Trauma-Focused Clinical Therapist (Doctoral or Advanced Master’s)
Organization Overview — Turning Pain into Purpose
Think 2wice (T2) is a grassroots, non-profit organization dedicated to interrupting gun and gang violence in high-risk communities. T2 delivers trauma-informed, culturally responsive programming for justice-involved individuals, incarcerated populations, and communities impacted by war, violence, loss, and incarceration. Supporting victims, communities, and perpetrators of violence, T2 challenges negative mindsets and turns pain into purpose. T2 builds positive leaders and mentors, strengthens resilience, promotes social inclusion, and supports healing, accountability, and successful reintegration.
Position Summary
Think 2wice (T2) is seeking a highly experienced Registered Psychologist (Trauma Specialist) and/or Clinical Social Worker (MSW) with advanced trauma certification to serve as Clinical Lead across integrated community safety initiatives.
This role requires a clinician with deep expertise in complex trauma, including work with combat veterans, individuals impacted by war-related trauma, PTSD and complex PTSD, sudden and traumatic loss, complicated grief, and moral injury. The successful candidate will demonstrate advanced competency in delivering evidence-based, trauma-focused interventions and integrating multiple therapeutic modalities, including structured talk therapy, EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy, somatic-based approaches, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and adjunct approaches such as EFT/tapping.
The Clinical Lead will possess a strong understanding of the psychological and identity-related impacts of trauma, including hypervigilance, survivor’s guilt, moral injury, identity disruption post-service or post-incarceration, brotherhood and community loss, institutional mistrust, and reintegration challenges.
Reporting to the Manager of Community Safety, this role provides clinical leadership and oversight across all Think 2wice initiatives supporting individuals and communities impacted by:
- War-related trauma
- PTSD and complex PTSD
- Sudden and traumatic loss
- Complicated grief
- Gun and gang involvement
- Incarceration and reintegration
- Community violence and systemic trauma
The Social Worker and Clinical Lead – Integrated Programs is responsible for delivering culturally responsive, trauma-informed clinical services to incarcerated individuals, gun- and gang-involved youth and adults, veterans, and communities affected by violence and loss. This includes providing individual and group therapy, clinical consultation, crisis response support, and structured therapeutic interventions grounded in strengths-based and culturally affirming frameworks.
In addition to direct service delivery, the Clinical Lead will provide therapeutic support and reflective supervision to staff with lived experience, contribute to program design and clinical protocols, and strengthen trauma-informed practices across the organization.
This role requires a clinician who is both deeply grounded in evidence-based trauma treatment and skilled in working within community-based, culturally responsive environments serving African, African Canadian, African Nova Scotian, Caribbean, Indigenous, and other equity-deserving populations.
Position Details
Position Type: Full-Time (1 FTE)
Salary Range: $86,500
Hours: Flexible / Negotiable
Contract Length: 12 Months, subject to funding
Reports to: Community Safety Manager
Start Date: As soon as possible
Evenings and weekends as required.
Lived experience working with veterans, with the justice system, gun/gang involvement, or impacted communities is a strong asset.
Key Responsibilities Clinical Service Delivery
- Conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments
- Develop individualized treatment and support plans
- Provide individual, group, and family therapy addressing loss, grief, trauma, and PTSD in community and correctional institutions
- Support funeral response and post-violence stabilization
- Provide court or disability/victim documentation
- Provide guidance, mentorship, and support to case managers working directly with clients
Data, Reporting & Evaluation
- Ensure intake, baseline, and exit tools are administered appropriately
- Maintain accurate and compliant clinical documentation
- Prepare weekly and monthly activity reports
- Contribute to SOLGEN/Ministry and City reporting requirements
- Use data to inform continuous program improvement
Required Qualifications Education & Professional Credentials
Applicants must meet one of the following:
Education & Professional Registration
Doctoral degree in Psychology (PhD or PsyD) with registration in good standing as a Registered Psychologist with the appropriate provincial regulatory body, and authorized to diagnose mental health disorders, including PTSD.
OR
Master of Social Work (MSW), clinical stream, with registration in good standing as a Registered Social Worker (RSW) or equivalent regulated designation with the applicable provincial regulatory college.
Additional Requirements
- Minimum 5–7 years of clinical experience providing direct therapeutic services to individuals experiencing complex trauma, including PTSD and complex PTSD
- Demonstrated experience working with combat veterans, individuals impacted by war-related trauma, or populations with chronic exposure to violence
- Expertise in treating sudden and traumatic loss, complicated grief, survivor’s guilt, and moral injury
- Deep understanding of trauma-related responses including hypervigilance, dissociation, identity disruption, institutional mistrust, and reintegration challenges
- Proven ability to provide both individual and group therapy using multiple modalities, including structured talk therapy and adjunct approaches such as EFT/tapping
- Experience conducting comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments, trauma assessments, risk evaluations, and treatment planning
- Strong crisis intervention and de-escalation skills in high-risk environments
- Ability to work with clients impacted by incarceration, gun and gang involvement, and systemic trauma
- Authorized to provide psychotherapy and clinical assessments within scope of practice
- Professional liability insurance in good standing
Advanced certification and/or formal training in trauma-focused modalities (e.g., EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS), or equivalent evidence-based approaches).
Specialized training in grief therapy, complex trauma, moral injury, and/or veteran-focused interventions strongly preferred.
Knowledge of Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR), CBT-informed interventions, and the Good Lives Model (GLM)
Advanced Trauma Training (Required)
- EMDR certified or formally trained
- Formal training in evidence-based trauma modalities, including:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy
- Somatic-based therapies
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- EFT (Tapping)
Demonstrated expertise in:
- Complex trauma and PTSD
- Sudden and traumatic loss
- Complicated grief
- Moral injury
- War-related trauma
- Trauma related to community violence and incarceration
Experience working with veterans and individuals impacted by combat or war trauma strongly preferred.
Clinical Framework & Program Fidelity
Ensure alignment with:
- Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR)
- CBT-informed strategies
- Good Lives Model (GLM)
- Trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practice
- Culturally grounded and Afrocentric healing approaches
- Somatic and complementary supports (clinician-guided)
- Trauma + systems understanding
- Cultural and identity-informed work
- Veterans transitioning to civilian life
Modalities
- EMDR (very strong evidence for PTSD)
- CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy)
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy
- Somatic Experiencing
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- EFT / Tapping (adjunct, not primary)
- Narrative Therapy for moral injury
- Complicated Grief Therapy
Tapping (EFT) can be supportive — but it should NOT be the only tool used for combat trauma.
Cultural & Community Competence
- Demonstrated experience implementing community-led, culturally affirming approaches that center the lived experiences of African, African Canadian, American, African Nova Scotian, Caribbean, and Indigenous communities
- Strong understanding of systemic racism, anti-Black racism, and the intersection of race, trauma, incarceration, and community violence
- Experience integrating strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally grounded healing frameworks
- Experience working within or alongside Christian, Rastafarian, and Muslim faith communities
Risk Management & Safety
- Support frontline staff in safety planning in high-risk communities impacted by gun and gang violence
- Apply advanced risk assessment and crisis intervention strategies
Core Competencies & Professional Skills
- Strong clinical assessment, case formulation, and trauma-informed treatment planning skills
- Ability to provide individual, group, and family therapy in institutional, correctional, and community-based settings
- Demonstrated ability to assess and adapt in high-intensity environments (“read the room”) and respond therapeutically in real time
- Skilled in crisis intervention, risk assessment, and de-escalation within volatile or high-risk settings
- Ability to manage complex, high-acuity caseloads while maintaining quality of care and professional boundaries
- Strong ethical decision-making aligned with T2 policies and procedures as well as regulatory and professional standards
- Excellent documentation, reporting, and compliance management skills
- Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
- Capacity to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams and justice-sector partnerships
- High emotional intelligence, resilience, and grounding when working with trauma-impacted populations
Leadership & Organizational Capacity
- Ability to mentor frontline staff with lived experience and strengthen trauma-informed practice across programs
- Experience contributing to program development, clinical protocols, quality assurance processes, and organizational trauma-informed frameworks
- Ability to balance direct therapeutic service delivery
- Strong capacity to operate effectively within high-risk, high-complexity community safety environments
Assets
- Experience working within Black, racialized, or marginalized communities impacted by systemic inequality
- Experience working within correctional institutions or community reintegration settings
- Experience supporting gun- and gang-involved individuals and communities impacted by violence
- Experience collaborating with community partners, public safety agencies, or veteran-serving organizations
- Valid driver’s license and ability to travel within community and institutional settings
How to Apply
If you are passionate about working with incarcerated individuals and have the necessary qualifications and experience, please submit your application via email to[email protected]and [email protected]by March 17th, 2026.
Subject Line: Social Worker – (Contract)
Include:
- Resume
- Cover letter describing your suitability for this position
- Any relevant supporting documents
As part of the application process, you may be asked a short set of questions to provide further information about your experience and availability.
Job Type: Fixed term contract
Pay: From $86,500.00 per year
Work Location: In person
