Maternity Counselor

The Maternity Counselor serves in a strategic function at Buckner Children and Family Services providing counseling, crisis intervention, and education to pregnant participants and parents of young children. The Maternity Counselor conducts outreach to hospitals, crisis pregnancy centers, and other community organizations serving expectant parents to increase community collaboration to promote positive infant and maternal health outcomes. The Maternity Counselor will facilitate infant adoptive placements by supporting a potential birth family, and provide therapeutic services to the child, adoptive parents, and birth parents after the adoption, when needed, adhering to licensing standards and Texas law. This position requires the candidate to be bilingual in English and Spanish.

What you'll do:

• Analyze Life Design Maternity Counseling clinical program needs by developing, modifying, implementing and monitoring the program to best meet the changing needs of clients.
• Demonstrate operational competence in managing resources, including grant funding, and donations, particularly in relationship to client assistance.
• Complete needs assessments and develop individual therapeutic goals/action plans with clients. Monitor progress to mutually determine personal growth and to evaluate continuation of counseling services.
• Provide timely and appropriate services to clients as agreed with clients, and referral sources.
• Provide therapeutic services in individual, family, and group settings for clients and their families, including, but not limited to, planning, and implementation.
• Comply with quality assurance in treatment, case maintenance, and customer service.
• Support the open adoption philosophy that Buckner practices within the adoption ministry.
• Provide education to expectant parents on the adoption process to include the legal documents, court hearings, rights and responsibilities for parents who choose adoption.
• Complete all legal documents for adoption to occur in court, including paternity registry, and ensure attorney is provided documents in a timely manner and kept up to date throughout potential birth parent’s pregnancy and hospital stay. Attend court hearings as requested by attorney.
• Accurately and timely document individual, family, and group therapies in accordance with established guidelines and licensing standards.
• Serve as an advocate for clients and educate clients on community resources to support their well-being long-term.
• Respond in a timely manner to referrals, providing regular updates to referral sources when appropriate.
• Actively participate in staffings, the Clinical Consulting System, and on-call rotation when requested.
• Perform regular audits on client charts. Report any documentation errors to supervisor immediately. Accurately and timely correct all errors in accordance with established guidelines.
• Travel as needed to meet business needs.
• Work nights and weekends as required to meet business needs.
• Immediately and appropriately report suspected child abuse and/or neglect to supervisor, appropriate law enforcement agency, and DFPS.

What you’ll bring:

• Requires in-depth understanding of a comprehensive field of knowledge normally associated with the attainment of a Master’s Degree. Involves ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw conclusions dealing with abstract variables.  Requires LCSW, LMFT or LMSW working toward an LCSW through the Texas State Board of Social Workers Examiners or an LCP or a Masters in Psychology working toward an LPC licensure.
• Minimum 3 years prior related experience working with children and families required.
• Must maintain current, valid Social Work/LPC/LMFT licensure throughout the duration of employment and contribute to own professional growth and development by attending accredited workshops, conferences, and other training to enhance program services.
• Requires ability to read, write, speak, and understand English sufficiently to perform the essential functions of the position, including communication with clients, volunteers, and community partners, documentation, and collaboration with staff. Spanish language proficiency required, including the ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing, due to the need to regularly serve Spanish speaking clients.
• Requires knowledge and understanding of the legalities involved with medical/clinical intervention.
• Requires ability to drive assigned vehicle(s) or personal vehicle, with appropriate state license, following all laws applicable; must provide proof of liability insurance and must be eligible to be insured under Buckner’s insurance policy. Must be age 21 or older to drive on behalf of Buckner.
• Requires ability to use up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force continuously to move objects and/or people.
• Requires ability to walk, stand and sit, sometimes for prolonged periods of time.

The above description reflects the details considered necessary to describe the essential functions of the job and should not be construed as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be performed in the job.