POSITION DESCRIPTION

• |
• Full Time

Staff Therapist - Student Community Liaison (LCPC, LCSW, or Psychologist) position. Clinical duties include initial assessments, brief individual therapy, group therapy, and crisis intervention for Northwestern students. Reporting to the Associate Director for Community-Based Intervention, this individual assists with the development and implementation of the department’s Community-Based Intervention (outreach and prevention) efforts for the Northwestern University community aimed at promoting a culture of care and support for our students. This position also participates as a member of the training program through the provision of clinical supervision and/or training seminars.

In addition to the provision of direct clinical services, this position will coordinate specific community-based intervention events such as mental health awareness and prevention initiatives and New Student Orientation programming. These Staff Therapists in CAPS also serve as liaisons between the department and specific segments of the student population. These liaison roles are determined each year depending on need and may vary from year to year. In addition to in-person programming, this position also assists with maintaining CAPS’ social media accounts to promote mental health awareness and encourage help-seeking.

This position requires some evening hours and occasional weekend duties. After-hours duties typically include 2-3 evenings and up to one weekend of on-call duties per quarter. Staff Therapists also generally provide 2-3 evening or weekend outreach events per quarter.

Clinical Services (60%)

• Provides services including brief individual and group psychotherapy, crisis intervention, case management, and initial assessment.
• Assumes after-hours on call responsibilities.
• Maintains timely clinical records of therapeutic and other client contacts.
• Consults with psychiatrists in conjunction with prescribing and monitoring psychotropic medication for psychotherapy clients. 
• Consults with parents, physicians, faculty, academic deans, residence life staff, off-campus counseling services, other campus offices and students, when appropriate, and with appropriate authorization to provide quality care to students.
• Makes referrals to off-campus clinical services when appropriate.

Community-Based Intervention Programming (30%)

• Conduct community-based intervention programming as requested by the campus community, including orientation sessions for new students and parents, informal support spaces, psychoeducational workshop presentations, and emergency support services.
• Serves as liaison to other campus unit(s), academic programs, and/or student organizations.

Training (5%)

• May provide clinically supervision (including face-to-face case review, review of videos and progress notes, and supervisory feedback) to mental health trainees at CAPS.
• Provides consultation to trainee(s), as needed. 
• Provides training to CAPS trainees about a variety of clinical topics that are within employee’s areas of expertise in consultation with the Associate Director for Training.
• Provide crisis management consultation and supervision to trainees, as requested.

Other Duties (5%)

• Attend and participate in regular CAPS staff meetings, case conferences, and in-service training.
• Participate in CAPS and/or Student Affairs committees, as assigned by the Executive Director.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Northwestern is a comprehensive research university that is deeply interdisciplinary across multiple schools and units. Our rigorous yet empathetic academic environment provides a robust mixture of theory and practice, with an emphasis on top-tier research, new knowledge, creative expression and practical application. View our fact sheet as a downloadable PDF.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Hold a completed Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, or related field from an accredited program or doctoral level degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in clinical or counseling psychology from an APA accredited program.
• Candidates with doctoral degrees must have completed a doctoral internship at an APA accredited site.
• Currently licensed or eligible to be licensed as an independent mental health provider (e.g., psychologist, licensed clinical professional counselor, or licensed clinical social worker) by the State of Illinois (i.e., at time of application, must have completed all licensure requirements including successfully passing any examinations and completing any clinical supervision hours required for licensure by the State of Illinois). Illinois license must be obtained no later than 12 months after hire date.
• Experience in the provision of group therapy.
• Possess outstanding and responsive clinical skills and a well-integrated understanding of short-term therapy, crisis intervention, consultation, and developmental community-based intervention programming.
• Candidates must demonstrate strong clinical skills and a well-integrated understanding of short-term therapy, group therapy, crisis intervention, community consultation, and outreach programming.
• Have thorough knowledge of clinical applications for contemporary issues in psychology and student affairs
• Demonstrates comfort and skill with using basic computer software (such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook as well as other Windows based programs).

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Currently licensed in the State of Illinois as a Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, or Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
• Experience partnering effectively and collegially on an inter-disciplinary team in a university counseling center or other mental health agency. 
• Ability to provide mental health services in Mandarin is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge/expertise in one or more of the following areas: working with substance abuse and eating disorder assessment and treatment; empirically supportive treatment for anxiety, depression, and perfectionism; direct experience with community-based intervention and support (outreach and prevention)
• Demonstrates commitment to co-create a community that fosters a sense of belonging and actively participate in related professional development, including openness to feedback and ongoing self-examination.
• Thorough knowledge of clinical applications for contemporary issues in psychology and student affairs.
• Strong creativity and problem-solving skills.

COMPENSATION

The pay range for the Staff Therapist position is $92,000 - $99,000 annually, depending on experience, skills, and internal equity.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

For consideration, current employees must submit an online application. For specific questions about this position, current employees may contact Ivy Wong-Batchelor at ivy.wong@northwestern.edu. External candidates should be directed to apply via Northwestern’s career site at careers.northwestern.edu