Youth and Family Counselor

About Us:

Lighthouse MI is a growing non‑profit, established in 2019 when Lighthouse of Oakland County and South Oakland Shelter joined forces to offer a stronger collective response to poverty in our Metro Detroit community. With over 80 years of combined experience, Lighthouse serves as a beacon of hope to our neighbors who need it most by offering assistance with emergency basic needs alongside housing programs and supportive services designed to support long‑term economic stability.

Lighthouse owns and operates Spero Housing Group, a subsidiary non‑profit dedicated specifically to developing and operating high quality affordable and supportive housing for persons of low and moderate income, as well as Hand Up, a community and crowdfunding platform serving 100+ homeless service agencies and their clients across the United States.

Position Summary

The Counselor is an at‑will position that reports to the Program Manager. This position will work within the Family Shelter and Teen Path Program supporting the clients and operations of each program. The Family Shelter provides shelter to families with minor children in 18 private apartment style units. The Family shelter houses up to 61 individuals at a time. Each family is provided services and short term sheltering up to 120 days.

The Teen Path program provides shelter to young women ages 18-24 in an apartment building with 12 apartments. Teen Path provides services/shelter to these young women for up to 2 years. This position will perform family, group, and individual counseling for both programs, Family Shelter and Teen Path. Counseling services within both programs is optional for the participants. The Counselor will also participate in treatment planning, educational training, consultation, community and court advocacy, aftercare, and follow‑up referrals.

Services will be geared toward adults and their families to help them develop behavioral, emotional, and coping skills; identify and process trauma; and build healthy relationships.

• Provide individual, family, group, and conjoint counseling to assigned individuals/families. Expected to provide services for up to 20 individuals and families at a time in the Family Shelter and Teen Path program

• Develop an individualized plan of service in conjunction with the individual, the family (when appropriate), and team at the Family Shelter or Teen Path

• Understand and appropriately use strengths of the individual/family

• Demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide the appropriate care for the specific clinical needs of the individual/family served

• Work in tandem with staff to support 24‑hour intervention with assigned individuals/families.

• Complete all paperwork as required by regulatory bodies and contractual agreements.

• Consult with the treatment team on the progress of each individual in fulfilling their goals (Weekly for Family Shelter families/individuals and monthly for Teen Path families/individuals)

• Develop and make appropriate referrals.

• Create transition plans and/or assist in connecting families with longer‑term counseling support as needed beyond enrollment in the Family Shelter or Teen PATH projects.

• Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date documentation and files securely.

• Perform other job‑related duties as assigned.

Other Core Responsibilities

• Foster and coordinate inter‑agency collaborative solutions and referrals to help clients connect with shelter, meet their goals, and attain long‑term stability.

• Ensure the proper maintenance of client‑related files and records.

• Continuously improve and consistently implement various case management and data collection tools.

• Comply with attendance and punctuality policies and all other Lighthouse policies and procedures.

• Enforce program rules, policies, and procedures and uphold agency values to maintain a safe, client‑centered, and inclusive environment for clients, staff, interns, and volunteers.

• Collaborate with the SEHS Counseling Center and Coordinator

• Comply with and complete all duties otherwise required by funding partners

• Minimum Qualifications

  • Master’s Degree in Social Work, Counseling, or Psychology

  • Licensed in the State of…