Center for Court Innovation USA Jobs Careers 2023 – Apply For Family Functional Therapy (FFT) Therapist Jobs In Queens, NY

The Center is an 800-employee, $100 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs

The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Court, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research

The Center’s research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies; conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors. The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution. The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

Policy & Expert Assistance

The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area.

Queens Community Justice Center (QCJC)

Queens Community Justice Center (QCJC) operates an array of programming for local youth, with a particular focus on engaging those with justice involvement. Current initiatives include Youth Impact (peer-led restorative youth diversion program), an alternative-to-detention program, an alternative to incarceration program, workforce development initiatives, a trauma-informed, survivor-centered program for youth who are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation, and several mentorship programs. By offering positive pro-social programming for young people, QCJC aims to stop the cycle of delinquency and crime for adolescents and reduce reliance on detention. The comprehensive programming offers all participating young people leadership development and service opportunities designed to promote positive engagement in their communities.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Queens Community Justice Center is seeking to hire therapists for a community-based violence prevention program that aims to reduce violent recidivism through intensive and voluntary therapeutic services.  The therapists will report to the Justice Center’s Clinical Manager. This program is part of the Atlas initiative and uses the evidence-based Functional Family Therapy (FFT) model to engage young people and their families in holistic anti-violence services.

Atlas works to prevent violence by meeting people during a crisis, like a recent arrest or open court case and connecting them to a change process that nurtures hope and strengthens relationships. As part of Atlas, the Queens Community Justice Center is offering FFT to young people at elevated risk for violence in the community, victimization, or a re-arrest. FFT is an evidence-based intervention for youth and families. This high-quality, strength-focused family counseling model is designed for high-risk youth and young adults who have been referred by the criminal court, juvenile justice, mental health, school, or child welfare systems.  Services are short-term and typically offered in the home, though services can be offered in the office or other community settings.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Carry a caseload as assigned;
• Provide home-based* Functional Family Therapy to adults and their families, adhering to model fidelity requirements. (*as post-pandemic working conditions allow);
• Actively participate as part of a therapy team, including attending weekly team and individual supervision meetings;
• Assist families by actively referring them to appropriate services and supports, and with both clinical and concrete services;
• Make case progress notes as required by FFT and regularly report to external stakeholders;
• Participate in all FFT training, supervision, and consultation activities, including Peers; and
• Assisting with other tasks, as necessary.

Preferred Core Competencies: The ideal candidate will have the below core competencies:

• Ability to engage clients;
• Willingness and ability to be strengths-focused;
• Ability to shift from a problem focus to understanding the processes that guide behavior;
• Willingness to advocate for youth and family, belief in the capacity of people to grow and change;
• Ability to manage stress and self-care;
• Appreciation, respect, and understanding for teamwork and company systems;
• Ability to maintain a high level of self-awareness;
• Ability to be comfortable with cultural differences; to relate without patronizing;
• Willingness to commit to empowering families to solve their problems;
• Ability and willingness to work with families in their own homes; and
• Willingness to be flexible to work with the families when they are available to meet.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a master’s degree in social work, counseling, education, or other relevant human service profession preferred; required for site supervisor position.

Preferred Experience: 

• Direct use of pragmatic (i.e., structural, strategic, and functional) family therapies;
• Individual therapy with youth and adults using cognitive behavioral techniques;
• Marital therapy using behaviorally based approaches;
• Behavioral therapy targeting school behavior and academic performance; and
• Implementation of interventions within or between systems in the youth’s natural ecology that affect or influence the behavior of youth (i.e., family, peer, school, and neighborhood).

Preferred Knowledge:

• Family systems theory and application;
• Social-ecological theory and application;
• Behavioral therapies theory and application;
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy theory and application;
• Pragmatic family therapies theory and application;
• Child development research and its application in the treatment;
• Social skills assessment and intervention; and
• Basic counseling and process skills.

Position Type: Full-time, must be willing to work weekend and evening hours as required.

Position Location: Queens, NY

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $70,000- $75,000 and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

Note: This compensation range is required by the funder.

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer. The Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system.

As of September 9, 2021, all new hires are required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for medical, disability or religious reasons by the Center’s Human Resources Department.