Family Support & Stabilization Clinician | Bilingual Gandara Center Culturally Sensitive Care

Family Support & Stabilization Clinician | Bilingual

• Bilingual Candidates Encouraged to Apply
• EOE M/F/D/V

The Gándara Center provides residential, mental health, substance abuse, and preventive services for children, adults, and families across the Pioneer Valley and eastern parts of Massachusetts. We believe in our communities and value cultural diversity and strive to provide culturally competent, innovative services to a diverse community. Our mission is to promote the well-being of Hispanics, African-Americans, and other culturally diverse populations, through innovative, culturally competent behavioral health, prevention, and educational services –
Changing Lives one family at a time.

We are looking to bring on board Behavioral Health Professionals for our various programs throughout the state of Massachusetts! These sites include Boston, New Bedford, Brockton, Fitchburg, Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, and now Pittsfield.

The Comprehensive Model is where services are provided to families with children either at risk for out-of-home placement or returning from out of home placement. These services have two major components:
Basic Services for Stabilization or Reunification, and Specialized Services, including Substance Abuse Treatment Readiness and Prevention and Trauma-focused Services. These services are based on two visits per week from the specialized provider and the Clinical Parent Aide will provide additional visits and wraparound services. 24-hour emergency coverage will be provided to the family and the family stabilization team will be available during evening and weekend hours for home visiting, if needed.

The Family Stabilization Model of Services targets families (usually Latino, Cape-Verdean and Portuguese speaking families) in which the child remains in the home but where there is a risk for out-of-home placement due to safety concerns resulting from issues of neglect and/or abuse. The standard intervention includes three weekly home visitations or wraparound services provided within the community. This service will be provided by a team that includes a Master’s level clinician and a Clinical Parent Aide.

Provide quantity and quality of services to DCF-involved families in accordance with the specified FSS models (Comprehensive and Family Stabilization).

Work with the parents/caregivers to achieve the goals determined by DCF.

Review and modification of treatment plan as necessary; complete a family-centered assessment.

Development of a youth and family centered treatment plan in collaboration with the youth, parent/caregiver(s), and with required consents, in consultation with other providers.

Work on child safety and welfare issues in the context of community connections to resources, school advocacy, law enforcement and court related needs, as well as behavioral and medical health needs.

Identification of community resources and development of natural supports for youth and parent/caregiver(s) to support and sustain achievement of the youth’s treatment plan goals and objectives.

Provide additional visits, wraparound services and 24-hour emergency support for families as needed and in accordance with the FSS models.

Ability to be flexible when scheduling visits with families with availability during evenings and weekends, if needed.

Engage in ongoing collaboration with clinicians, DCF social workers, school, law enforcement and other providers within the community.

Participate in DCF meetings to discuss ongoing concerns, challenges and recommendations as well as in quarterly DCF case review meetings to monitor progress, discuss changes in goals and plan termination with the team.

Maintain a detailed record of the work done with the family, including progress notes, and collateral contact notes.

Assist in providing specific information on topics such as appropriate discipline and setting schedules; as well as focusing on stressors unique to the Latino, Cape Verdean and Portuguese populations including acculturation.

Assist parents/caregivers in improving parenting skills and decreasing behaviors that adversely affect the child’s safety in the home.

Provide or…