Director of Counseling Services

POSITION SUMMARY

Emmons Wellness Center’s is a fully integrated medical clinic and counseling center which actively contributes to the mission of Occidental College by offering student health and wellness services and programs devoted to prevention, education, treatment and care. The multidisciplinary team is composed of licensed professionals including nurse practitioners, psychologists, master’s level therapists, and several consulting professionals. Project SAFE, the sexual assault prevention, education and advocacy program of the College is also under Emmons Wellness Center and is an active contributor to the goals and mission of the Center.

Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Students for Emmons Wellness Center, the Director of Counseling Services provides leadership, vision, and strategic planning to enhance the delivery of psychological services to Occidental students. This includes clinical assessment of counseling staff, evaluating intake protocol, ensuring appropriate treatment planning and documentation, providing crisis intervention and management, expanding outreach initiatives, and developing a strong referral network. The Director is required to be on-call as part of an “after-hours” rotation one week a month and may be required to drive to campus for emergency situations.

Working within the Division of Student Affairs, the Director of Counseling Services serves on numerous committees, including the Care team. To minimize risk-exposure, the individual in this position maintains clinical compliance with federal, state, local, college, and professional standards, regulations, procedures, laws and practices.

The individual who is chosen as the Director of Counseling Services will have a strong background working with individuals from diverse groups and will have demonstrated a commitment to social and restorative justice in their professional experience. The Director is dedicated to reducing barriers to care that exist for communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and other marginalized groups.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND GOALS

Administrative Responsibilities (60%)

● Provide leadership and direction for psychological services that emphasize community, collaboration and social justice.

● Work closely with medical, Project SAFE, and front office staff in a multi-disciplinary approach to wellbeing, treatment and care.

● Provide expertise and leadership in evaluating Emmons policies and procedures related to short-term mental health counseling, crisis response, and clinical operations.

● Plan and facilitate counseling staff meetings and case consultations.

● Provide administrative supervision, and clinical support and consultation to counseling staff ● Oversee crisis support and on-call coverage.

● Develop and Implement Quality Assurances(QA) and Quality Improvement(QI) plans for counseling services.

● Evaluate counseling staff as part of the annual performance review process.

● Review and make recommendations regarding staffing and programming needs for counseling services.

● Work with the Assistant Dean of Students for Emmons to hire counseling staff.

● Develop and maintain a referral list of mental health resources and providers in the community.

● Attend workshops and conferences related to mental health issues of college students as appropriate.

● Provide regular supervision and support to Project SAFE advocacy staff operating in a confidential capacity (e.g. Project SAFE Director & Survivor Advocate, Intake & Program Coordinator, Weekend Advocate). This may include routine case review, discussion and guidance about individual cases, and suggestions for staff to relevant professional development opportunities. All supervision and case review will be de-identified to maintain student-advocate confidentiality.

Consultation and Advising (30%)

● Advise administrators, students, faculty and staff concerning student mental health issues while maintaining individual student confidentiality.

● Provide support and training for college faculty and staff on issues affecting student mental health and behavior.

● Collaborate with college faculty and staff in developing programs and presentations.

● Serve on the Care Team and other committees as assigned.

● Provide “crisis debriefing“ in the event of a community disaster or trauma.

● Represent Emmons counseling services at college events.

● Maintain relationships with professionals in the psychology field, particularly Directors of Counseling Centers from peer colleges.

Clinical Responsibilities (10%)

● Serve as lead clinician and primary point of contact for parents, faculty, staff, hospitals and outside providers for issues relating to student mental health.

● Screen and assess student need for psychotherapy services.

● Provide mental health services to students of Occidental College utilizing a short-term psychotherapy model.

● Provide risk assessment and crisis intervention for students in-crisis.

● Facilitate assessment for psychiatric hospitalization of students.

● Provide 24-hour crisis consultation to Student Affairs staff as part of a weekly on-call rotation schedule.

● Work closely with Emmons Medical Services and Project SAFE in order to ensure comprehensive care for students and their intersecting needs.

● Refer students to campus and community resources as needed.

● Maintain up-to-date documentation consistent with current professional standards.

● Adhere to and uphold state and federal laws and ethical standards as defined by the appropriate licensing boards.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

● Master’s or doctoral degree (MA, MFT, MSW, PsyD, PhD or EdD ) in counseling, psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy or related field.

● Licensed mental health provider in the state of CA required (proof of licensure required upon hire).

Provisional licensure will not be considered. Successful background check is required.

● Six years of experience in counseling, including formulation and implementation of counseling services policy and staff supervision.

● Demonstrated clinical skills compatible with a brief treatment model and experience in assessment, individual and group counseling, and crisis intervention.

● Demonstrated commitment to creating a just and inclusive community, intercultural competency, and enthusiasm for working in an institution committed to social justice.

● Experience working with diverse populations and at-risk individuals.

● Demonstrated ability to manage multiple initiatives, programs, and responsibilities while ensuring clinical excellence in the provision of direct services.

● Demonstrated innovative leadership practices and exceptional interpersonal, verbal and written communication.

● Ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of constituencies.

● Ability to use sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive mental health issues with confidentiality and discretion.

Preferred qualifications:

● Experience working in college or university mental health and counseling services.

● Experience providing administrative supervision and/or clinical support and guidance to professional staff.

EXPECTED HIRING RANGE:  $92,980 - $99,520

If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current employees as part of developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a generous compensation and benefits package.