River Forest, IL Child Therapist

Job Type: Employee Position with Benefits; Part to Full Time

Location: Individual and Family Connection (IFC): River Forest, IL

               Check out our website  

Our Background

Individual and Family Connection is a group private practice located in Bucktown and River Forest,IL  IFC specializes in treating children, families, and young adults, and uses a unique approach called Through the Eyes of the Child, where we strive to see the world from the perspective of the child.  We seek to be a valued partner in alliances which promote the health and quality of life for our community and its members.  You can read more about our .

Our Team

IFC supports therapists in their continuous growth as clinicians and provides therapists with training, consultation, and supervision. We are passionate, fierce, imperfect, loving individuals who support each other as healing professionals. We are learners and teachers, invested in nurturing and growing your professional identity, confidence and competence. 

We value diversity in thought, background and approach, and we seek to partner with professionals who both want to make a difference in the world and are looking for a long-term career placement. We’d love to learn more about your experiences and approach to working with children and families  

The Perks & Benefits

If you want to focus on being a clinician, treating your clients, and offloading the administration, IFC may be the place for you. We offer eligible part- and full-time employees:

• Competitive compensation 

• Health Insurance, Dental, Paid Time Off, paid maternity leave, and an employer-matched retirement plan

• Paid CEUs or Professional Development

• Self Care Stipend

• Liability Insurance

• Full Administrative and Billing Support

• Practice management services including intake coordination, client insurance verification, registration, billing, accounting, and scheduling

• Access to a user-friendly electronic medical records for easy note taking

• Play Therapy Office with access to play therapy supplies

• Psychology Today Profile

•  Supervision

• Supervision towards Theraplay Certification

• Opportunity to collaborate with peers for consultation, case conference and supervision as needed

• Individual and Family Connection marketing tools, including website, newsletters, blog, headshot, personal business cards, and online profile.

• Use of all office amenities and supplies including wifi, telephone services, personal “@ifccounseling” email address, coffee station and filtered water for you and your clients, kitchenette with sink, refrigerator and microwave, as well as storage space as needed.

• Access to an already established referral network

Employees of Individual and Family Connection also have opportunities to participate in paid administrative tasks and projects outside of their clinical job description and requirements.  These tasks and projects may be identified by IFC’s management team, and employees are provided mentorship in developing skills in policy and procedure development, client care and coordination, data collection, quality improvement, and program development.

The Role

We are devoted to creating a relational, team-focused community within the practice where each therapist feels valued and supported. Therapists at our practice:

• Provide individual and family psychotherapy (minimum of 25-35 contact hours weekly)

• Participate in staff meetings, collaborative conferences, and other clinical meetings

• Conduct thorough and accurate assessments of client needs

• Provide empathic treatment while maintaining confidentiality, integrity and boundaries

• Maintain communication with clients’ other providers

• Exhibit interest and initiative in professional growth, engage in self-work and reflection

• Are reliable and regular in communication with both client and colleagues 

• Maintain licensure and complete continuing education requirements

• Develop treatment goals with new clients, modify plans accordingly, and discuss progress toward goals with clients and their families throughout treatment

• Administer therapeutic treatment, behavior modification, and parent coaching as needed to assist clients and their families in meeting treatment goals

• Maintain regular contact with parents, schools, and professionals regarding client progress through phone calls, letters, and/or monthly reporting

• Consult with psychologists, psychiatrists, or other specialists concerning treatment plans and amend plans as needed

• Attend client’s IEP and other school meetings as needed with permission from parents

• Refer clients to additional supportive services as needed

• Handle protected health information in a manner consistent with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

• Participate in monthly supervision and quarterly performance reviews

• Develop and maintain positive relationships with IFC staff, clients, families, other professionals, and community members

• Enjoy being a part of a team, are open to feedback, and find value in personal growth

Qualifications

Applicants should be licensed to practice in Illinois (LSW, LPC, Psy.D., LCSW, LCPC, LMFT). This role is for you if you also have experience in, or have demonstrated commitment to:

• Working with pediatric clients (18 months to 18 years) 

• Working with diagnoses that often lead families to seek counseling, including but not limited to: clients suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, self-injury, attachment difficulties, ADHD, learning disabilities, behavioral challenges etc. 

• The ability to practice from a clinical lens that incorporates a trauma-informed, systemic understanding of how challenges are influenced by the client’s multi-layered relationships and settings, such as within family, school, and community dynamics

• An understanding of utilizing anti-racist and anti-oppressive frameworks within clinical practice and organizational culture 

• The ability to work with clients from various sexual, ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds

• Must be able to work evenings and one weekend

IFC is committed to reducing barriers to employment by considering applicable experience such as any volunteer and/or paid work experience, both full-time and part-time in nature. Strong candidates may also:

• Have expertise in a specific attachment and trauma-informed approach including, but not limited to: Theraplay, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), CPP, DBT, EMDR, TBRI, Synergetic Play Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, PCIT, Narrative Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), etc.

• Have experience, understanding, and expertise in LGBT*IQ affirmative practice

• Demonstrate the ability to practice with respect, awareness, and support of the identities of Transgender / Non-conforming children, teens, and guardians.  

Joining IFC means getting to have, learn and share in purpose-driven practice, together. This role likely isn’t for you if you are looking to use it as a launch pad to build your own practice, or you want to work for yourself without the support of a team. We are deeply committed to our clients, their healing, and our humility. Previous clinical experience or involvement in areas related to our values is a plus