(50% JustCompassion Family Shelter | 50% Outpatient Therapist at PMHW)

Location: Portland, OR (JustCompassion Family Shelter, PMHW Portland-area locations)
Supervisor: Assigned PMHW Clinical Director, with collaborative oversight from JustCompassion Program Supervisor
Employee Classification: Exempt (Salaried)
Hours: Full-Time, 40 hours per week
Compensation: Salaried options based on licensure

Onboarding Timeline: Approximately 8–12 weeks
Apply now! Flexible Start Date

Portland Mental Health & Wellness (PMHW) is partnering with JustCompassion to expand behavioral health services for families experiencing housing instability. This role is a unique opportunity for a clinician who is committed to relational, culturally-responsive, trauma-informed, and community-centered mental health care. This position divides responsibilities evenly:

50% On-Site Behavioral Health Support at JustCompassion’s Family Shelter

Providing compassionate, trauma-informed, short-term behavioral health care, crisis response, care coordination, and navigation support to families staying in a 50-unit family shelter.

50% Outpatient Psychotherapy at PMHW Clinics

Offering high-quality, relationship-centered therapy to individuals, families, adolescents, and children using PMHW’s decolonizing, holistic, and liberation-focused clinical philosophy.

Clinicians in this role must be comfortable working in both a community-based shelter environment and a traditional outpatient mental health setting, collaborating across multidisciplinary teams, and providing care to families with complex needs.

As healers, therapists promote and facilitate mental and emotional well-being through prevention, treatment, stabilization, and maintenance services. In this hybrid role, clinicians support families navigating acute instability while also providing ongoing outpatient care through PMHW. Clinicians recognize that all voices are important and deserve to be heard, and approach their work with humility, equity, and a strong commitment to decolonizing mental health care.

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Essential Functions:

JustCompassion Responsibilities (50%)

Behavioral Health Support and Engagement

• Provide trauma-informed behavioral health support to families, including adults, children, and adolescents.
• Offer crisis intervention and emotional support for those experiencing acute distress.
• Conduct behavioral health assessments to identify strengths, needs, risks, and service gaps.
• Support families in developing coping skills, communication strategies, and healthy routines.
• Collaborate with caregivers to address behavioral concerns that affect family functioning.

Coordination and System Navigation

• Serve as a liaison between shelter residents and behavioral health, housing, medical, and culturally specific providers.
• Provide warm hand-offs to outpatient providers, including PMHW when appropriate.
• Participate in the development of integrated service plans with case management staff.

Crisis Response and Safety

• Respond to behavioral health crises using de-escalation, harm reduction, and trauma-responsive techniques.
• Participate in risk assessments related to suicidality, domestic violence, and substance use.
• Develop individualized behavioral support plans for families experiencing repeated crises.
• Help maintain a calm, safe, and supportive shelter environment.

Team Collaboration and Training

• Attend multidisciplinary meetings, case reviews, and team huddles.
• Provide behavioral health consultation and guidance to shelter staff.
• Assist in developing and delivering training related to trauma-informed care, boundaries, and de-escalation.

Documentation and Compliance

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all encounters, assessments, interventions, and referrals.
• Uphold confidentiality and all requirements related to ethical and compliant behavioral health practice.
• Track utilization data and outcomes in accordance with program expectations.

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PMHW Outpatient Therapist Responsibilities (50%)

Holistic, Relationship-Centered Therapy

• Provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed, relational psychotherapy to individuals and families.
• Conduct comprehensive assessments that incorporate social, cultural, historical, and systemic contexts.
• Co-create treatment plans that center patient autonomy, identity, strengths, and lived experience.
• Use evidence-informed approaches that prioritize empowerment, choice, and non-pathologizing care.

Community and Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Coordinate care with primary care providers, specialists, schools, community healers, and other professionals.
• Support long-term goals for wellness, stabilization, healing, and self-determination.

Ethics, Consent, and Patient Rights

• Obtain informed consent and clearly communicate patients’ rights and responsibilities.
• Maintain secure, confidential clinical records.
• Support patients in advocating for themselves and understanding their treatment options.

Trauma-Informed, Decolonizing Clinical Practice

• Recognize and address systemic oppression, racism, and colonization and their impact on mental health.
• Engage in ongoing personal reflection and professional development to challenge systemic harms.
• Prioritize empowerment, safety, and liberation-oriented clinical frameworks.

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Clinical Encounter Expectations (Outpatient Portion Only)

PMHW’s standard encounter expectations apply to the 50% outpatient component of this position. Encounter expectations will be prorated based on the half-time allocation within outpatient services.

Salaried Options (figures below for full-time Outpatient roles):

• Full-Time Option A: 286 encounters per quarter
• Full-Time Option B: 325 encounters per quarter
• Part-Time Option: 234 encounters per quarter (not eligible for benefits)

Practitioners may complete more encounters than the minimum requirements. During caseload development, clinicians typically conduct two new patient intakes per day.

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Minimum Qualifications

Required

• Master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, or related field.
• Associate registration with OBLPCT or BBSW, or status as a Psychologist Resident.
• Demonstrated commitment to cultural humility, trauma-informed care, anti-oppressive practice, and equity.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals and families impacted by homelessness, poverty, trauma, and systemic oppression.
• Crisis intervention and de-escalation skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain professionalism and compassion under stressful conditions.
• Proficiency with Mac OS and Google Workspace.

Preferred

• Experience providing behavioral health care in shelters, housing programs, community mental health, or crisis settings.
• Familiarity with Medicaid/OHP systems and community behavioral health networks.
• Bilingual or multilingual (Spanish preferred).
• QMHP or QMHA qualification.

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Equipment Operated: Standard office equipment, including computers, copiers, printers, telephones, etc. 

Work Environment (PMHW): When working from a PMHW office, the position is in a well-lit office environment. Varied activities including sitting, standing, walking, reaching, bending, and lifting.

Work Environment (JustCompassion): Fast-paced, community-centered environment supporting families in crisis. Requires emotional resilience and comfort working with families experiencing acute stress. Role may involve stairs, walking across the campus, participating in crisis response, and supporting shared spaces.

Mental and Physical Requirements: Involves sitting approximately 90 percent of the day, walking or standing the remainder. Ability to tolerate mental and emotional distress as an anticipated aspect of the position. May require working under stressful conditions.

Portland Mental Health & Wellness offers a competitive benefits package for full time employees that includes:

• Paid Vacation Time (80 hours per year)
• Paid Health Leave (40 hours per year)
• Paid Floating Holiday Hours (80 hours per year)
• All Paid Time Off Contributes to Clinical Encounter Hours
• Guaranteed Minimum Income for Clinicians on the Flat Rate Compensation Model
• Medical and Vision Insurance – Kaiser Permanente of the Northwest (choice of three plans)
• Dental Insurance
• Employer Paid Life and AD&D Insurance
• Voluntary Additional Life and AD&D Insurance
• Voluntary Short Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Critical Illness Insurance
• Voluntary Accident Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account, Health Care
• Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care
• Commuter Benefit – Choice of Subsidized TriMet Pass or Limited Parking Reimbursement
• 401K Retirement Plan – Up to 4% Company Match Once Eligible
• Discounted Enrollment with Student Loan Tutor
• 10% Discount on Vitamins & Supplements Through Fullscript
• Limited Access to Columbia Sportswear Employee Store
• OnPoint Community Credit Union Group Banking Benefits
• Free Access to Continuing Education Platforms
• Weekly Clinical Consultation Groups

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This description is intended to provide only the basic guidelines for meeting job requirements. Responsibilities, knowledge, skills, abilities, and working conditions may change as the practice’s needs evolve. Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of every job.

The requirements described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. By signing below, you acknowledge that you are able to perform the Essential Functions of this job, with or without accommodation. If an accommodation is needed, you acknowledge that you have an opportunity to discuss this with Human Resources.

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It’s essential to clarify that at Portland Mental Health & Wellness, we hire W-2 employees for most positions, rather than contractors. This decision reflects our commitment to professionalism, accountability, and the highest standards of care.

In Oregon, the distinction between W-2 employees and contractors holds significant legal and ethical implications. By hiring W-2 employees, we ensure that our staff receive fair wages, benefits, and protections mandated by state labor laws. This includes access to healthcare, paid leave, and workers’ compensation, fostering a supportive and secure work environment.

Moreover, hiring W-2 employees allows us to maintain consistent quality control and oversight over our services. We prioritize building a team of dedicated professionals who share our values and commitment to providing exceptional mental health care to our clients. This ensures continuity of care and fosters trust within our community.

At Portland Mental Health & Wellness, we believe that investing in our employees translates to better outcomes for our clients. By hiring W-2 employees, we uphold our commitment to integrity, transparency, and excellence in mental health care delivery. Join us in our mission to promote holistic well-being and support the mental health needs of individuals and families in Portland and beyond.