POSITION DESCRIPTION

• |
• Full Time

Position Overview:

Smith College is seeking an accomplished and dedicated individual to join our institution as the Director of Counseling Services. As the Director, you will lead the Counseling Services department, guiding the strategic direction, ensuring the delivery of high-quality mental health support, and fostering a culture of well-being for our diverse college community. The Counseling Services strives to promote inclusive and socially-just clinical services that honor the specific strengths and needs of the full range of diverse identities represented within the Smith College campus community. This full-time 45 week a year role offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact within our esteemed institution.

Benefits:

Working at Smith College comes with a comprehensive and competitive benefits package tailored to the diverse needs of our employees and their families. Our benefits include a range of medical plans, dental and vision coverage, a robust retirement plan with generous contributions, life insurance, long-term disability coverage, and paid time off. We offer resources such as ID Theft protection, health and dependent care subsidies, auto & home insurance discounts, and prescription copay assistance.

Job Summary:

The Director of Counseling Services will provide visionary leadership, clinical expertise, and administrative oversight to the Counseling Services department. This position involves strategic planning, clinical supervision, staff development, crisis intervention, outreach programming, and collaboration with campus constituents. The Director will actively contribute to a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment, advocating for mental health and wellness across the college community.

Essential Functions:

Assess clinical operations to ensure efficient and effective service delivery:

•  Oversee clinical service delivery model making adjustments as needed based on students’ needs and resource availability.

• Manage the delivery of a training program for masters and doctoral level interns in Counseling Service

• Provide clinical supervision to staff clinicians. 

• Establish goals and assess departmental staff on a continuing basis to ensure work is being done efficiently, effectively, and in accordance with accepted standards of practice and most current Counseling Service policies and procedures.

• Develop and implement outreach programming

• Provide or arrange for in-service trainings for departmental staff as needed 

Administrative Operations:

• Set and review standards of record keeping to comply with current best practice standards. Ensure compliance with state and federal statutes regarding health information and confidentiality.

• Work collaboratively with the Office of Disability Services to meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act and enhanced accessibility of services

• Manage crisis intervention procedures and protocols in close collaboration with the Executive Director, Campus Safety, Dean of Students, Class Deans' Office, Residence Life, and local public health or emergency agencies. Assess and review protocols bi-annually. 

• Consult regularly with the class deans and the student affairs professionals to communicate concerns and design interventions for student safety and retention while maintaining student confidentiality.

• In collaboration with the Executive Director, support students and enact college policy regarding leaves from the college as needed including both voluntary and non-voluntary short- and long-term leaves. Determine readiness to return from medical leaves in accordance with college policy and the American with Disabilities Act. 

• Interface with concerned students, their family members, and/or campus constituents.

• Revise and/or update policies and procedures manual annually. 

• Manage departments' relationships with community service providers including local psychiatric hospitals, emergency rooms, and outpatient crisis services. Establish memorandums of understanding as needed. 

Direct Clinical Services:

•  Maintain a strong understanding of developmental and mental health challenges affecting late adolescents and young adults with attention to contextual factors associated with intersectionality and systemic forces impacting development.

• Provide short-term or time sensitive treatment compatible with the academic calendar.

• Refer students to other service providers, on and off campus as needed.

• Provide crisis intervention during office hours and serve as on-call after-hours clinician as part of staff rotation.

• Provide individual and group therapy as needed.

• Facilitate and provide clinical support for  hospitalizations as needed.  

?Strategic planning:

•  Provide leadership and vision for the Counseling Service, including the ongoing development of departmental strategic plans, annual goals, and assessment of clinical operations and services.  

•  Contribute to strategic planning and vision building for the Schacht Center for Health & Wellness as an integrated, holistic center meeting many student needs.

• Contribute to regularly scheduled Schacht Center leadership team meetings.

• Develop plan data-driven evaluation of departmental functioning and service delivery.

• Write annual reports detailing findings and linking to strategic vision of the department and the Schacht Center for Health & Wellness.

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director of the Schacht Center for Health and Wellness 

ABOUT SMITH COLLEGE

About Smith College

Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is one of the largest women’s colleges in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts.  A faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges.

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 151B, it is the policy of Smith College to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact our recruiting team at recruiting-u@smith.edu.

Diversity and a culture of inclusion among students, staff, faculty, and administration are crucial to the mission and values of Smith College. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religions, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or veteran status in the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by all applicable laws and regulations. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications (knowledge, skills, education, experience, certifications, licenses):

Licensed independent practitioner with a masters or doctorate in social work, psychology, or other related discipline offering other independent licensure as a mental health provider.  A minimum of 5 years’ experience providing clinical supervision.  

Required Skills:

• Leadership in professional and personal relationships, ability to work and communicate effectively with other members of the Schacht Center staff, students, and college employees.  Ability and willingness to accept responsibility.  

• Flexibility in personal and professional relationships in order to adapt to changing roles in college health service practices.  

• Must be able to communicate effectively with a diverse population.  

• Candidates must have strong leadership skills, proven clinical expertise and problem solving capabilities.  

• Candidates should be held in high esteem by her/his colleagues and an ability to work collaboratively with a broad range of people.  

• Experience in higher education or another institutional setting is preferred. 

• Candidates must have the capacity to work effectively in a multicultural setting and working knowledge of the psychosocial stressors of living and working in a diverse community. 

• A sincere interest in, and understanding of college students including developmental, social, psychological and health issues salient to this population. 

• A commitment to the core values of the college and student affairs division. 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred Qualifications:

 Expertise in working with complex trauma and survivors of sexual abuse/assault. Demonstrated knowledge of trans* and gender affirming clinical practices, working with historical/intergenerational trauma, and racial trauma responsive practices. Alignment with Schacht Center values including: professional, integrated, and ethical care; treatment of all with respect and dignity; affirmation and support of historically underserved communities; relationship building & collaboration; equity, inclusion, and the pursuit of social justice; open communication; and body positivity & autonomy. Transparent strategies for measuring progress toward established goals. Ability to foster equitable and inclusive care as evidenced by demonstrated practice cultural humility and sophistication in delivering mental health services to diverse student groups. Empathy and positivity in work engagement with students and colleagues. Ability to collaborate effectively with a team and a willingness to contribute to the overall wellness of the college community.