Sr. Mental Health Clinical Practitioner

Job Title:  Sr. Mental Health Clinical Practitioner

Work Arrangement:  Hybrid

Job Type:  Regular Full-Time

Classification:  Salaried, Exempt

Department:  US Programs, MKC

About Heartland Alliance International & Marjorie Kovler Center: Heartland Alliance International (HAI) is a global human rights organization advancing the health and human rights of marginalized communities. HAI implements programs addressing trauma-informed mental health care, access to justice for survivors of rights abuses, and stigma-free health services. Through innovative, equity-driven approaches, HAI promotes human rights protections and gender equality across its global and U.S.-based programs.

HAI's Marjorie Kovler Center (MKC), originally based in Chicago, is a nationally recognized treatment center for survivors of torture and severe trauma and their families. Serving individuals from more than 60 countries, MKC provides trauma-informed, culturally responsive mental health, medical, and social services. The center also advocates for the end of torture worldwide and for the rights of immigrant and refugee communities. HAI is now expanding the MKC into New York City, extending its nationally recognized survivor-centered model to reach more individuals and communities.

Summary: The Sr. Mental Health Clinical Practitioner provides advanced clinical expertise and leadership in the delivery and continuous improvement of mental health programming at MKC. This role supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of trauma-informed, survivor-centered services for refugees, asylum seekers, survivors of torture, and other individuals impacted by war, persecution, forced migration, and family separation.

The Sr. Mental Health Clinical Practitioner provides clinical consultation, mentorship, and guidance to members of the clinical team while maintaining a limited caseload of individuals and/or groups as appropriate. Working collaboratively with clinical leadership and multidisciplinary staff, this position promotes evidence-informed clinical practice, supports quality improvement initiatives, strengthens interdisciplinary coordination, and contributes to the strategic growth and effectiveness of MKC's mental health programs.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Clinical Services

• Provides high-quality, culturally and linguistically responsive, trauma-informed mental health services to refugees, asylum seekers, survivors of torture, and other individuals served by MKC.


• Conducts clinical screenings, biopsychosocial assessments, individual and group psychotherapy, psychoeducation workshops, crisis intervention, and safety planning, as appropriate.


• Delivers services through telehealth, in-office, and community-based settings to ensure equitable access to care.


• Provides advocacy, care coordination, referrals, and consultation to address clients' psychosocial needs and facilitate access to supportive services.


• Develops and engages in professional relationships with social service, health, legal and other governmental providers and agencies in support of participant goals.


• Maintains timely, accurate, and confidential clinical documentation, including assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, psychological affidavits, and other required reports.

Clinical Supervision and Capacity Building

• Conducts individual and/or group supervision for clinical graduate students and/or staff who are implementing trauma-informed therapy.


• Mentors students on forensic documentation and co-sign their psychological affidavits.


• Ensures supervisees’ completion of accurate, timely, high-quality clinical documentation.


• Provides training, presentations, and technical assistance on trauma, mental health, and the needs of refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of torture for community partners and multidisciplinary audiences.


• Represents the Marjorie Kovler Centers in local and national immigrant and refugee serving coalitions, work groups, and with other external partners.

Clinical Administration:

• Manages assigned cases and develops individualized treatment plans that establish realistic goals and measurable outcomes.


• Collaborates with internal staff and external partners to ensure coordinated, survivor-centered service delivery.


• Ensures documentation complies with organizational, legal, ethical, and funding requirements.


• Collaborates with Clinical leadership and other staff to review and maintain clinical policies, procedures, forms, and other clinical initiatives as needed.


• Contributes data and program information to support quality improvement, reporting, and program evaluation activities.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position does not supervise staff but provides clinical supervision for students.

Education and Experience:

• A a master's degree (M.A./M.S.) in social work, psychology, or related human service equivalent;


• A minimum of 5 years of experience working with relevant participant populations required.


• Full licensure to practice within New York (LCSW, LCPC or Clinical Psychologist) required.


• Language needs vary based on program and participant populations served. Bilingual proficiency in a language other than English (e.g., Spanish, French, Arabic, or Portuguese) required. 


• Must be authorization to work in the United States and have ability to travel domestically.

Preferred

• Strong understanding of trauma-informed care, human rights, public health, and culturally responsive service delivery.


• Ability to work effectively across cultures and in international environments.


• Experience working in global mental health, humanitarian services, refugee health, or international development.


• Record of scholarly publications, teaching, or speaking on trauma, mental health, public health, human rights, or related fields.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities (K/S/A):

• Proficiency in Microsoft 365


• Ability to remain calm, flexible, and solution-oriented in high-pressure or crisis situations.


• Commitment to ethical practice, confidentiality standards, and professional development.

Work Environment:

HAI has a dynamic and collaborative work environment. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment at the Marjorie Kovler Center is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing 


• Sit, reach with arms and work with hands to operate computers or equipment


• Stand, walk, climb stairs, and may need to kneel or crouch to access workspace equipment


• May occasionally need to lift or move items up to 10 pounds 

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement:

Heartland Alliance International makes all hiring and employment decisions, and operates all programs, services, and functions without regard to race, receipt of an order of protection, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, amnesty, physical or mental disability, protected veterans status, genetic information, sexual orientation, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief, use of FMLA, VESSA, military, and family military rights, ex-offender status (depending on the offense and position to be filled), unfavorable military discharge, membership in an organization whose primary purpose is the protection of civil rights or improvement of living conditions and human relations, height, weight, or HIV infection, in accord with the organization's AIDS Policy Statement of September 1987.