Join Our Team

Arcus Behavioral Health & Wellness (ABHW) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, free-standing, community-based mental health agency based in Chicago, IL. ABHW operates with the mission of providing high quality mental health care to underserved/low-income clients and families, particularly ethnic and cultural minorities including LGBTQ+.

 

Founded in 2017, ABHW has increased access to behavioral health care by addressing the mental health needs of ethnic and cultural minorities. Over 45% of their clients are ethnic minorities or people of color, and about 50% of their clients are members of the LGBTQ+ community. Many consider themselves to represent both ethnic and sexual/gender minority groups. ABHW also takes a unique approach to funding underserved communities and utilizes grants and donations to underwrite the cost of care regardless of a client's ability to pay, including uninsured and under-insured clients (access-prohibiting high-deductible insurance plans). In 2021, ABHW provided clinical services to over 450 individuals, couples, and families for a total of 6,151 hours of therapy, counseling, or psychological testing, a 75% increase from 2020. Utilizing the Paycheck Protection Program, donations, and grants, ABHW subsidized over $21K in services and provided over $113K in client write-offs for a total of $135K in financial aid. This aid allowed 40% of ABHW clients to receive some form of financial support.

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​Under the supervision of licensed clinical psychologists, the clinical therapist/postdoc will provide individual, couples, and family counseling/psychotherapy as well as psychological testing (for postdocs) to a diverse client population. The clinician will be a W2 employee of Arcus Behavioral Health & Wellness. The employee will be eligible for a competitive package of benefits, including very competitive wages, public service loan forgiveness eligibility, medical/life/dental/vision insurance, paid parental leave, generous paid time off, and more. Postdoctoral hours is considered a benefit and this position is for long-term applicants (those interested in acquiring their clinical license and continued employment at our practice) or who are already clinically licensed.

 

Why ABHW?

​Many of us have pursued the field of psychology with the hopes and intentions of helping others. There is a real quality of altruism and compassion in our motives. More often than not, we also subscribe to deeply held values regarding equity, social justice, and serving the marginalized and underserved. Frequently, the best way to do that is through nonprofit community mental health work, whose missions are aimed at supporting individuals and families with less access to care and/or financial privilege.

 

In our experience; however, working in nonprofit organizations also often comes at great personal cost to our own financial security and even emotional well-being. Traditionally, nonprofit work entails often dealing with red-tape and bureaucracy, unhappy coworkers and unappreciative bosses, long work hours, and high turnover due to low wages and compassion fatigue and burnout.

 

Adding to our cognitive dissonance, many of us therapists also have tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of student debt. Thus, it is not hard to understand why many psychologists go down the private practice path and perhaps manage any feelings of guilt due to unembodied social justice/equity values by taking the occasional sliding scale or pro bono case to help someone out.

 

At ABHW, our employees do not have to make a choice between their embodying their deeply held social justice values or making a decent living and maintaining personal well-being. ABHW is a truly unique nonprofit organization that has taken all of the benefits of working for a private group practice (higher pay, autonomy, supportive team) with the values and benefits of working for a traditional nonprofit (paid time off, 401K, medical/dental/life insurance, student loan forgiveness). Moreover, our employees get to feel really good about the work they are doing and helping individuals and families gain access to high quality mental health care that is also focused on enhancing quality of life and well-being, all without taking a substantial hit to their own personal paycheck.

 

Key Qualifications Include:

SCHEDULING FLEXIBILITY

• Ability to schedule late afternoons/evenings and/or weekend appointments as needed to meet the needs of assigned clients.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• An intrinsically-motivated passion for working with and helping clients and communities.

• Fluency in English and Spanish (able to provide clinical services in Spanish)

• High work ethic, self-motivated, and able to work independently as well as on a team.

• A cheerful, pleasant attitude that conveys professionalism and adds to a positive work atmosphere.

• Ability to represent Arcus Behavioral Health & Wellness in a professional and ethical manner.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

• Masters/Doctoral degree in Marriage and Family, Counseling or Clinical Psychology and experience and training in providing individual, couples, or family therapy. For postdoc applicants, administering, scoring, and developing psychological batteries. 

• Firm foundation and knowledge in theory of choice.

• Cultural humility and sensitivity in working with diverse populations with a comprehensive understanding of culture that includes: race and ethnicity, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.

• Ability to complete required paperwork for billing in an accurate and timely manner.

 

​How to Apply:

Please send your CV and cover letter outlining how you meet the specific requirements of the position to: lhaynes@arcusbehavioralhealth.com. All files must be in PDF format. CV’s submitted without a cover letter will not be considered for employment.