Residential Programs Therapist

JOB TITLE

Residential Programs Therapist

Reports To:

Clinical Director

Location:

Arlington Heights, Illinois

Shelter Youth & Family Services provides emergency housing, community‑based services, and support for youth and families in crisis. Founded in 1975, we’ve grown into a leading voice for child welfare, human trafficking response, foster care innovation, and trauma‑informed care in Illinois. With a current budget of $10M and ambitious plans to grow to $15M, our mission is to end the cycle of abuse and neglect by providing safe, healthy, and stable lives for children and families.

Shelter Youth & Family Services is committed to providing safe, inclusive, and supportive resources for youth and families from all backgrounds and identities. We actively strive to create an environment that supports all employees, placing value in contributions from people from diverse backgrounds, and honoring all experiences, perspectives, and unique identities. Our mission is to protect children, strengthen families, and transform communities.

Joining us in this role will give you a chance to help fulfill that mission and help the community. Shelter and its facilities are drug and smoke‑free environments.

Learn more at shelter-inc.org.

Shelter Youth and Family Services encourages the application of all bilingual applicants to work with our client community. Applicants who can successfully certify their skill level in reading, speaking, and writing in two languages with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services may receive an additional salary stipend. Certification testing is set by DCFS.

The Residential Programs Therapist is responsible for the provision of client services to Shelter Youth and Family Services clients in the Emergency Shelters, Transitional Living Program (TLP), and young adults in the Youth Experiencing Homelessness (YEH) Program. In general, these include the provision of clinical services to youth and their families and other duties in compliance with the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services’ rules and regulations.

This position operates under the direction and supervision of the Clinical Supervisor, who is supervised by the Clinical Director.

• Provide trauma‑informed therapeutic services (TF-CBT, CBT, DBT) for clients within the Residential Programs.
• Deliver training to direct service staff as needed.
• Mentor interns within the emergency shelters.
• Attend Multidisciplinary Team Meetings every Wednesday at 10AM for each of the programs.
• Implement trauma‑informed programming for the clients in cooperation with the Clinical Supervisor.
• Manage a caseload of 12-15 clients and provide therapy groups once a week.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Clinical Supervisor.

• Provide individual therapy and group therapy to clients weekly.
• Provide psycho‑education and trauma‑informed therapeutic groups to clients and/or families based on interest and need.
• Facilitate the development, review, and modification of clients’ clinical treatment, discharge, and aftercare plans.
• Collaborate with case management teams to assess client needs, develop individualized treatment plans, and track progress.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and other systems (schools, DCFS, etc.) to support the client as clinically necessary.
• Promote a trauma‑informed and culturally sensitive approach to care, prioritizing safety, dignity, and well‑being of each client.

• Maintain compliance in documentation with all relevant licensing, accreditation, and legal requirements, including DCFS, COA, and Medicaid standards.
• Maintain comprehensive client records, adhering to the requirements set forth by funding entities, licensing regulations, and accreditation standards.
• Complete required documentation within 48 hours.

• Respond to crises or emergencies involving clients, providing immediate support and stabilization.
• Provide post‑crisis support to clients and staff as needed for debriefing and processing.
• Provide on‑call availability on a…