Director of Counseling Services
SUNY Oswego is seeking a Director of Counseling Services (CS) to provide visionary and strategic leadership for a department which contributes to and facilitates critical learning and development within healthy, inclusive, and supportive communities. The successful candidate will lead a an IACS accredited program focused on helping students reduce psychological symptoms, cope with life events and developmental tasks, improve interpersonal skills and relationships, and increase self-knowledge and problem-solving ability. CS promotes equality and respect for individual and cultural differences and offers consulting services to the entire University community and hosts masters-level graduate trainees and counselor education doctoral-level trainees for clinical internships from accredited education programs.
Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, the Director provides leadership to enhance the operations, programs, and service delivery of Counseling Services. As a member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team, the Director initiates strategic planning and assessment activities to optimize and coordinate planning, delivery, and evaluation of mental health services for a diverse student body. The Director oversees personnel selection and evaluation, program planning and evaluation, and budget planning and management of resources within CS. The Director and members of the CS staff set and carry out annual goals and objectives, continuously assessing, monitoring, and improving service offerings and the CS’s model of care in response to the changing needs of students and the university. The Director is called upon to provide guidance to the broader University community on student mental health emergencies and services.
The work of the CS Director supports the University’s mission and vision of comprehensive well-being services for students, as well as the strategic initiatives of the Division of Student Affairs to ensure student success. Staff members in the CS engage with all aspects of the University community to engender a campus environment that supports health and wellness and creates a foundation for life-long wellbeing by providing Lakers with the services, care, and skills to make healthy choices.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
● Serve as a champion for the student experience working to advance mental health services, resources, and systems at SUNY Oswego to support student success.
● Provide leadership, coordination, strategic planning, and day-to-day administration of a large, dynamic, and student-centered organization that includes11 clinical team members, interns, and an administrative assistant.
● Supervise the department operations of Counseling Services, including the selection, training and evaluation of staff, policy development and program evaluation.
● Provide direct supervision, including bi-weekly one on ones for the Associate Director/Clinical Director, the Assistant Director for Service Coordination, the Assistant Director for Group Treatment, The Assistant Director for Training, and the Administrative Assistant.
● Oversee supervision for other professional and classified staff, and graduate and undergraduate staff.
● Provide clinical supervision of staff seeking licensure, as warranted.
● Lead an interdisciplinary team with a deep and broad understanding of and commitment to serving a globally diverse student body by facilitating weekly leadership team meetings and full staff meetings.
● Direct the development of protocols and procedures as needed, to reflect the changing needs of students, legal guidelines, and best practices and ensure their execution.
● Manage crisis situations arising on-campus, and work weekend and/or evening hours as necessary in response to crises, flexing time as needed during the week and with permission from supervisor.
● Facilitate highly sensitive and challenging conversations with community members, families, and students that require thorough familiarity of ethical and legal procedures. Work to resolve and de-escalate highly complex student situations in a manner that best supports both the student and institutional needs.
● Collaborate with the CS staff to establish the annual priorities and strategic actions ensure appropriate alignment with University and Division of Student Affairs strategic planning and initiatives.
● Lead department long-term strategic planning and annual assessment activities to both guide and inform capital planning, counseling and educational program, and services development.
● Direct and oversee CS administrative operations including the utilization of Titanium.
● Develop and administer an annual operating budget totaling approximately $1,000,000.
● Maintain active membership on the University Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), CARE Team and Academic Care Team, providing consultation and planning for student cases.
● Serve as a department representative on various university and community committees as determined in consultation with supervisor.
● Advise the administration and faculty on student mental health and developmental issues.
● Provide university presentations and training as needed including to first year classes, the Faculty Assembly, and other special programs, etc., and provide counseling and human development training programs designed to enhance the helping skills of professionals and paraprofessionals at the University.
● Maintain records of counseling service statistics and educational programs, program summaries and evaluations, annual and end-of-semester reports, and correspondence for the department. Complete an annual report at the completion of each academic year summarizing efforts and results of CS’s clinical, training and outreach programs. This should highlight clinical utilization, new initiatives, and future goals for CS.
● Provide individual student risk assessments when appropriate and as needed.
● Assist in the referral of students to university and community agencies for mental health care not available at the CS (e.g., academic advising, career planning, and physical health).
● Perform the duties of a therapist and provide professional leadership to other mental health professionals on- and off-campus.
● Serve as an active participant in the Association of University College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD).
● Other duties, as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required Qualifications:
● 5 years (post degree) counseling experience in a clinical setting; at least 3 of which providing counseling and therapy in a university/college mental health setting
● Master’s degree in a mental health related field (clinical or counseling psychology, social work, mental health counseling) from an accredited program
● Required to have NY State license within 3 months of start date: Independently Licensed in NY or Licensed in another state and license eligible, as an independently licensed mental health provider in New York State
● Demonstrated administrative and supervisory leadership in counseling or counseling related setting
● Ability to analyze and provide leadership in complex scenarios when dealing with multi-faceted mental health and emergency situations
● Demonstrated ability to develop collaborative relationships
● Commitment to providing culturally responsive counseling to marginalized and underserved campus communities
● Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively and cooperatively with a team of professionals
● Ability to maintain up-to-date and accurate documentation
● Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse university community of students, faculty, administrators and families
● Demonstrated experience of legal, clinical, and administrative challenges in counseling
● Demonstrated experience in professional consultation and crisis intervention
● Experience with crisis management and risk assessment
Preferred Qualifications:
● Ph.D. in counseling/clinical psychology, counseling, or equivalent
● 2 or more years in a supervisory/management role
● Knowledge and experience working with staff teams
● Advanced coursework or certification in clinical supervision
● Knowledge of counseling ethics, laws and rules as set forth by national boards and awareness of State licensure requirements across disciplines.
● Strong counseling skills and experience in group development and facilitation.
To apply, visit SUNY Oswego employment opportunities webpage: https://apptrkr.com/9877946
