About the role
Position Function
The Staff Clinician (Child Trauma) is located in the Department of Psychology at MSU Behavioral Health and reports to the Project Director of the Mississippi Youth Resilience Center, Dr. Agnes Rieger, who is the supervisor of record. The position is the treating clinician for the center: it provides evidence-based trauma treatment to children, adolescents, and their caregivers in Mississippi, in person and by telehealth. The position carries a direct clinical caseload; it also participates in the national learning collaborative and fidelity activities the National Child Traumatic Stress Network requires, and helps train the advanced graduate clinicians the award supports.
Salary Grade: 14
Please see Staff Compensation Structure for salary ranges.
Department Profile
The Department of Psychology is within the College of Arts & Sciences. It houses 25 full-time faculty members, over 800 undergraduates, and about 45 doctoral students in our Cognitive Science and Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs.
Area of Specialization
Psychology, Counseling, Social Work, or any Mental Health Related Field
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The following examples are intended as illustrations only of the various types of duties assigned to this position. The absence of a specific statement of duties does not exclude a task from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment of the position.
- Provides Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) to children and adolescents affected by trauma and to their caregivers, with fidelity to the model.
- Provides Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) adapted for trauma (Trauma-Directed Interaction, TDI) to young children and caregivers, with fidelity to the model.
- Completes trauma-informed intake, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and outcome measurement using MY-REC protocols.
- Maintains timely, accurate clinical documentation in the clinic's electronic health record and enters the data elements required for SPARS and National Child Traumatic Stress Network reporting.
- Delivers services in person at the clinic, by telehealth, and where the project requires it in school or community settings across the catchment area.
- Participates in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network learning collaborative, required model trainings and consultation calls, and fidelity monitoring and adherence review.
- Provides clinical training, modeling, and case consultation for the advanced doctoral clinicians the award supports, and supervises them where licensure permits.
- Coordinates with the project Case Manager on family engagement, wraparound services, and re-engagement of families who miss appointments.
- Follows MSU Behavioral Health crisis, safety, and mandatory reporting protocols, including child abuse reporting obligations under Mississippi law.
- Handles all patient information in accordance with HIPAA, state law, and University policy.
- Attends project, clinic, and sponsor meetings and trainings as required, and performs related duties as assigned by the Project Director.
The Staff Clinician exercises independent clinical judgment in assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and the pacing and adaptation of manualized treatment within model fidelity, consistent with the applicable scope of practice, licensing board rules, the ethical code of the profession, MSU Behavioral Health clinical policies, and the terms of the Notice of Award. Supervision and ongoing training are provided. Decisions about the project's service model, target population, or performance measures are referred to the Project Director. Imminent risk, suspected abuse or neglect, and medical emergencies are handled under clinic protocol and reported as required by law.
This position has no responsibility for hiring, evaluating, or disciplining employees. It provides clinical supervision or training-level oversight of graduate clinicians assigned to the project, consistent with the incumbent's license.
Minimum Qualifications
Education: Master's or doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology, social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, or a closely related clinical field.
Experience: Two years of direct clinical experience with children and adolescents, including trauma-affected children.
Substitutions Allowed: A doctoral degree with an accredited internship may substitute for one year of experience.
Required License / Certification: Independent Mississippi licensure to practice psychotherapy (Licensed Psychologist, LCSW, LPC, or LMFT) is preferred. License-eligible or provisionally licensed candidates who will practice under appropriate supervision will also be considered. Training in TF-CBT and in PCIT adapted for trauma (TDI) within the first year is required; training and certification costs are paid by the project. A valid driver's license and use of a personal vehicle for travel within the catchment area are required; mileage is reimbursed.
Preferred Qualifications
- Existing certification in TF-CBT, PCIT, or both.
- Experience delivering trauma treatment in rural, school, or community settings.
- Experience with children with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities.
- Experience with telehealth delivery of child and family treatment.
- Experience on a grant-funded program with fidelity monitoring and outcome data collection.
- Experience supervising or training graduate clinicians.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Ability to build therapeutic rapport quickly with traumatized children and with caregivers who may be reluctant to engage.
- Ability to deliver manualized treatment with fidelity while adapting to the family in front of you.
- Working knowledge of child development, trauma and its sequelae, and evidence-based treatment for both.
- Timely, accurate clinical documentation suitable for federal reporting and audit.
- Ability to recognize and act on risk, abuse, and safety concerns under clinic protocol and state law.
- Ability to work independently in community settings and to coordinate with schools, agencies, and courts.
Working Conditions and Physical Effort
- Light physical effort; therapeutic work with young children often involves sitting on the floor, moving about a playroom, and occasional lifting or carrying of materials up to 25 pounds.
- Work is performed in clinic, playroom, telehealth, school, and community settings, with regular travel by automobile within the catchment area.
- Limited exposure to physical risk associated with community and home-based contacts; the position follows clinic safety protocols for field visits.
Instructions for Applying
All applicants must apply online at https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/jobs and attach a resume/curriculum vitae and cover letter.
Restricted Clause
Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.
What do I do if I need an accommodation?
In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.