Careers and Internships
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy: Family & Children’s Service provides equal opportunity employment to all employees and applicants for positions with the organization. No individual will be discriminated against in application, hiring or employment on the basis of race, age, culture, ability, ethnicity or nationality, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, religious affiliation, and socioeconomic status. Additionally, Family & Children’s Service’s policies and practices in application, hiring and employment are developed to be consistent with all applicable local, state and federally mandated obligations imposed through regulation or statute, which govern employment practices. This policy applies to all agency positions.
Benefits offered by Family and Children’s Service:
- Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and holiday schedule.
- Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage options for employees and eligible dependents.
- Option to create a hybrid office/home work schedule.
- Pre-tax savings options: FSA, self-funded; HSA, employer contribution (depending on medical plan participation.
- Enhanced Short Term Disability, Free Basic Life and AD&D.
- 403(b) Retirement Plan with employer contributions after one year of employment.
Title: Open Doors Runaway and Homeless Youth Advocate
Department: Youth and Outreach Services
Status: Full- Time, Non-Exempt (35 hours/week)
Responsible To: Open Doors Crisis Therapist/Team Leader
Starting Salary: $42,000
General Summary:The Open Doors Runaway and Homeless Youth Worker provides crisis intervention, case management, and mentorship to youth who are facing housing instability or homelessness, or are at risk of leaving home without a safe option for alternative housing. Responsibilities include developing, implementing, and monitoring individual service plans, responding to youth in crisis on a rotational on-call basis, community outreach and education, providing transportation, and connecting youth with additional community supports. All eligible candidates must have auto insurance and have consistent access to a vehicle.
The successful candidate for this position will have a passion for providing safety and support for adolescents and young adults, demonstrate readiness to work in an agency committed to anti-racist and equitable practices in all facets of service, and have the knowledge and skills to provide attuned and trauma-informed support for LGBTQ+ youth. Candidates with relevant lived experience are encouraged to apply, regardless of level of education.
Click for Full Job Description
Responsibilities:
- Carries a varied caseload of youth (age 12 – 21) and performs all related case management activities including:
a. Completes intakes, assessments and determines case plan; implements and monitors case plan, and develops appropriate aftercare plan.
b. Provides a bridge of support and advocacy between youth and the systems to which they are connected.
c. Maintains flexibility of time to accommodate client needs; responds to crises, emergencies and difficult situations immediately or as soon as possible.
d. Assists youth to secure needed material items including, but not limited to, food, clothing, access to transportation, school supplies, and phone payment cards. - Responsible for on-call coverage, typically one week per month with an additional week every third month. Backs up other staff in crisis or emergency situations, additionally provides coverage during other staff absences.
- Available to make and monitor shelter placements when necessary
- Assumes all responsibilities of a mandated reporter.
The information presented here is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this classification. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.
Qualifications:
The Runaway and Homeless Youth Worker should either have relevant lived experiences, possess a Bachelor’s Degree in a Human Service-related field, or have comparable education and experience working with vulnerable populations. The ideal candidate should also demonstrate familiarity with community youth services, the juvenile justice system, and knowledge about the needs for the social and emotional growth of youth. Candidates MUST demonstrate a commitment to inclusive and equitable practices and are expected to engage in ongoing training and supervision in responsive and effective work with people from minoritized population groups. Knowledge about the needs of LGBTQ+ youth, youth with significant mental health needs, and abused and exploited youth is critical to working in the Open Doors program.
Requirements:
- The ability to work well independently and on a team, to collaborate well with other organizations, advisory groups, staff and the public.
Commitment to an organizational culture that centers the importance of diversity, equity, and cultural responsiveness and that contributes to an inclusive working and learning environment. - A valid driver’s license, auto insurance, and consistent access to a vehicle.
- The ability to operate a computer and other general office equipment.
- Successful completion of a background screening of applicant’s driving record, any indicated reports of child abuse or maltreatment, and criminal history. Successful completion does not mean someone has to have a perfect record in order to secure this position. It means that any concerning history will be discussed and assessed on a case-by-case basis. All screening information with be held as confidential.
Please send a resume and cover letter to the email or address listed below:
If you have questions about the position prior to submitting an application, you can email or call.
Email to: ltsui@fcsith.org
Attn: Lora Tsui, Open Doors Team Leader/ Crisis Counselor
Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca
127 W. MLK Jr. / State Street, Floor 1
Ithaca, NY 14850
Title: Psychiatrist
Department: Clinic
Status: Open to Part-Time or Full-Time
Responsible To: Director of Clinical Services
Starting Salary: $140.00/hour
General Summary:
We are seeking a Psychiatrist to assist us in managing the psychotropic medication needs of our therapy clients. We are currently seeking a psychiatric provider to join our dynamic clinical team in providing high quality, client-centered, affordable mental health services in a supportive and collaborative work environment via in person and telehealth modalities. The successful candidate for this position will have experience assessing and treating individuals with mental illness and the corresponding interpersonal and systemic challenges that come with that. They will also demonstrate readiness to work in an inclusive agency culture specifically committed to anti-racist practices in all facets of service.
We strive to maintain busy but manageable caseloads, for the dual purpose of quality of client care and staff resiliency. Our clientele comes from all segments of Tompkins County, giving our psychiatric providers the opportunity to have diverse clinical experiences in terms of clinical presentation, functional ability, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, educational background, and racial and ethnic identity. We are a NYS Office of Mental Health licensed clinic, as well as a national health services corps approved site (NHSC). We also offer professional development opportunities in the form of monthly psychiatric case consultation meetings, monthly psychiatric administrative team meetings, monthly all clinic staff meetings, periodic in-house staff presentations and ad hoc case conferences/consultations.
Click for Full Job Description
Responsibilities
- Evaluate new and returning patients for psychiatric services
- Manage between appointment refill requests with clients through support of psychiatric nurse and support team
- Manage medications through ongoing monitoring and adjustment, including adding extra appointments and/or patient phone calls when urgent needs arise
- Consult with in house therapists regarding shared patients
- Complete prior authorizations as needed
- Assist with managing caseload by encouraging clients to step up or step down levels of care as needed to ensure that we have continued capacity for specialty psychiatric care
- Review and sign off on treatment plans completed by therapists and consult as needed on recommended course of care, as needed
- Additional responsibilities as assigned by the director of clinical services
Required Qualifications
- Licensed as a board certified psychiatrist in New York
- Expert knowledge regarding HIPAA and privacy regulations
- Demonstrated knowledge, awareness, and skills regarding mental illnesses, the psychotropic medications used to address their symptoms, and common issues that arise when managing them
- Commitment to continuing to learn about impact of culture and identity in the healthcare environment
Additional Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with clients across the age spectrum, from young children to older adults
- Experience working with marginalized communities and the intersecting systems that impact them including those who experience homelessness, food insecurity, poverty, racism, homophobia/transphobia, ableism, etc.
- Experience working in a facility licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health
Title: Billing Clerk
Department: Billing
Status: Full- Time, non-exempt (37.5 hours/week); Eligible for hybrid remote/in person work
Responsible To: Finance Director
Starting Salary: $19.50/hour
General Summary:
We are seeking a Billing Clerk who will work with members of our Billing Team to provide excellent customer service to our clients, and help with the functioning of our billing operations. When you join Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca (F&CS) as the Billing Clerk, you will be responsible for ensuring that our clients are informed about our financial assistance program. You will also answer any questions that clients may have about their bills, work on the back end to verify clients’ insurance coverage and credential our clinicians, and serve as a liaison between our billing and support services teams.
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Key Deliverables & Responsibilities:
- Ensures that all clients are aware of F&CS’ financial assistance program and assists clients in applying for financial assistance.
- Responds in a timely manner to client inquiries regarding their bills.
- Responds in a timely manner to clinician inquiries about client payment responsibilities.
- Verifies insurance coverage for clients.
- Serves as a liaison between the billing team and the clinic administrative team.
- Responsible for maintaining correspondence with all partnering insurance companies to confirm client insurance benefit/coverage.
- Reviews closed accounts and forwards any accounts with balances to Billing Specialist for review before a final statement is mailed to client
- Responsible to alert Billing Specialist when client accounts become delinquent.
- Runs the Medicaid exclusion list on a monthly basis.
- Completes credentialing paperwork in collaboration with clinicians.
- Responsible for providing general support to the Billing Specialist.
- Must adhere to professional standards, F&CS policies and procedures, federal, state, and local requirements, and OMH standards, including HIPAA requirements.
- Other assignments and tasks may be added at the discretion of the Revenue Cycle Manager and Director of Finance.
Minimum Qualifications
- High school diploma or G.E.D.
- Prior experience working in a medical/therapeutic office working within a Medicaid and private insurance reimbursement environment
- Excellent communication skills
- Detail orientation
- Ability to perform several job functions concurrently
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
- Ability to operate a computer and other general office equipment
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience in medical billing and/or coding
- Prior experience with insurance verification
Title: Psychiatric Nurse Provider
Department: Mental Health Clinic
Status: Full time and part time positions available
Responsible To: Director of Clinical Services
Hourly Rate: $110.0/hour
General Summary:
We are seeking a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to assist us in managing the psychotropic medication needs of our therapy clients. We are currently seeking a psychiatric provider to join our dynamic clinical team in providing high quality, client-centered, affordable mental health services in a supportive and collaborative work environment via in person and telehealth modalities. The successful candidate for this position will have experience assessing and treating individuals with mental illness and the corresponding interpersonal and systemic challenges that come with that. They will also demonstrate readiness to work in an inclusive agency culture specifically committed to anti-racist practices in all facets of service.
We strive to maintain busy but manageable caseloads, for the dual purpose of quality of client care and staff resiliency. Our clientele comes from all segments of Tompkins County, giving our psychiatric providers the opportunity to have diverse clinical experiences in terms of clinical presentation, functional ability, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, educational background, and racial and ethnic identity. We are a NYS Office of Mental Health licensed clinic, as well as a national health services corps approved site (NHSC). We also offer professional development opportunities in the form of monthly psychiatric case consultation meetings, monthly psychiatric administrative team meetings, monthly all clinic staff meetings, periodic in-house staff presentations and ad hoc case conferences/consultations.
Click for Full Job Description
Responsibilities
- Evaluate new and returning patients for psychiatric services
- Manage between appointment refill requests with clients through support of psychiatric nurse and support team
- Manage medications through ongoing monitoring and adjustment, including adding extra appointments and/or patient phone calls when urgent needs arise
- Consult with in house therapists regarding shared patients
- Complete prior authorizations as needed
- Assist with managing caseload by encouraging clients to step up or step down levels of care as needed to ensure that we have continued capacity for specialty psychiatric care
- Review and sign off on treatment plans completed by therapists and consult as needed on recommended course of care, as needed
- Additional responsibilities as assigned by the director of clinical services
Required Qualifications
- Licensed as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in New York
- Expert knowledge regarding HIPAA and privacy regulations
- Demonstrated knowledge, awareness, and skills regarding mental illnesses, the psychotropic medications used to address their symptoms, and common issues that arise when managing them
- Commitment to continuing to learn about impact of culture and identity in the healthcare environment
Additional Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with clients across the age spectrum, from young children to older adults
- Experience working with marginalized communities and the intersecting systems that impact them including those who experience homelessness, food insecurity, poverty, racism, homophobia/transphobia, ableism, etc.
- Experience working in a facility licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health
Title: Child Family Clinician
Department: Mental Health Clinic
Status: Full- Time, Non-Exempt; Eligible for hybrid remote/in person work (Part-Time positions also available)
Responsible To: Director of Clinical Services
Starting Salary: $50,000
General Summary:
We are currently seeking a full time child and family therapist to join our dynamic clinical team in providing high quality, client-centered, affordable psychotherapy services in a supportive and collaborative work environment. The person selected for this position will have a caseload that consists primarily of youth (the full age range under 18) and their families; however, there will be some opportunity to diversify a caseload with clients of other ages if desired. The successful candidate for this position will have experience assessing and treating youth and families with significant behavioral and emotional challenges, and the corresponding interpersonal and systemic issues that arise from these. They will also demonstrate readiness to work in an inclusive agency culture specifically committed to anti-racist practices in all facets of service.
We offer professional development opportunities in the form of weekly clinical supervision (twice weekly for new staff), weekly clinical team meetings, reimbursement and leave time for outside trainings, and periodic in-house CEU-eligible staff presentations. We strive to maintain busy but manageable caseloads, for the dual purpose of quality of client care and staff resiliency. Our clientele comes from all segments of Tompkins County, giving our therapists the opportunity to have diverse clinical experiences in terms of clinical presentation, functional ability, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, educational background, and racial and ethnic identity. We are a NYS Office of Mental Health licensed clinic, as well as a national health services corps approved site (NHSC).
Part time positions may be available; please inquire regardless of desired number of hours. This position will be primarily in person; however hybrid arrangements will be considered as long as they are in line with current client demand for care.
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Responsibilities:
Candidates must possess a master’s or doctorate degree in a mental health field, with preference given to those with a NY license enabling them to practice independently. Our ideal candidate would have a minimum of two years of post-master’s experience providing therapy to children and teens in an outpatient setting. Candidates must be able build rapport with clientele who are diverse in their race, culture, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and abilities.
Contact Information: Please email a cover letter and resume to
Attn: cmccarter@fcsith.org
Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca
127 W. State Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Responsibilities:
Candidates must possess a master’s or doctorate degree in a mental health field, with preference given to those with a NY license enabling them to practice independently. Our ideal candidate would have a minimum of two years of post-master’s experience providing therapy to children and teens in an outpatient setting. Candidates must be able build rapport with clientele who are diverse in their race, culture, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and abilities.
Contact Information: Please email a cover letter and resume to
Attn: cmccarter@fcsith.org
Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca
127 W. State Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Clinical Internships
We accept internship applications only during a specific time period each year, generally around February for the following year’s interns. Please watch this site for application dates to be posted for the 2025-2026 school year!
For students in programs that require two internships, such as many traditional MSW programs, our site is only appropriate for a second-year internship. We will consider applications on a case-by-case basis for programs with a different structure. We generally get far more applications than we can accommodate. Ideal candidates would be interested in a broad-based experience that would provide exposure to working with a wide range of ages and issues, including children, teens, and adults of all ages.
If interested, please send a resume and cover letter to Judy Clay, Lead Clinical Supervisor, Manager of Client Care, at jclay@fcsith.org. In your cover letter, please address why you think a placement with us would benefit you and the agency. We will try to respond promptly to applications and interview the candidates who feel like the best fit. Thanks for your interest! We look forward to reading your application materials.
For clinical internships, F&CS accepts graduate students in mental health disciplines (social work, mental health counseling). (Psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and creative arts therapist trainees should inquire- availability may vary.) Mental Health Counseling Students: We can host students who wish to perform their practicum and internship successively at the same site. However, we do not host practicum-only students.
We require a two-semester minimum commitment. Applications for the Fall and Spring semesters should be submitted in March of the previous academic year. Students who are interested in an alternate start date are encouraged to inquire about availability. Students should be aware that our site typically requires more than the minimum weekly hours required by most programs to meet the required face-to-face hours components. Internship hours are scheduled during business hours only.
In our clinical internship, students will work with an identified caseload of individual psychotherapy clients. There may be opportunities to work with groups and with our EAP or intake services. Students receive at least weekly individual supervision and group supervision and access to staff training and professional development.
Strong preference is given to students with previous human service experience and those looking to develop skills working with underserved populations, particularly young children.