Assistant Director for Behavioral Health and Risk Reduction

Job Description Summary

The Assistant Director for Risk Reduction provides strategic leadership and coordination of evidence‑informed prevention initiatives designed to reduce high‑risk behaviors among students. This is a non‑clinical, non‑therapeutic, prevention‑focused role that does not provide counseling or therapy services. Rather, this position advances Miami University’s commitment to student wellbeing and serves as a campus content expert on substance use, problem gambling, hazing, and related risk behaviors.

The Assistant Director will work closely with campus and community stakeholders to promote protective factors and healthy decision‑making through initiatives and efforts focused on prevention and education, peer‑led risk reduction programming, and collaborative town‑gown partnerships.

• Coordinate and facilitate educational sanction classes for students found in violation of the Student Code of Conduct related to substance use, gambling, and hazing.
• Maintain curriculum fidelity and ensure alignment with evidence‑based practices.
• Collaborate with the Office of Community Standards, Dean of Students, and other campus partners to assess trends and inform prevention strategies.
• Track participation, evaluate outcomes, and provide reports as needed.
• Integrate harm reduction principles into student wellness, mental health promotion, hazing prevention, and campus safety initiatives.
• Lead harm reduction initiatives, including bystander intervention, overdose prevention education, and safer celebration strategies.
• Develop screening, brief intervention, and referral pathways in collaboration with campus partners.
• Utilize state and national resources, such as the College AIM, to inform a comprehensive prevention framework to address substance misuse.
• Develop targeted campaigns addressing sports betting, online gambling, and co‑occurring risks (substance use, mental health, financial stress).
• Develop screening, referral, and early intervention pathways for students at risk of gambling‑related harm.
• Stay current on legislation, policy trends, and best practices in gambling prevention.
• Develop and implement an evidence‑informed hazing prevention plan aligned with state and national frameworks, including the Ohio Statewide Educational Plan for Preventing Hazing at Institutions of Higher Education.
• Collaborate with campus partners to address the multi‑faceted nature of hazing prevention, while appropriately referring compliance, investigative, and legal matters to designated offices.
• Co‑chair and coordinate a campus/community committee to advance collaborative hazing prevention strategies and programming, and promote a culture of safety.
• Support and co‑advise HAWKS Peer Health Educators in the development and facilitation of programs related to substance use, gambling, hazing, and risk reduction.
• Serve as a content expert and provide training, coaching, and curriculum guidance.
• Contribute to student leadership development and program evaluation efforts.
• Supervise graduate assistants, interns, or student staff as assigned.
• Coordinate the MOSAIC town‑gown coalition and support community collaboration efforts.
• Partner with campus offices, local agencies, public health entities, and law enforcement.
• Represent the Office of Student Wellness in local, state, and national prevention initiatives.
• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of campus‑wide prevention strategies aligned with public health and prevention science best practices.
• Establish annual goals, priorities, and measurable outcomes aligned with institutional and public health frameworks.
• Conduct needs assessments and analyze campus and community data.
• Evaluate program effectiveness and prepare reports for stakeholders and funders.
• Support grant writing, reporting, and compliance requirements.
• Monitor national research, best practices, and emerging trends to inform programming.
• Coordinate targeted campus‑wide prevention efforts during higher‑risk periods during the academic year (e.g., Welcome Week, higher profile athletic events, spring break, Greek life recruitment and initiation, graduation).
• Provide consultation and…