Director of Counseling Services

Overview

Berea College is seeking an experienced, highly motivated, and socially engaged administrator to serve as Director of Counseling Services. This is a full-time, 12-month position that provides clinical and administrative leadership for a multidisciplinary mental health team that serves a diverse population of approximately 1,500 undergraduate students. The Director programmatically serves as a liaison between the Counseling Services department, other campus departments, and external partners by providing knowledge and expertise that contribute to the health and safety of the student body.

• Provide leadership, vision, and oversight of Counseling Services.
• Directly supervise, guide, and coach mental health therapists (including provisionally licensed professional counselors), interns, and student workers to ensure quality of care.
• Ensure that all aspects of Counseling Services adhere to established standards, laws, and regulations, including HIPAA and mental health counseling practice standards.
• Ensure confidential health information is properly maintained in compliance with HIPAA and FERPA.
• Maintain an active client caseload (individuals, groups, couples, families) appropriate to administrative workload and client demand. When necessary, develop mental health treatment plans for students.
• Maintain competencies and licensure through external and self-directed professional development.
• Maintain relationships with external mental healthcare professionals for elevated professional support (e.g., psychiatric assessments, medication management).
• Develop, implement, and assess programs and initiatives pertaining to student mental health wellness, education, and awareness.
• Provide student referrals to off-campus medical services when necessary.
• Provide internal professional development activities for the Counseling Services staff.
• Build cohesion and effective working relationships among Counseling Services staff.
• Plan and implement educational programs to foster awareness and student success related to mental health wellness for students.
• Partner with other departments to host outreach programs and collaborate with peer professionals regionally.
• Collaborate with internal and external groups to engage students on topics such as depression, suicide prevention, and sexual assault awareness.
• Develop methodologies to communicate programs, events, and resources to the campus community.
• Develop annual objectives and benchmarks for the Counseling Services department aligned with the college’s mission and Student Life goals.
• Network with counterparts in higher education to stay current on trends and best practices in counseling services.
• Assist in reporting data to comply with inquiries from state and federal healthcare authorities.
• Establish and monitor Institutional Effectiveness objectives and outcomes for Counseling Services and provide regular reports to college leadership.
• Assist in the development and management of the departmental budget.
• Seek and develop partnerships with community agencies and grant-funded initiatives to enhance mental health wellness efforts.
• Stay informed of local, state, and federal regulations related to public health and medical care compliance.
• Collaborate with Public Safety and Residence Life on training and planning for mental health crisis intervention.
• Represent Counseling Services at internal and external campus outreach programs and events.
• Serve on college committees and task forces as assigned and participate in the Care Team and related emergency crisis management teams.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor or higher authority.

Education required to ensure success in this position:

• A Master’s degree in the field of mental health (Counseling, Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work, or a related field).
• A terminal degree in Psychology preferred (Ph.D. or Psy.
  
  D.).
• Active License within 90 days of employment in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Experience required to ensure success in this position:

• At least 7 years of professional experience providing mental health services.
• 3+ years in a supervisory or administrative position within a mental health setting.
• Evidence of strong leadership capabilities through supervision of mature professionals, program development, and assessment.
• Superior written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to address a wide range of campus constituents.
• Counseling experience in a residential college or university setting preferred.
• Experience serving diverse student populations.
• Sensitivity to working with students with limited resources, including financial.
• Experience supervising counselors, therapists, case managers, and administrative staff.
• Knowledge of electronic records and data management programs for counseling centers.
• Ability to collaborate with campus partners while maintaining patient confidentiality.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends for special events with prior notice.