Child First Therapist

Company: Coastal Horizons Center
Location: Southern Pines
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

At Coastal Horizons , our mission is to provide a continuum of professional services to promote healthier lives, stronger families, and safer communities. We are currently seeking a motivated and passionate Child First Therapist (Moore County) to join our dynamic team. If you're looking for an opportunity to make a difference, we invite you to explore the exciting positions available with us. JOB TITLE: Child First Therapist LOCATION: Moore County JOB POSTING: Partners with a Family Resource Coordinator to engage families who are referred to the Child First home-based intervention. Uses trauma-informed CPP, a relationship-based, dyadic, parent-child treatment model, which focuses on the primary attachment relationships of the young child. Engages with both the caregiver and child in a supportive, reflective, and exploratory manner. Therapeutic intervention focuses on: 1) helping caregivers understand typical developmental challenges and expectations; 2) increasing caregivers? ability to reflect on the meaning and feelings motivating a child?s behavior; 3) supporting caregivers? problem solving; and 4) helping caregivers understand the psychodynamic relationship between parental feelings, history, and the caregiver response to the child. Also provides consultation to teachers in early care and education settings, as needed. REQUIRED EDUCATIONAL/QUALIFICATIONS: Master?s or Doctoral level mental health provider (e.g., LCSW, LMFT, clinical psychologist, other) Experience working psychotherapeutically with culturally diverse children and families, including parent-child therapeutic work and play therapy with very young children (0-5 years), for a minimum of three years. Past CPP training is highly valued. POSISTION HIGHLIGHTS: Engage with the Child First family and the Family Resource Coordinator in the collaborative family assessment process (i.e., gather information from interviews, observations of interactions and play, reviewed records, collateral sources, and standardized measures). Use all available information to develop a thoughtful, well-integrated clinical formulation and Child and Family Plan of Care, in partnership with the Family Resource Coordinator and family. Provide Child First home-based psychotherapeutic intervention with young children and their caregivers using relational, dyadic psychotherapy (CPP) and other modalities. Help the caregiver gain insight regarding personal history (including trauma history), feelings for the child, and current parenting practices. Avert crisis situations by assisting the family in times of urgent need (e.g., risk of harm to child or caregiver, pending child removal), in consultation with the Family Resource Coordinator and Clinical Director. Provide mental health and developmental assessment and consultation within early care and education settings and to other early childhood providers. Embrace use of videotaping to enhance both therapeutic work with families and reflective supervision. Engage in weekly individual, Team, and group reflective clinical supervision with Clinical Director. Engage actively in all aspects of the Child First Learning Collaborative, including in-person trainings, distance learning curriculum, and specialty trainings. Keep all appropriate documentation for clinical accountability and reimbursement. Participate in other clinical and administrative activities as appropriate. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Openness to learning, capacity for self-reflection, and eagerness to participate in reflective clinical supervision. Knowledge of relationship-based, psychodynamic intervention and early child development; parent-child relationships and attachment theory; effects of trauma and environmental risks on early childhood brain development, especially violence exposure, maternal depression, and substance abuse; and community-level risk factors (e.g., poverty, homelessness). Experience providing mental health assessment and consultation to early care and education sites. Knowledge and experience working with adults with mental health, substance use, and cognitive challenges. Experience providing intervention within diverse home and community settings. Ability to speak a second language (Spanish, Portuguese, Creole, other), highly valued. Strong commitment to the vision, mission, and goals of Child First. Highly organized, self-motivated, reliable, and flexible (including willingness to work non-traditional hours, including at least one evening). Able to work as part of a team. Able to communicate well verbally and in writing. Comfortable with computers and experienced with Word and Excel. Reliable vehicle and appropriate insurance for home visits. A valid driver?s license and/or government-issued ID is required. Must have reliable transportation. SALARY & BENEFITS: Competitive salary based on experience Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance Educational loan repayment programs & Career growth Retirement savings plan/401K Paid time off programs, rollover hours, 14 paid holidays Employee engagement activities, resource groups, and diversity events HOW TO APPLY: Interested candidates should submit their resume and cover letter through our Careers Page . If you require an accommodation during the application process, please contact us at jobs@coastalhorizons.org . We look forward to reviewing your application! EEO STATEMENT Coastal Horizons is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, national origin, age, disability or protected veteran status. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.

Keywords: Coastal Horizons Center, Wilson , Child First Therapist, Social Services , Southern Pines, North Carolina