Reach Therapist at Pace Center for Girls in Gainesville, FL

Salary: $58,000

Position Type: Full-Time (40 hours/week)

Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm

Job Summary:

The Therapist role provides community-based prevention, and early intervention behavioral health services to girls ages 11-17. This position helps girls build resiliency and decrease risk- related behaviors through the application of a holistic clinical framework.

Who We Are:

At Pace we transform girls’ lives through academic and counseling programs based on girl-centered, strength-based and trauma informed framework. Team members create a safe place for girls to learn, process, heal and begin again.

Founded in 1985, Pace Center for Girls is a nonprofit organization that believes all girls, regardless of their story, deserve a safe and supportive space where they can become strong, compassionate and successful women.

Our Reach program brings support directly to girls, ages 11-17, meeting them in their local schools, within their communities, or even at home.

Our Culture:

At Pace, our culture is built on core beliefs that foster a supportive, mission-driven, and empowering environment where girls can thrive and reach their full potential. Our culture is rooted in the following foundational behaviors:

Caring – We are warm, sincere, compassionate, and collaborative, fostering an environment of support and connection.

Purposeful – We are focused on our mission and committed to social responsibility, ensuring our efforts make a meaningful impact.

Learning Oriented – We are open, inventive, and exploratory, continuously seeking growth and improvement.

Results Driven – We are focused on achieving goals and measurable success, ensuring accountability and progress.

Girl-Centered – The ways that girls learn and develop are unique. That's why we've created an environment that responds to their needs so they can feel safe enough to develop meaningful and trusting relationships while embracing their capabilities, strengths and autonomy.

Using Your Strengths – Every girl brings something exceptional to the table. At Pace, we focus on developing these special characteristics. By supporting a girl's talents and positive attributes we help her achieve her goals.

Understanding Trauma – Trauma can alter the course of a girl's life. At Pace, we recognize that trauma may be the root cause of unhealthy behaviors, which is why we work hard to help heal and empower girls.

What We Offer:

• Growth and Development - Competitive salaries, ongoing learning and development opportunities, and subject-specific instructional coaching to support growth and success.
• Work Life Balance – Full-time team members accrue 10 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 2 personal days annually, with additional PTO earned based on length of service. Team members also receive 14 paid national holidays and an additional 5 days off during Wellness Week. Center-based team members follow a balanced annual schedule that includes 230 academic days and 20 dedicated in-service planning days. Teachers become eligible for an additional 2 weeks of PTO after one year of employment.
• Comprehensive Benefits - Full-time team members are eligible for a range of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, critical illness, accident coverage, legal and identity theft protection, and a 403(b)-retirement plan. Team members working 30 or more hours per week are eligible for medical, dental, FSA, HSA, and the 403(b)-retirement plan. Those working less than 30 hours per week are eligible for the 403(b)-retirement plan.
• Mental Health and Well-Being - All team members have access to wellness resources, offering wellness rewards, counseling sessions, leadership coaching, mindfulness resources, and more to support their overall well-being.

What This Role Does:

Direct Care Services

• Uphold professional code of ethics and State statutes, ensuring the safety of program participants, families, and the organization
• Establish positive, trusting rapport with program participants, families, caregivers, and Pace employees
• Address risk factors using holistic assessments, goal plan development, and through provision of targeted interventions as guided by the Pace Therapy Logic Model
• Utilize the Transtheoretical Model of Change for appropriate and timely intervention matching considering any history of trauma and leveraging girl’s strengths
• Utilize Relational-Cultural Theory, considering the overarching structures that shape relational patterns
• Provide weekly therapy services, at minimum, to girls in a variety of settings (school/home/community/center) using evidenced-based and research-informed therapeutic interventions
• Provide monthly family support/counseling, at minimum, with caregivers to encourage girl progression in the change process and to work with girl’s natural support systems
• Conduct psycho-educational and therapy groups that are girl-centered, focusing on life skill development
• Provide wrap-around care (case) management services, including transportation services when needed, collaboration with outside entities, schools, and community providers involved in girl’s care, making referrals as appropriate, and advocating for needed resources
• Accurately complete and submit all required documentation in a timely manner and in accordance with Pace’s policies and procedures
• Maintain care load (caseload) requirements and productivity standards as outlined in the Pace Therapy Logic Model and in accordance with programmatic needs
• Provide crisis intervention as warranted, including risk assessments and family support
• Increase girls’ resiliency by building protective factors at the individual, family and community levels.
• Empower girls and families by improving relationships, increasing self-efficacy, and encouraging self- advocacy, and to make decisions that will lead to productive, fulfilling, and healthy lives

Non-Direct Care Services

• Engage in clinical supervision
• Utilize consolation for sound clinical decision making
• Contribute clinical knowledge to the care planning team
• Provide advocacy within the community
• Collaborate with schools and community agencies to support the change process of girls
• Contribute positively toward programmatic outcomes and the collection of data
• Other duties as assigned

What We Require for the Job:

• Master’s degree required with a major in Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy or related field required
• Licensed as a Mental Health Counselor, Professional Counselor, Marriage and Family Therapist, or Clinical Social Worker in the applicable state, or eligible for licensure as an associate, intern, or supervised clinician under the supervision requirements of the applicable state licensing board
• Minimum two years’ experience required, preferably working with at-risk youth and families
• Current Driver’s license
• Knowledge of case management practices, community behavioral health systems, and laws pertaining to youth and families
• Experience using personal computers and basic office equipment

Other

• Must be capable of overseeing students both visually and audibly to ensure their safety and well-being
• Expected to complete and participate in all required trainings and drills
• Required to align with the Mission, Values, and Guiding Principles, maintain ethical standards, and comply with all policies and procedures of Pace Center for Girls

This position requires a Level II pre-employment background screening pursuant to Chapters 435, 984, 985 and 943, Florida Statutes, and the Department of Juvenile Justice policy and procedures. Additional information is available through the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse Education and Awareness website: https://info.flclearinghouse.com