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Helping people from diverse backgrounds pursue self-awareness, personal development, and healthy, fulfilling relationships.
A bit about us
Here at Optimum Joy, we seek to create a connected and collaborative environment. Private practice can easily become isolating. We combat this through celebrations, staff retreats, and team-wide get-togethers. Outside of staff meetings, our therapists enjoy and consult with each other between sessions in our office spaces. The sense of team drives our culture. Enjoyment may not be an official value, but it is emphasized in every aspect within our office. We believe people should enjoy where and with who they work.
Individuals and families need different skills and expertise from clinicians. We strive to provide diverse services to meet a broad array of clinical issues. Outside of theoretical orientation and trained models of therapy, this includes considering skills in language, culture, client’s gender and ethnicity preferences, and any other important factors contributing to the therapeutic relationship. We believe there is strength in diversity! We work to support each other as a team and provide well for our client’s needs through diversity. Also, we’ve made it our goal to increase representation in mental health providers and are working through our non-profit Resonate Joy to make sure that is becoming a reality.
In our line of work, we are hopeful for change and continued growth in the lives of our clients. Because of this, we seek to create a rich therapeutic environment through excellent services! Our own personal and professional growth work is important to this process. A desire to continue growing as a healthcare provider is woven into the fabric of who we are and what we do. If you are a learner, we’ll help you continue to grow.
Who We Serve
Service Type
Gender Identity
Faith
Why work with us
Optimum Joy prides itself on offering a collaborative environment, incentive income structure, and flexibility to hours and daytime clients.
Benefits Provided to Clinical Staff
Benefits
- Base salary for dependability + bonus structure
- Medical benefits for full-time employee
- Employee W-2 status
- 401(k) benefit
- Paid leave: 2 weeks accrued paid leave
- Paid holidays
- Dec 24-Jan 1
- Martin Luther King Jr Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day
- Thanksgiving Day
Professional Development
- Advanced training budget available in first 2 years of employment for full-time employees, then each consecutive 2 years of employment
- Group and individual supervision
- Learner consultation groups
- Couples counseling
- Working with minors & their family
- Trauma informed care
- Therapist coaching on case management
- Team structure for connection & focused development by leaders
- Structured internal pathway for career development positions
Business Marketing
- Employer paid digital marketing
- Professional photos & bio video filming
- Business & referral cards
- Collaborative content creation geared towards your caseload goals
- Profile listing on a highly trafficked website
Furnished Office Space & Remote Work Options
- Office Locations:
- Chicago, IL
- Denver, CO
- Bloomington, IL
- Hybrid & virtual positions
- Dedicated support staff
- Intakes
- Billing
- Insurance
- Digital marketing
- Electronic health record software
Open positions
Optimum Joy is currently reviewing the need for part or full-time Intake Coordination. Anyone identifying with the following description should please apply, and make any notation on preference for hours within the application form.
Optimum Joy is looking for an organized and detail oriented individual with extensive customer care experience and/or sales experience to fulfill our private practice’s new client coordination needs. They are the primary point of contact for anyone who indicates they are interested in matching with a therapist, so a warm personality is preferred for this position. An intake coordinator needs to have a flexible approach and be someone comfortable with an if/then process. They should be someone who is energized by communication instead of drained. An intake coordinator needs to hold a working knowledge of every therapist on staff as they are the representative of our team to the world.
General Qualifications
- Ability to balance verbal communication & technology devices simultaneously i.e. speaking on the phone and looking up reference sheets on a computer at the same time
Strong internet connection in working location - Personal devices i.e. password protected mobile phone (app compatible) and personal password protected computer for HIPAA security
- Ability to flex and prioritize different needs in the role during available times. Strong organizational, multitasking, and detail orientation needed
- Ability to clearly communicate/record data such as relevant notes, logging last point of contact, client preferences, scheduling options etc.
- Willingness to identify improvements to current systems and ways to innovate upon intake policy and procedures, offering feedback to peers/supervisors OR implementing updates to systems based on management’s oversight. Our environment is one where we always ask, “How can we do this better?” over time.
Intake Coordination
- Customer service skills with ability to establish & maintain effective working relationships with people interested in receiving services & ability to make quality recommendations that match our clinicians specialty preferences & schedule availability
- Represent Optimum Joy as the point of contact with new clients requiring confirmation of a new appointment with a clinician, which includes fostering a high level of customer service with welcoming tone, responding to email and phone requests for information, and working within office systems to record the scheduled clients. Ability to exercise sound judgment & make decisions in a manner consistent with Optimum Joy’s values & policies
- Ability to prioritize & organize work including collecting & verifying correct patient information such as insurance or payment details, keeping up-to-date records of patient interactions, appointments, & referrals
- Familiarity of HIPAA regulations & maintaining patient confidentiality, ability to deal with confidential conversations, such as patient presenting concern & financial picture
- Work with Support Staff to finalize all prerequisites obtained on a new client file, including new intake documents, insurance and payment details, scheduling, and reflecting this information in EHR platforms. Teamwork is required with the entire Support Staff and Clinical Team
- Ability to work independently, problem-solve, & establish an action plan with the broader team on a case by case basis
- Ability to schedule patient appointment for services based on availability of the team & patient preferences
- Meet with Support Staff on a regular basis to review and address concerns, updates and new information, and ways to improve systems
Priority of Role & Focus of Work
Primary 1: Answering direct phone calls or emails within working hours
Primary 2: Responding to new intake inquiries that came through outside regular business hours with a return phone call within a business day of them reaching out
Secondary: Connecting with staff and/or teams to update goals, review patterns, and thoughtfully consider each part of a team and their intake needs for the success of the greater practice
Tertiary: Seasonally doing site visits, calls, meetings or the like with professionals, organizations, and external referrals in order to build our referral network of care providers, partnerships, etc.- Ability to balance verbal communication & technology devices simultaneously i.e. speaking on the phone and looking up reference sheets on a computer at the same time
Optimum Joy exists to help men and women heal and grow through providing exceptional and specialized mental health services. Currently accepting applications from administrators meeting the General Qualifications below and that are interested in performing the Essential Job Categories:
General Qualifications
- Ability to balance verbal communication & technology devices simultaneously i.e. speaking on the phone and looking up reference sheets on a computer at the same time
- Strong internet connection in working location
- Personal devices, password protected mobile phone (app compatible) and personal password protected computer for HIPAA security
- Ability to flex and prioritize different needs in the role during your scheduled time. Strong organizational, multitasking, and detail orientation needed
- Ability to clearly communicate/record data such as attendance, CPT coding, billing & insurance details, marketing initiatives, targets & deadlines to internal staff and/or clients
- Willingness to identify improvements to current systems and ways to innovate upon office policy and procedures, offering feedback to supervisors OR implementing updates to systems based on management’s oversight. Welcome our environment being one where we always ask, “How can we do this better?”
Essential Job Categories
Billing & Insurance Correspondence:
- Experience with medical billing and insurance plans, as well as our systems for processing in and out of network insurance
- Oversee the receiving and recording of insurance payments, reconciling payment in financial log within the 30/60/90-day window of time, and working with insurance company to correct delayed or denied claims to ensure our EHR systems reflects accurate and up to date billing information as well as seeking out missing payment
- Utilize up to date templates and resources for the admin staff to utilize on a daily basis
Client Account Auditing & Clinician Quality Assurance:
- Running appointment status report weekly
- Identify inconsistencies and billing related issues so as to correct discrepancies
- Wrong CPT codes
- Financial log showcasing issues (balance due, false credit, etc)
- False cash payments
- Maintain confidentiality and best HIPAA practices with clinically sensitive information, including financial and medical records
- Communication with clinicians to better their work so they can work from an empowered stance
- A strong grasp on client accounts and all billing/insurance related issues
Intake Coordination (with Emphasis on Finalization/Confirmation):
- Represent Optimum Joy as the point of contact with new clients requiring confirmation of a new appointment with a clinician, which includes fostering a high level of customer service with welcoming tone, responding to email and phone requests for information, and working within office systems to record the scheduled clients. Teamwork is required with the entire Support Staff and Clinical Team
- Work with Support Staff to finalize all prerequisites obtained on a new client file, including new intake documents, insurance and payment details, scheduling, and reflecting this information in EHR platforms
- Pre-checking insurance benefits and eligibility, communication of in-network and out-of-network benefits to clients, and internal billing systems and communication with additional staff
- Meet with Support Staff on a regular basis to review and address concerns, updates and new information, and ways to improve systems
Team Growth & Coordination:
- Collaborate with Clinical Director of Team on hiring initiatives for the team
- Creating and Organizing Onboarding Documents for Clinicians/Residents
- Creating Therapist Bio Webpage & Confirming Schedule
- Following Exit Protocol with Terminating Staff / Residents
- Participate in the marketing / representation of Clinicians who do not have full caseloads
- Promoting their service with networking research
- Promoting them to the Primary Intake Coordinators with information or updates
Team Support / Relations:
- Timely response to general requests / emails
- Working within the team structure to bring accountability when an issue repeats on a clinician’s part or is not responded to or resolved
- Staff engagement, milestones, recognition w/ CDs
- Seasonal Update to Essential Documents
- Licenses
- Liability Insurance
- Seasonal Caseload Building & Alternative marketing
Compensation & Benefits: Support staff benefits and compensation differ from our clinical staff, and will be discussed and defined in contract terms.
We currently have an opening for a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Therapist who specializes in working with children, adolescents, and families.
Optimum Joy strives to help children, families, and parents heal and grow through providing exceptional and specialized mental health services. Guiding children and parents through the challenges of life at home, school and with friends is a priority of this practice. Currently accepting applications from clinicians meeting the basic qualifications below:
Our ideal candidate possesses a background in working with children, adolescents, and families using an attachment-based and trauma-informed lens, flexibility working across levels of the systems (e.g., individual, couple, family, subsystems) and competence incorporating evidence-based treatment modalities (such as play therapy, art therapy, TF-CBT, PCIT, TBRI, Theraplay, etc) into their practice. In person availability preferred. After-school and weekend availability preferred. Openness to coordinating with schools, psychologists, psychiatrists and other touch-points in family’s life.
Child Therapist
- Priority given to fully licensed clinicians (LCPC, LCSW, LMFT)
- Prior experience working with children and families in private practice, schools, residential, clinic, hospitals, and or community mental health required
- Two evenings of availability. The many of our clients cam come during the daytime hours, there are some who seek our services and are unable to come during regular business hours.
- Candidates should be proactive, self-assured, independent, flexible, attuned, highly attentive; engaging clients with solid clinical judgment and decision-making ability
- Has experience and clear interest in working with children, adolescents and families
- Interest in working in private practice setting and willingness to partner in building and maintaining a caseload
- Supportive, collaborative mindset towards Optimum Joy staff
- Priority given to clinicians seeking fuller caseload
- Willingness to educate community and build brand through some writing content and media engagement, etc.
- Interest and experience in working with multicultural issues
- Drive to be curious and continue learning
- Ability to manage time and administrative tasks such as note taking
- Preferences:
- 2 years of experience.
- In person availability would be preferred.
- After-school and weekend availability preferred.
Optimum Joy exists to help men and women heal and grow through providing exceptional and specialized mental health services. Currently accepting applications from clinicians meeting the basic qualifications below:
Mental Health Therapist
- Priority given to fully licensed clinicians (LCPC, LCSW, LMFT)
- Two evenings of availability. The majority of our clients come during the daytime hours, but a few couples and working professionals seek our services and are unable to come during regular business hours.
- Candidates should be proactive, self-assured, independent, flexible, attuned, highly attentive; engaging clients with solid clinical judgement and decision-making ability
- Has experience and clear interest in working with specific populations (e.g. eating disorders, trauma, couples’ therapy, sexuality, etc.)
- Interest in working in private practice setting and willingness to partner in building caseload over time
- Supportive, collaborative mindset towards Optimum Joy staff
- Priority given to clinicians seeking fuller caseload
- Willingness to educate community and build brand through writing content and media engagement, etc.
- Interest and experience in working with multicultural issues
- Drive to be curious and continue learning
- Ability to manage time and administrative tasks such as note taking
The June 2024 – May 2025 Cohort is closed. If you would like to apply for the 2025-2026 cohort, an application link is provided below.
Optimum Joy exists to help men and women heal and grow through providing exceptional and specialized mental health services. Each year, we take on 4-6 clinical residents as a cohort model to increase development among student peers. We interview MA candidates in the January-February prior to a start date of summer or fall semester. It is recommended that students apply December/January to be included in the interview process. Our clinical residents are with our organization for the length of 3 semesters composed of any order of summer, fall and spring semesters. It is our strong preference that students do both practicum and internship with Optimum Joy because we have seen students be most successful in their learning through committing to both.
Clinical Residents will be rewarded a $1000.00 scholarship through out partner non-profit Resonate Joy. Additionally, all clinical fees collected through our clinical residents will be donated towards and help complete the mission of Resonate Joy.
MA Level Clinical Experience Description
Practicum:
Optimum Joy agrees to take on advanced clinical interns in order for them to gain clinical experience. This experience will include:- Direct Hours: Intakes, observation of at least one session either in-room or via HIPAA compliant video technology, individual/group sessions. During practicum our office works to build a caseload of 8 clinical session a week.
- Indirect Hours: Training, staff meetings, administrative work, blog writing, etc. Note writing will be left to your own time management and is due each week.
- Supervision: Individual supervision in accordance with practicum requirements 1 hours weekly, and 1 hour weekly of Peer supervision at “Intern Hour”, Live supervision will be offered for 12 weeks at the beginning of clinical experience
- Trainings: Once a month a staff member will lead a training for Clinical Residents during the Intern Hour time slot. A schedule of topics will be provided upon request. Practicum students will occasionally view sessions either in the counseling room with the Optimum Joy staff therapist, or via HIPAA compliant video technology. Depending on the assessment of the supervising clinician around the development and readiness of the student to see clients individually, the student will start seeing a caseload of clients during their practicum experience.
During the practicum experience, the student intern agrees to read material required by Optimum Joy and complete Interaction Transcription Assignment. - In total, the student intern agrees to spend between 10-15 hours a week in practicum in order to obtain clinical experience and meet program requirements.
- Evaluation will be done between Optimum Joy and the practicum student at the end of the practicum
Internship 1 & 2
Optimum Joy agrees to take on advanced clinical interns in order for them to gain clinical experience. This experience will include:
- Direct Hours: clinical interviews, individual, group, couples/marital, and family counseling, crisis intervention, and phone calls with clients. The bulk of direct hours come from counseling sessions. During internship our office works to build a caseload of 15 clinical session a week.
- Indirect Hours: Administrative and note writing, trainings, staff meetings, blog writing, staff retreat, etc. Note writing will be left to your own time management.
- Supervision: 1 hour weekly individual supervision, and 1 hour weekly of Peer supervision at “Intern Hour”, individual consultation with our entire staff is available upon request based on specific client needs
- Trainings: Once a month a staff member will lead a training for Clinical Interns during the Intern Hour time slot. A schedule of topics will be provided upon request.Internship students agree to begin seeing a caseload of 15 clinical hours weekly, as well as complete all necessary documentation to manage caseload. This means carrying a caseload of 15-20 clients, and learning case management and scheduling of caseload. Optimum Joy will provide student with enough clients, mixing the population between marginalized communities and private practice populations, in order to meet their direct hour program requirements.
- Clinical Residents agree to turn in 3 forms of content (bio video, written blog, etc.) The students will collaborate with clinical staff and support staff in order to determine topics of need and interest. This helps interns develop their clinical voice alongside their counseling skills.
- Student interns agree to attend all meetings which include: quarterly team meetings, 1-1 monthly therapist caseload coaching, and intake coordination meeting if applicable. Student interns also agree to regularly attend their individual supervision with their assigned supervisor.
1 time mostly Clinical Residents will show 10-15 minutes of a session to their individual supervisor for feedback and development - Students will also participate in regular evaluations with Optimum Joy supervisor and staff at the end of each semester. Additional collaborative evaluation will take place when a student records segments of their sessions via video or audio, seeking supervisors’ feedback and input on the process.
- In total, the student intern agrees to spend between 16-25 hours a week in internship in order to obtain clinical experience and meet program requirements.
- Clinical interviews, individual, group, couples/marital, and family counseling, intakes, crisis intervention, on-call coverage, and phone calls with clients all count towards direct hours.
Requirement Summary:
- Attend initial trainings and onboarding’s, as well as watch an example of a first counseling session provided by our office.
- Submit 3 pieces of media in collaboration with staff, starting with a Bio Video filmed in-office
- Commit two evenings, Thursdays mandatory, to seeing clients and doing live supervision.
- Completing Interaction Transcription Assignment.
- Maintain administrative structures in a timely and responsive manner.
Clinical Experience interviews will only be offered to applicants who complete all items in the application submission process.