FAQs about School-Based Services
1) What positions do you hire for?
New staff join us as clinicians, and they have a variety of professional degrees (in social work, school psychology, counseling psychology, and clinical psychology). All new clinicians carry individual and family therapy cases, and they may be involved in another project, depending on a clinician's experience and interest and on the needs of the School-Based program.
2) Are there opportunities to administer psychological assessments?
Wediko has an Assessment Team that does standard and comprehensive assessments. Supervision is provided to all Assessment Specialists.
3) Besides a professional degree, what qualifications are needed to be a clinician?
Wediko requires staff who have a broad range of experience and training in the many specialty areas that would be of use to our clients. Valuable experience includes work with trauma, substance abuse, domestic violence, learning disorders, effective mental health treatment models, behavioral health strategies, family-focused treatment, early childhood interventions, and group work, among others. All clinicians are required to be licensed in the states in which they work.
5) Will I get licensed supervision?
Yes, our School-Based staff has independently-licensed psychologists, school psychologists, social workers, and mental health clinicians. Newly hired clinicians receive three hours per week of individual supervision.
6) Do opportunities exist for on-going professional development?
Every Friday afternoon, the entire School-Based staff is together for clinical case conferences, orientation, or staff training. For example, during the 2008-2009 year, Ricky Greenwald, Psy.D. of the Child Trauma Institute provided four days of training on trauma-informed treatment to our staff. Continuing education credits can be earned.
7) Are part-time positions available?
Most of our clinicians work full-time for Wediko, but part-time options are available. Participation in Friday afternoon meetings is a requirement for all staff.
8) How much family work is done?
Although the individual therapy cases, referred by the schools, are the primary focus of clinician's work, the family is included from the beginning of any treatment plan. In addition, schools often refer the student's family for family therapy with a Wediko clinician.
9) Will I need a car?
A car is not required, but, since most of our work is done in the schools, a car allows a clinician to be a part of services delivered outside of the areas covered by regular public transportation.
10) What are the work hours?
The work day may start as early as 7:00 a.m. and end as late as 8:00 p.m. (all staff work one evening or a Saturday morning). A full-time position requires at least a 40-hour work week.
11) What is the work calendar? When can I take vacations?
Our school-based work follows the school calenders where we work. Most of our work is in the Boston Public Schools or other Massachusetts schools, so that our vacations are the same as the public school vacations.
12) Is Wediko an AmeriCorps site?
Boston-based clinicians are eligible to be AmeriCorps/Professional Corps members if they have have not yet served two AmeriCorps terms and they have outstanding educational loans or are interested in vouchers for future education.