Clinician, Chicago Torture Justice Center, Chicago, IL
Listed: 01-10-2022
Employer: Chicago Torture Justice Center | 16337 S. Woodlawn, Chicago, IL 60637 | 773-966-6666
Website: www.chicagotorturejustice.org
Location: Chicago, IL
Type: Full-time
Contact: Shalom Parker
Download: Job Description
Background
On May 6, 2015, in response to a movement spanning three decades, the Chicago City Council passed historic legislation providing reparations to the survivors of racially motivated police torture committed between 1972 and 1991–specifically, the twenty years of police torture orchestrated by Commander Jon Burge and detectives under his command. This makes Chicago the first municipality in the United States to provide reparations to those harmed by racially motivated law enforcement violence. The push for reparations was driven by the lack of redress for systemic harms; the package provides for financial compensation to the survivors; job training; free education at the City Colleges; an official apology; required teaching in the Chicago public schools; and a public memorial. Lastly, the Ordinance requires the creation of a community center informed by the needs of survivors of police torture, their family members, and community members. The Center is the first in the nation to provide specialized trauma services to those tortured by law enforcement officials within the U.S. For more information about the reparations movement in Chicago, we invite you to read Reparations: A Blueprint to address systemic police violence by Joey Mogul and Chicago Torture Victim: The War Isn’t Over Yet by Darrell Cannon.
Position Summary
Under direction of the Clinical Director, Clinician provides trauma-informed, strengths-based interventions to the Center’s participants in alignment with the Center’s guiding principle, Politicized Healing framework, and Community Counseling model. Interventions include assessments, clinical counseling, and case management services. Clinician provides direction to the staff team for the implementation of treatment plans as needed and works to expand the Center’s services and engage new participants through building of relationships with other community agencies. Clinician also provides participant advocacy, broad-based community services, and psycho-educational groups to community members and participants on topics such as the impact of police violence and trauma. Clinician will work in a dynamic team environment co-creating a three-part path of restoration for community members: dismantle (political work), create (visioning the world we need), healing (individual services + community life). All services provided at the Center are free (we do not accept insurance or Medicaid), and we prioritize a non-pathologizing model of care (we do not diagnose, unless specifically requested)
Essential Skills and Experience
Clinical license required, or on pathway to attaining clinical license within 12 months
At least 2 years of experience providing case management and clinical services
Must be able to build and maintain strong collaborative, participant-centered healing relationships with participants and their families
Knowledge of research literature and treatment models around race-based trauma and community counseling approaches and willingness to engage in research activities
Comfortability applying a political analysis to mental health, its history, and its service gaps for impacted communities
Willingness to embrace a Community Counseling Model including providing educational workshops to the public, conduct and present research, advocating for the rights of participants in a court setting.
Experience working with formerly incarcerated folks, including an awareness of the unique needs of populations impacted by carceral systems and how that requires adjustments to typical service models
Experience working with and within African-American communities and an analysis of how individual service models do not meet the needs of this community
Experience working with communities impacted by police violence. Familiarity with impacts of state violence, in particular with how community members may struggle with institutional settings like hospitals, clinical rooms, etc.
Flexibility to meet in different locations
Experience working with participants from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Understanding of harm reduction, community-based organizing, trauma-informed systems of care, impacts of torture and healing justice highly regarded
Proven success cultivating relationships with program participants, staff, community groups, and other related agencies
Experience with record keeping systems preferred
Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal skills
Familiarity with Chicago
How to Apply
Please submit your resume and brief answers to the following questions (max two pages total) to Shalom Parker at shalom@chicagotorturejustice.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 1) Describe how your race and cultural identity influence your clinical work with participants from lower socio-economic backgrounds and people of color. 2) Discuss your understanding of the various systems of oppression that impact survivors of police torture, police violence, and incarceration; and how that would impact your clinical approach to treatment. 3) How do you understand the ethics around multiple relationships when it comes to working in community mental health with people of color?
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