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Prevention Services Clinician

Positions located in:

  • Albany County
  • Columbia County
  • Fulton County
  • Greene County
  • Rensselaer County
  • Saratoga County
  • Schenectady County
  • Washington County

Requirements and education:

  • Master’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology or related field
  • 1 year related experience.
  • NYS professional licensure/limited permit (LMFT, LMSW, LMHC, LCSW, LCAT) welcomed but not required
  • NYS driver license with a reliable vehicle (position requires up to 50% community travel for client home visits)

A Day in the Life of a Prevention Services Clinician

As a prevention services clinician, Carey spends a lot of time in client homes, providing therapeutic counseling and support to children and their caregivers to help maintain safe households and improve functioning in the community. Carey is part of a multidisciplinary team that also provides case management for housing, food insecurity, and other basic needs.

Here’s how a typical day goes for Carey:

8:00 am Carey loads her car with games, worksheets, and other activities, her work mobile phone and laptop, plus everything else she’ll need for the day.
8:30 am Thinking about the newly-engaged family, Carey calls her supervisor from the car to touch base about a finer point regarding the care and an idea she has had for their work together. Her supervisor shares an experience that may help, and reminds Carey that the whole team supports her.
9:00 am Carey arrives at the home of the newly-engaged caregiver, who has recently finished their monthlong assessment. Carey shares the final draft of the treatment plan that everyone worked on together, including specific goals set by both the 8-year-old child and her parents.
9:45 am After answering a few questions from the caregiver and because it’s a day off from school, Carey helps the child complete a few worksheets, taking time to talk about the new school the child will be starting later that week. Carey works from a trauma-informed lens, using her knowledge of the child’s history to delicately help the child work through her anxiety about a new environment.
11:00 am Carey heads to a local coffee shop to type up her notes and make additions to the child’s case file.
12:00 pm Two members of Carey’s team arrive at the coffee shop, and they enjoy a quick lunch.
12:30 pm Carey heads to a local middle school for a meeting with a client and the school social worker. The client excitedly shares that he has been chosen for a part in the school play. Carey and the social worker express their support, and then gently guide the conversation to a discussion of some recent absences from class. The trio develops a strategy to help the client work through his frustrations in English class, the main reason he’d been claiming to have stomachaches and needed to go home.
2:00 pm Carey is at her desk for the first time today. She returns emails and checks in with other members of her team.
2:30 pm Team meeting. The group comes together for one of its regular meetings to discuss different cases, compare notes and impressions, celebrate successes, and strategize as a team to overcome challenges. Carey and a support worker have different interpretations of one client’s reaction to some bad news; they have a productive and respectful discussion, and work to achieve consensus.
4:15 pm Carey arrives at the home of a client scheduled to be discharged next week. The client’s caregiver expresses concern about where they’ll turn for help when Carey isn’t in their home twice a week anymore; Carey smiles and reminds them of the incredible network of community support, including doctors, therapists, and other professionals, that they’ve developed over the past year.
4:30 pm Carey and the child get into her car to drive to a local ice cream parlor. The child, for the first time in her life, asks if she can order her sundae herself. “I think that’s a great idea,” Carey says, “and can you order me a hot fudge sundae with extra whipped cream?” Carey is thrilled to hear the request, as the client has a history of being very fearful and shy in public places.
5:15 pm Carey returns the youth to her home, and makes sure the caregiver has the list of important phone numbers pinned to the refrigerator. “You’ve got this.” Carey says.
5:30 pm Carey returns to her office, drops off some papers, and collects what she’ll need tomorrow. Tomorrow’s first meeting isn’t until 10:00 a.m., but since she has a 6:00 p.m. meeting with another family she’ll get to sleep in for an extra hour.