Just-Us Art Therapist

Chicago Artists Coalition • Chicago, IL, United States • $200k - $250k / year • 1m ago

Chicago Artists Coalition helps people connect with opportunities including calls for artists, jobs, grants, and art advising.

Title: Just-Us Art Therapist for Project Impact program, various media

Classification: Contractual

WHO WE ARE

SkyART is a permanent fixture in the vibrant cultural landscapes of Chicago's South and West Side communities. Founded in 2001 with a mission to provide youth with an accessible, safe place to participate in quality visual arts programs at no cost, SkyART continues to fulfill its mission by reaching over 3,000 young people a year through our three pillar programs: SkyWAY, Project 3rd Space, and Project Impact. Driving our mission is a deep understanding of the transformative power of art and its capacity to enhance intellectual, emotional, and social development. SkyART acts as a foundation from which creativity grows and individuals flourish.

WHO WE SERVE

The communities where SkyART works and the young people we serve exemplify the resilience and the beautiful diversity of our city. Our free programs are open and accessible to youth from communities that have been impacted by historic marginalization, generational trauma, and systemic racism, who may lack access to cultural programming that affirms their identity and places them front and center as creators of their own futures.

WHAT WE DO

Founded by an Art Therapist, SkyART uses art to communicate, connect, and heal. Through interdisciplinary, process-based projects, skill-building workshops, and large-scale collaborations, SkyART encourages critical thinking and inspires creative expression for youth ages 7 to 24. SkyART has provided limited art therapy for our entire 20-year history. Building on that experience, we created Project Impact to directly respond to the mental health needs of our young people with individual and group art therapy.

HOW YOU CONTRIBUTE

The Just-Us therapist will work with current and previously incarcerated youth in a non-traditional setting that focuses on using forms of art to engage young people in their ability to self-regulate, communicate, and connect. We aspire for the Just-Us therapist to contribute to creating an environment where we can show up as our whole self — centering young people as the driving force behind what we do.

JOB DUTIES

Provide individual and group therapy sessions to meet organizational outcomes for specific populations, such as those in detention facilities, shelters, or home environments.
Assess participants’ needs using expressive processes and interventions.
Conduct art therapy sessions providing guided self-expression experiences.
Document sessions in the organizational database using SkyART forms.
Establish goals for art therapy sessions in consultation with the Youth Support Manager and programs team.
Request or purchase needed art supplies for sessions.
Possibly conduct professional workshops on techniques of using art in therapy.
Communicate with institutional administrators to receive clearance for supplies.
Provide group and/or individual creative therapy to youth ages 14-24 impacted by incarceration.
Willingness to travel and work in various incarcerated spaces across Chicagoland.

YOUR BACKGROUND INCLUDES:

Education/Experience

Master’s Degree in Art Therapy; mental health and counselor; social worker required and relevant experience working with youth population.
At least 1 to 2 years of experience working with youth and/or young adults.
Integrity, flexibility, and a profound commitment to the youth we serve.
Skilled in meticulous documentation and proficient in case management databases.
Cultural competency working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Detail-oriented with excellent communication, organizational, interpersonal, and writing skills.
Practicing artists encouraged.
Bilingual (Spanish/English) strongly preferred.
Experience working with incarcerated or system-impacted youth and families strongly preferred.

Certificates/Licenses Required

Art Therapy, Social Work, Mental Health/Counseling graduate degree required; LCPC, LPC, LSW or LCSW, and ATR (or other creative therapy licensures) required or on track to acquire licensure.