Pre-Licensed Clinician – Spill The Tea Café

Organization Overview:

Spill The Tea Café (STTC) is Hawai'i's first youth-driven, inclusive mental-health clinic — a movement that empowers the next generation through trauma-informed, culturally grounded, and creative care. Founded by Haylin Dennison, LCSW, STTC is redefining what community-based mental health looks like by blending therapy, leadership development, and entrepreneurship into one powerful model.

We've served more than 700 youth statewide, built a thriving internship-to-leadership pipeline, and partnered with organizations like Palama Settlement, Hawai'i Department of Health, Lili'uokalani Trust, and Kapiʻolani Adolescent Medicine. Our mission is simple: to help youth transform their pain into purpose — and their purpose into power.

Position Summary:

The Pre-Licensed Clinician is more than a therapist-in-training — they are a trailblazer, a creative thinker, and a leader in the making. This role is for someone who believes that mental health care should empower, inspire, and awaken potential. Someone who sees therapy as both healing and activation — helping young people build resilience, confidence, and leadership capacity as they navigate identity, belonging, and purpose.

This position is ideal for a clinician who wants to think differently, work collaboratively, and help pioneer a new era of inclusive, youth-centered mental health. You'll be mentored directly by an experienced founder and immersed in an ecosystem that bridges therapy, education, and social innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide trauma-informed, inclusive individual and group therapy for youth ages 12–24.
• Facilitate engaging, strengths-based group sessions focused on resilience, leadership, and self-expression.
• Participate in care coordination and outreach to ensure youth and families receive wraparound supports.
• Collaborate with schools, caregivers, and community partners to strengthen systems of care and belonging.
• Contribute to workshops, events, and youth programs that destigmatize mental health and celebrate inclusion.
• Engage in regular supervision, training, and case consultation to deepen clinical skill and confidence.
• Support program evaluation and quality improvement through accurate documentation and outcomes tracking.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, or Marriage & Family Therapy.
• Registered or eligible for registration as a pre-licensed clinician in Hawai'i (MSW, MFT, or MHC).
• Strong understanding of trauma, identity development, and adolescent/young adult mental health.
• Commitment to inclusivity, cultural humility, and youth empowerment.
• Excellent relational, communication, and organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience facilitating youth groups, leadership programs, or creative wellness activities.
• Knowledge of care coordination, community partnerships, or school-based mental-health systems.
• Ability to thrive in dynamic, mission-driven, and innovative environments.
• Entrepreneurial mindset — someone who brings ideas, not just follows systems.

Growth & Development:

This role is part of STTC's Clinician Development Pipeline, a three-year pathway from pre-licensed therapist to independent clinician and community leader. You'll receive weekly clinical supervision, quarterly trainings, and opportunities to co-lead programs, train interns, and eventually design your own specialty or community project.

STTC's development model prepares you for excellence in Engagement-Focused Care Coordination, Inclusive Clinical Practice, and Youth Leadership Development, empowering you to become a confident clinician and changemaker in Hawai'i's mental-health landscape.

Compensation & Culture:

Competitive hourly or salaried compensation based on experience, with supervision hours provided. STTC offers a supportive, creative, and inclusive culture that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. Flexible scheduling, team retreats, and mentorship opportunities are part of our core values.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

You're ambitious, visionary, and ready to help redefine what mental health looks like for this generation. You see youth as capable, creative, and full of potential. You're passionate about helping others build resilience and emotional intelligence — not just treat symptoms. You believe in inclusion, in creating new tables rather than waiting for a seat, and in shaping systems that allow everyone to thrive.