Building Families - Family Specialist II (LPC, APC, LMFT, AMFT, LMSW, LCSW, LISW-CP)

Join Our Team as a Building Families Family Specialist II!

Are you a compassionate and self-driven Licensed Therapist looking to make a lasting impact on families? Thornwell is seeking a Family Specialist II to provide virtual and in-person therapy using an attachment-based approach rooted in TBRI principles. This role offers flexibility, autonomy, and the opportunity to support individuals and families in achieving lasting change. If you’re passionate about building families and thrive in an independent work environment, we’d love to hear from you!

At this time, we are looking for candidates with the following credentials: LPC, APC, LMFT, AMFT, LMSW, LCSW, LISW-CP

Position Summary

The Family Specialist II will provide primarily virtual individual/family therapy and group therapy. In-home counseling and in-person group therapy may also be provided during periods when virtual caseload is not at capacity, or when assigned by Supervisor. The Family Specialist II will assess the identified individual to determine a diagnosis and treatment plan that will

improve the overall functioning of the individual and/or family. The Family Specialist II will use an attachment-based approach with the foundation of Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) principles. The Family Specialist II will have a great deal of autonomy, and the position requires staff to be self-motivated and independent in their role. The Family Specialist II will meet a monthly Client Contact Hours (CCH) expectation. The Family Specialist II is responsible for setting their own work schedule around the assigned families’ needs and available times.

Core Responsibilities

1. The Family Specialist II will assess the identified individual to determine a diagnosis and treatment plan that will improve the overall functioning of the individual and family.
2. The Family Specialist II will primarily provide telehealth therapy to the individual and/or family, in-home sessions may be required as determined to meet CCH expectation and/or meet the best needs of the identified client. This includes providing appropriate strength-based interventions to include individual therapy, family therapy, and skill teaching, in a manner which is family driven, supportive of attachment, and culturally competent. The Family Specialist II will provide clinically appropriate services and document in the electronic health record (EHR) per state regulatory standards.
3. The Family Specialist II will meet the established CCH each month. The Family Specialist II will provide supportive phone calls as needed while the family is engaged in the Building Families Program. The Family Specialist II will provide follow-up services for one year following discharge to each family.
4. The Family Specialist II will be on-call and available to their assigned caseload to provide crisis management and stabilization services as needed.
5. The Family Specialist II will communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
6. The Family Specialist II will complete a written assessment, treatment plan, and discharge summary for each assigned case within specified time frames outlined in the manual. The Family Specialist II will complete other required paperwork such as pre and post tools, and other intervention related paperwork as requested. The Family Specialist II will complete a session note of each visit in the EHR within 2 business days of the visit. The Family Specialist II will document other duties such as: preparation for visit, travel, phone calls, staffing’s, meetings, presentations, and referral visits/contacts. This documentation will be provided in monthly reports and using shared electronic calendar.
7. The Family Specialist II will engage referral contacts (in-person meetings, phone calls and follow-up emails) to develop and maintain an active and growing referral network and maintain an up-to-date referral source contact log. The Family Specialist II is required to attend at least 2 community groups per month to strengthen referral source relationships and as a representative of Thornwell (Building Families and other programs as appropriate) in the community. Depending upon caseloads a Family Specialist II may spend 2-5 hours on community engagement per week.
8. The Family Specialist II will provide a minimum of 2 group therapy sessions per week either in person or virtually and is responsible for recruiting and registering group participants, and completion of all required documentation for rendered group therapy sessions.
9. The Family Specialist II is expected to attend staff meetings, consultation/supervision meetings and treatment team meetings with Building Families staff in person and/or by video conference.
10. The Family Specialist II will provide services from a team-based approach, including providing support to other staff members through peer mentoring and collaborative team projects as assigned.
11. The Family Specialist II will provide verbal reporting and an annual narrative report to Director and Senior Leadership at the end of each calendar year.
12. The Family Specialist II will collaborate with Mission Advancement to provide periodic material regarding the Building Families program, such as success stories, content for website and print material and program data.
13. The Family Specialist II will maintain confidentiality regarding the families they are serving. The Family Specialist II will ensure verbal communications with the family by phone and treatment team calls/staffing are conducted in a private setting. The Family Specialist II will ensure that all personal identification information is secured according to the HIPAA standards.
14. The Family Specialist II will follow Thornwell, COA, licensing, and applicable accreditation standards. The Family Specialist II will participate in ongoing training and staff development including travel to Thornwell’s campus.
15. The Family Specialist II will accept other related work duties, training and administrative responsibilities as assigned by the Vice President, Director, and Supervisor.

Working Conditions

In accordance with Thornwell’s remote work policy, the Family Specialist II will maintain a home office located within Spartanburg or Laurens County, South Carolina and will primarily render virtual therapy sessions from their home office. The family Specialist II is not permitted to work from varying or temporary virtual office locations. Local travel (within SC) will be required to attend Thornwell staff events, community meetings, referral source visits, and to provide in-person sessions to in-home clients and groups, when assigned. The Family Specialist II will travel using their personal car and will be reimbursed at Thornwell’s defined standard mileage rate. The Family Specialist II will be provided with a Thornwell-issued cell phone and laptop. Limited overnight travel for staff meetings and training is required. The Family Specialist II will be required to use computers with most frequent applications to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zoom / Teams, and Electronic Health Record (Credible). The Family Specialist II will be required to work a 40-hour, flexible work week which may include evening hours. The Family Specialist II will maintain (virtual) office hours and is expected to work Monday through Friday. Pre-approval of an alternate schedule required. Physical activity associated with the job will include sitting (travel & computer work) and ability to move around and engage in activities with families and children. Activities could include sitting on the floor in the home playing board games, tossing a ball outside, walking in a park setting, kicking a soccer ball. The Family Specialist II will need to be able to work independently as well as together with the Building Families Team. The Family Specialist II will receive reflective supervision and treatment team processing.

Qualifications

• The Family Specialist II will be committed to a strength based, family focused model for positive changes in families.
• The Family Specialist II must have a minimum of a master’s degree in social work, counseling, human services, or related field from an accredited institution and related experience.
• The Family Specialist II must be independently licensed in the state in which they practice as a counselor, social worker or therapist (LPC, APC, LMFT, AMFT, LMSW, LCSW, LISW-CP).
• Thornwell’s HR department will verify licensure status through the appropriate state licensing board and will confirm academic degree status through an authorized third-party service.
• The Family Specialist II must provide a copy of their clinical license at the time of their HR onboarding meeting and must provide any updated licensure documents as they are received.
• The Family Specialist II must maintain an unrestricted clinical license through the appropriate state licensing board for the duration of their employment with Thornwell.
• The Family Specialist II must have a valid state driver's license and proof of automobile insurance.

Skills

• The Family Specialist II must have related experience working with youth and their families.
• The Family Specialist II must possess the ability to engage individuals and families in a collaborative, strengths-based manner which promotes the development of individual and family skills and capacities, through the use of appropriate interventions.
• The Family Specialist II must possess strong organizational strategies to maintain their workflow and ensure clinical responsibilities and casework are completed in a manner that is timely and reflects quality work.
• The Family Specialist II must have the capacity to work from a team-based approach and engage in a reflective supervision process.

Christian Commitment:

Thornwell is an independent non-profit religious organization affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and prefers to employ individuals who are Christians and who possess a Christian commitment, as well as concern, for children and families in need.