Clinician (Drop-In Center)

Job Description: Drop-In Center Clinician

About Sasha Bruce Youthwork (SBY)

Sasha Bruce Youthwork (SBY) is a leading provider of services for youth experiencing homelessness in the DC region. Through the holistic integration of our Pillars of Opportunity—safe homes, life skills, and workforce development—we address the complex and unique needs of young people and their families.

For over 50 years, SBY has led innovative efforts to end youth homelessness. Today, our programs in Washington, DC, and Prince George’s County, MD, reach thousands of runaway, homeless, abused, and neglected youth and their families annually.

About the Drop-In Center

Sasha Bruce Youthwork’s Drop-In Center provides a safe, welcoming, and low-barrier environment for young adults experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The Center is open Monday-Friday during business hours with one weekend a month, and offers essential resources and supportive services, including meals, clothing, showers, harm reduction, case management, and connections to housing, education, employment, and other community resources. Through consistent, relationship-centered support, the Center helps young people address immediate needs, access services, and work toward greater stability and independence.

Position Summary

The Drop-In Center Clinician provides short-term therapeutic support, crisis intervention, and clinical case management to young adults ages 18–24 accessing SBY’s Drop-In Center. Working in a fast-paced, community-based setting, the Clinician supports young people experiencing a range of mental health and psychosocial challenges, including serious mental illness, substance use, homelessness, and complex medical and social needs.

The Clinician responds to immediate behavioral health concerns, conducts suicide risk assessments and other clinical risk screenings, develops safety plans, and supports clients in accessing appropriate levels of care. They provide individual counseling and facilitate psychoeducational and therapeutic groups while maintaining an ongoing caseload of clients with more complex behavioral health needs. A key responsibility is helping clients successfully connect to and engage with ongoing mental health and substance use services, including developing referral pathways and collaborative relationships with community providers.

The Clinician works closely with the Drop-In Center team to provide coordinated, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and harm-reduction-oriented support that promotes safety, engagement, and stability.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

· Provide brief individual counseling, supportive therapy, and therapeutic interventions to young adults experiencing homelessness, housing instability, and other psychosocial challenges.

· Maintain an ongoing caseload of Drop-In Center clients with complex behavioral health needs, providing short-term stabilization, ongoing support, and assistance accessing appropriate services.

· Conduct suicide risk assessments, assess for psychosis and other acute psychiatric concerns, identify immediate safety needs, and develop collaborative safety plans.

· Provide on-site crisis intervention and de-escalation, using trauma-informed and person-centered approaches to support clients experiencing acute emotional distress or behavioral health crises.

· Help determine appropriate next steps when clients require additional support, including facilitating access to emergency psychiatric evaluations, crisis services, and higher levels of care when indicated.

· Facilitate therapeutic and psychoeducational groups on topics such as mental health, stress management, mindfulness, healthy relationships, grief and loss, emotional regulation, coping skills, substance use, and other topics relevant to the needs and interests of Drop-In Center participants.

· Provide clinical case management to help clients identify needs, navigate service systems, overcome barriers to care, and access appropriate community-based supports.

· Develop and maintain referral pathways and collaborative relationships with DC mental health and substance use treatment providers, including Core Service Agencies, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams, day treatment, and other community-based programs.

· Coordinate referrals and follow up with clients and providers to support successful service engagement, continuity of care, and transitions between levels of care.

· Coordinate with hospitals, emergency departments, primary care providers, housing and homeless services, and other community partners as needed to address the complex needs of clients on the Clinician’s caseload.

· Collaborate closely with Drop-In Center staff to identify clients who may benefit from clinical support, inform individualized approaches to engagement, and coordinate responses to behavioral health concerns within the Center.

· Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and provide clinical consultation to support client safety, engagement, and service planning.

· Contribute to a welcoming, low-barrier environment that respects client autonomy, prioritizes relationship-building, and incorporates harm reduction and strengths-based approaches.

· Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential documentation in accordance with agency policies and applicable confidentiality requirements.

· Track service delivery and contribute to data collection, reporting, and quality improvement activities as required by SBY.

· Participate in regular clinical supervision with the Clinical Director, as well as program meetings, internal and external trainings, and professional development opportunities.

· Demonstrate a commitment to trauma-informed, culturally responsive, anti-oppressive, and youth-centered practice.

· Perform other duties as assigned by the Program Director or designee.

Qualifications

· Master’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology, or a related field.

· Licensure to practice in Washington, DC, independently or under supervision (LICSW, LGSW, LPC, or LGPC).

· Experience providing counseling, clinical support, or behavioral health services to young adults or other vulnerable populations.

· Knowledge of mental health assessment, suicide risk assessment, crisis intervention, safety planning, and de-escalation.

· Strong interpersonal, communication, and group facilitation skills, with the ability to build trusting relationships with young adults experiencing challenges.

· Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, community-based setting and respond flexibly to changing client needs and emerging crises.

· Strong organizational, case management, and care coordination skills, including the ability to follow through on referrals and navigate complex service systems.

· Commitment to trauma-informed, culturally responsive, harm-reduction-oriented, and strengths-based practice.

· Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external community partners.

· Commitment to racial equity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and Sasha Bruce Youthwork’s mission.

Preferred Qualifications:

· Experience working with individuals experiencing serious mental illness, including psychosis, and/or co-occurring substance use and mental health concerns.

· Experience serving individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

· Familiarity with DC’s behavioral health system, including Core Service Agencies, ACT teams, intensive community-based services, and substance use treatment programs.

· Knowledge of harm reduction, motivational interviewing, and other approaches that support engagement in services.

Additional Information

· This is a full-time, salaried, in-person position with benefits. The Clinician will report administratively to the Chief of Programs and receive clinical supervision from the Clinical Director.

· The standard schedule is during regular program hours. However, the Drop In Center will be open one weekend a month and all staff are required to work.

· Clinical supervision toward independent licensure will be provided, as applicable.

· If an offer is extended, the candidate will be required to successfully complete a criminal background check, FBI fingerprinting, and any additional screenings required by funders or licensing bodies.

· Sasha Bruce Youthwork is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability status.