Acute Response Therapist II – Children’s Hospital
St.Paul, MN
Direct Therapeutic Services – WARM /
Full Time - Clinical /
Hybrid
All are welcome! People of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals are strongly encouraged to apply!
Washburn Center for Children is a leading children’s mental health center, caring for a wide variety of children’s needs associated with anxiety, depression, behavioral difficulties and trauma.
The 142-year-old nonprofit offers critical mental health intervention to help children - and their families - realize hope. Washburn Center for Children serves nearly 4,800 children ages 0-18 and approximately 11,000 family members each year. Washburn Center’s three office locations – Brooklyn Park, Edina, and Minneapolis – serve the entire Twin Cities metro area. The nonprofit also offers in-home services, and its school-based program serves 55+ schools in the Eden Prairie, Bloomington, District 191, Columbia Heights and Minneapolis school districts.
The demand for therapeutic care has skyrocketed. Join our team to help children through the setbacks of life and create a better future. To learn more about how we do that work in homes, schools and clinic-based services, visit us online.
Position summary
The Acute Response Therapist II provides intensive support to children and adolescents who are temporarily staying at Children’s Hospital (St. Paul), often in the emergency department or other units, while awaiting safe placement or additional services. The therapist will carry a caseload of 5–10 clients and deliver comprehensive, culturally responsive, wraparound care for both youth and their families.
Services may be short-term (10 sessions or fewer) or extend over several months of community-based support, depending on client needs. Support may take place in the hospital, at home, in schools, within the community, or through telehealth. Services include assessment, crisis intervention, therapy, parent education and skills training, care coordination, case management, bridging to longer-term providers, and connection to community resources.
The goal of this position is to help children and families transition safely from the hospital back into their homes and communities, reduce the likelihood of future crises or repeat hospital visits, and strengthen overall stability. The therapist will work collaboratively with families and providers to create safety plans, coordinate ongoing care, and ensure each child has the support they need to thrive in the long term.
Position description
This position receives referrals directly from Children’s Hospital and works in close collaboration with hospital staff to support children who are temporarily boarding. The clinician will partner with both the child and their family to identify immediate needs and provide individualized services that promote a safe return to the community.
Services may include therapy, care coordination, and case management delivered in the hospital, home, school, or community settings. The clinician ensures each child and family receives the right combination of support to stabilize their situation, strengthen coping skills, and successfully transition to ongoing care and community resources.
Responsibilities
Clinical Treatment - Clinicians will provide services to educate and support families to become empowered to better self-advocate and navigate the various systems with more confidence and skill, as well as the following services:
§ Provide specialized direct services to children and their families, in their homes, schools, clinic, and communities. This includes:
o Conduct diagnostic assessments and safety planning
o Develop and implement treatment plans, stabilization interventions, and goal setting based on the diagnosis and client/caregiver needs
o Provide individual and family therapy designed to improve the functioning of the child in daily and community living
o Provide parent psychoeducation
o Care coordination of social and other services designed to help the child and family gain access to all services providers and interdisciplinary services and to make further referrals as needed, including, but not limited to, the areas of volunteer services, advocacy, transportation, and legal services
o Provide consultation with school, recreation, and other community programs to encourage the child’s successful participation
o Must be knowledgeable and confident providing therapy and teaching families and others within the treatment team about trauma informed practice
o Travel
o Create a discharge plan
o Other duties as assigned
Documentation - Clinicians will be expected to maintain required documentation as specified in our Clinical Policy Manual, including:
§ Diagnostic assessments including diagnosis review
§ Treatment plans for each client
§ Progress notes
§ Complete CASIIs, work with parents to complete the GARF and work with clients to complete the CAGE-AID, along with any other requirements of the program.
§ Documentation of all case activities
§ Discharge or transfer summaries
§ Collaborate with the billing department to maintain current, timely authorizations for all therapeutic services from required insurance policies
§ Timely response of communications from the program director, the supervisor, or program support to ensure clear communication throughout the program
All clinicians are to ensure Minnesota and HIPAA data privacy requirements are followed.
Supervision and Professional Development - Clinicians are expected to:
§ Attend weekly supervision and case consultation, present case information, and create and identify questions for consultation and supervision
§ Provide and receive support from other team members
§ Maintain required CEUs
Required technical skills, knowledge, and abilities
Agency Competencies
§ Demonstrate knowledge of cultural responsiveness and the role of culture in the therapeutic process
Position Requirements
§ Flexibility
§ Resourcefulness
§ Knowledge and application of Trauma informed practice
Qualifications
- Master’s degree with licensure at the professional level in Social Work, Psychology or Marriage and Family is required
- Minimum 1 year of experience serving children with acute, complex mental heath needs and their families is required
- 3-5 years of experience serving children with acute, complex mental health needs and their families is preferred
- 1 year experience working in a hospital setting is strongly desired but not required
- Valid MN Licensure as a Mental Health Professional in Social Work, Psychology or Marriage and Family, due to tele-health billing requirements) is strongly desired
- Valid Driver’s License is required
- Current Car Insurance, if using a personal vehicle is required
- Reliable transportation is required
- Spanish language proficiency is strongly desired but not required
$60,000 - $75,000 a year
BENEFITS at WASHBURN:
Washburn offers benefits to Full-Time benefit eligible employees comprehensive Dental, Vision, Health, Life and Long-term disability insurance. Additionally, we offer a 403b retirement plan and a flexible benefit option (FSA).
Vacation: Paid Vacation accrues at 10 hours of vacation per month - up to 15 days / 120 hours annually.
Holidays: There are 2.5 days/20 hours of floating holidays per year in addition to the eight standard holidays.
***Please note that Internships, Part-Time (less than 30 hours/week) and Temporary positions are NOT eligible for all of Washburn Center's benefits***
Washburn Center for Children is an EEO/AA employer: women, minorities, people with disabilities, people that hold different gender identities and expressions and veterans are encouraged to apply. Cultural responsiveness and advancing equity are essential to achieving our mission. Our core values guide how we actively heal, learn and work.
To learn more about life at Washburn and how we work together, visit us online.
