Director of Counseling Services
Southern Connecticut State University is pleased to invite applications and nominations for the position of Director of Counseling Services. This position offers a tremendous opportunity for a dynamic, strategic and creative psychologist to foster strong alliances on campus and inspire the provision of excellent services to students while providing effective clinical and administrative leadership and supervision to a committed and experienced staff. Counseling Services offers a wide range of professional counseling programs and services in a high-quality, multi-disciplinary university counseling center serving more than 11,000 students.
The new director will have the opportunity to create a vision and identify and implement strategies for strengthening the provision of mental health services and outreach programs. The director will lead efforts to optimize the utilization of Counseling Services throughout the SCSU student community and anticipate the needs of current and future students. The successful candidate will be familiar with the changing demographics and counseling needs of all students; understand mental health barriers that impede students’ success and progress to graduation; possess expert knowledge of current trends and best practices in college counseling services; and demonstrate success in developing and evaluating new programs and initiatives.
Position Summary
Under the supervision of the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, the Director of Counseling Services serves as the University’s primary student mental health director and oversees an experienced, multi-disciplinary team of mental health providers to deliver highly effective counseling services and outreach programming across campus. The Director serves as a strategic leader to ensure comprehensive mental health services for a culturally diverse student body, including assessment, treatment, crisis intervention, referral, and outreach. In addition, the Director provides leadership to develop a campus environment that facilitates the healthy growth and development of students through collaborative programming and training with key stakeholders throughout the university and local communities.
The responsibilities of the Director include, but are not limited to:
• Manages the day-to-day, clinical, operational, fiscal, and administrative operations of Counseling Services.
• Hires, trains, supervises, and evaluates the Counseling Center staff and provides leadership in developing programs designed to meet student needs.
• Consults with colleagues during critical incidents and coordinates the center’s emergency and crisis response procedures (to include serving on the University’s Emergency Management Team). Participates in all threat assessment activities and serve as member of the University’s student support team.
• Provides community intervention programming and training for various groups, organizations, and departments within the University and engages in university level mental health prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts.
• Develops and delivers in-service training programs and workshops to student peer leaders including resident assistants, peer mentors, orientation leaders, etc.
• Provides direct clinical services including individual, couple, and/or group psychotherapy, initial evaluation and ongoing assessment, triage screening, and referral as appropriate.
• Facilitates student referrals to community providers for counseling and testing as needed; facilitates hospital psychiatric admissions of high risk students; and, facilitates students’ return to campus following mental health hospitalization. Supervises all aspects of the contract(s) with private providers of psychological services for students.
• Works in a collaborative role with staff of the Division of Student Affairs providing for the needs of special student groups (e.g., students with disabilities, students of color, women, nontraditional students, underprepared students, LGBT students).
• Establishes channels of communication with students, faculty and administration, informing them about Counseling Services, educating them regarding the referral process, and obtaining feedback regarding student needs.
Minimum Qualifications
• Doctorate in Clinical or Counseling Psychology or a related field.
• Connecticut Licensure or eligibility for Connecticut Licensure.
• Six years of experience in counseling, including formulation and implementation of counseling services policy and staff supervision.
Additional Preferred Requirements
• 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.
About the University
Southern Connecticut State University is an intentionally diverse and student-centered university. Southern is committed to academic excellence, access, social justice, and engagement. Founded in 1893 as New Haven Normal School, Southern has evolved over the past century into a comprehensive public university providing exemplary undergraduate and graduate education to over 10,000 students. It is one of four universities in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System. The University is located in New Haven, a culturally vibrate environment with easy access to New York City and Boston.