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Full Time Brighter Day Counselor Jersey City

Full Time Brighter Day Counselor

Full Time • Jersey City
Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Dental insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Vision insurance
ABOUT NEW CITY KIDS
New City Kids is a high energy, creative program for and with youth that trusts teens with leadership as they develop in four key areas: spiritual, leadership, academic and music. It is a joyful place filled with laughter and hard work, and has an excellent staff of dedicated adults who love children. We employ local high school students as interns to lead an excellent and unique music-focused after school center and summer camp for children ages 6-13, which provides a platform for a whole host of development opportunities for children. As kids and teens engage New City Kids, they discover an invitation to begin a journey with Christ.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Brighter Day Counselor will lead a series of classes and small groups for the children and teen interns at New City Kids, which are trauma-informed, play-based, and directly address Adverse Childhood Experiences.  In Brighter Day, youth learn body safety and social-emotional skills in a safe, welcoming group or class setting, supporting and empowering one another through the group experience. The Brighter Day Counselor will also provide individual mental health support and/or crisis intervention for children, teen interns and their families as needed.

The Brighter Day Counselor will work together with the site ED (and other appropriate staff) to provide large group mental health education sessions for NCK teen interns and children, Abuse Prevention training for adult and teen staff, and trauma trainings for adult staff throughout the programming year.

The goal of Brighter Day is lifelong health and wellness for our youth, through body safety education, abuse prevention, and short term mental health support. To that end, the Brighter Day Counselor will be trained in the NCK abuse prevention policy, trauma-informed care, the effects of childhood trauma, and detailed use of the Brighter Day curriculum. This enables teaching proven body safety and emotional skills, and supporting youth to process any challenging or traumatic experiences in families, schools and neighborhoods. It also prepares the Coordinator to partner with and encourage parents/guardians and school staff  to seek out further mental health care for NCK youth as needed, through local referrals.

Using the Brighter Day curriculum (based in trauma-focused play therapy (TF-PT) and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) theories) the Brighter Day Counselor will provide 4 classes and 2 (evening) groups per week. Examples of class/group topics include:  feelings identification and sharing,  understanding physical and sexual abuse and neglect, identifying safe adults, loss and grief (immigration, deportation, incarceration),  depression, anxiety & anger, dating and relationships, suicide/suicidal thoughts,  pornography, LGBTQ and gender identity issues, relationships with parents/caregivers, managing stress and worry, domestic violence.

SCOPE & RESPONSIBILITIES
  • For our ASC students: 4 rounds of 7-week body safety classes that meet once a week during regular after school NCK programming, teaching  students body safety awareness and social and emotional skills.
  • For our Teen Life Interns:  Two 12-week support and psychoeducational evening groups per week (normally same gender group) for any interested Teen Life Intern, fall and spring semesters.
  • Large group mental health education sessions: 3 sessions per year for teen interns; 2 Community Time sessions per year for ASC students
  • NCK Abuse Prevention Training: 1 all-staff adult training (mandatory) per year; 1 teen staff training per year (before fall semester begins)
  • Trauma Training: 1 all staff adult training using Brighter Day Understanding Trauma Curriculum
  • Crisis Intervention: as needed with NCK individuals and families
  • Community Connecting: meeting with local mental health orgs or attending local mental health events that would 
  • CEU’s and Conferences: complete yearly required CEUs, which can include one conference
  • Grant support: assist grant writing team with Brighter Day narrative, info., etc as needed
  • Weekly Supervision: 1.5 hrs/wk
  • Weekly site staff meeting: 1.5 hrs/wk

REQUIREMENTS
  • Master’s degree and driver’s license required; Spanish language skills helpful (but not required)
  • MSW, LSW, LLPC or LCSW
  • Christian commitment – mature person of Christian faith as defined by the Apostle’s Creed, with an active prayer life and church involvement, and aligned with New City Kids’ statement of faith: www.newcitykids.org/statement-of-faith
  • Dedicated team member – flexible and willing to complete tasks that may fall outside one’s job description, and able to make things happen without being micromanaged
  • Emotional maturity – self-aware, teachable, sensitive to and knowledgeable about cross-cultural issues, and able to wisely engage with youth living in challenging or traumatic environments
  • Persistent – pursues relationships even with ‘difficult’ people with both a Christ-like insistence and gentleness/humility; pursues work goals to their completion in the face of challenges
  • Relational – skillful listener, trustworthy, reliable, professional and mature role model for children and teens.
DETAILS
  • Completes Brighter Day Training with:  Brighter Day Director
  • Supervisors: Brighter Day Director, On site: ED, Center Director, or other designated staff (designated by ED)
  • Job Level:  PR-03
  • FLSA Status: Non-exempt
  • Compensation: $60-65K
  • Hours: 40/week
  • Start date: TBD
Compensation: $60,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.





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