Clinical Director for Child Protection

Northwestern University &
Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic
Chicago, IL

One of the top-ranked universities in the country, Northwestern University, combines innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative environment that transcends traditional academic boundaries. Northwestern provides students, faculty and staff with exceptional opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth. The Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic, located in Chicago, IL, is affiliated with the University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.  The Clinic functions as a unique partnership between Northwestern and the Circuit Court of Cook County and is a non-judicial office within the Circuit Court with the mission of assisting Cook County’s Juvenile Court to obtain clinical information needed in juvenile justice and child protection proceedings.  The Clinic seeks applicants for the position of Clinical Director for Child Protection, which includes a faculty appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at the rank of Instructor or Assistant Professor.

The Child Protection Clinical Director is part of the Clinic’s four-person management team which is responsible for the Clinic’s operation.  The Child Protection Clinical Director trains and supervises clinical psychologists who conduct court-ordered forensic evaluations of parents in child protection proceedings.  The Clinical Director also supervises master-level staff serving as clinical liaisons for judges and lawyers in Juvenile Court.  The Clinic’s forensic evaluations for Child Protection typically address parenting capacity in the context of legal decisions such as modification of visitation, selection or change of the family’s permanency goal, and termination of parental rights.  The Clinical Director also may conduct these evaluations, develop and present training sessions for court personnel on relevant mental health issues, and carry out research and dissemination related to the Clinic’s work.

 Candidates must be licensed, doctoral-level psychologists with a minimum of five years of formal training and clinical experience in forensic evaluation.  Candidates should have experience working in the child welfare system and conducting parenting, custody, or similar evaluations.  ABPP Board Certification or Certification-eligibility in Forensic Psychology is preferred.  Position is open until filled.

To apply, send letter of interest and curriculum vitae to:  

Barbara A. Kahn, Director
Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic
2245 W. Ogden – 5th Floor
Chicago, IL.  60612
b-kahn@northwestern.edu   

Northwestern University offers a comprehensive benefit plan, including tuition discounts. Northwestern University is an Affirmative Action /Equal Opportunity Employer.   Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.  Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.