturally sensitive services, as well as a knowledge of systemic issues. 
• Ability to be creative in engaging youth individually and in large groups. 
• Ability to work independently and maintain flexibility for working in a demanding school environment. 
• Ideal candidates will demonstrate a passion for strengths-based, youth empowerment work; will exhibit creativity in their approach of job tasks and challenges; and will be self- motivated. 
• Exhibit professional and ethical behavior. 
• Present with the emotional capability to engage youth in conversations pertaining to violence, trauma, and traumatization, and to engage resources/supports outside of work to appropriately manage emotional wellness. 
• Solid understanding of, or connection to, the community, preferred.