"Clinical Director-Counseling Services"

Job Summary

The Clinical Director for Counseling Services oversees counseling department operations, implements strategic initiatives, and ensures compliance with university policies and accreditation requirements. The Clinical Director will lead and direct a team focused on meeting the emotional needs of students in the counseling center. Reporting to the Senior Director for Counseling & Wellness Services, the Clinical Director ensures adherence to legal, ethical, and risk management standards through proactive supervision, policy enforcement, and case consultation. As a leader in the Student Affairs Division, the Clinical Director is expected to maintain and encourage a professional, collaborative, and solutions-oriented approach to student support and development.

This position supervises psychological counselors (Masters level staff) and counseling psychologists (Doctoral level staff). Responsible for clinical supervision of unlicensed staff and graduate student interns when needed. Supervisory responsibilities include: hiring, training, coaching, supervising, leading, and evaluating staff; problem solving; communicating expectations; monitoring progress and outcomes; facilitating professional development goals; and preemptively preventing personal and university liability of negative outcomes by staff and/or trainees.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in counseling psychology, clinical psychology, counselor education, social work or a relevant mental health discipline from a regionally-accredited institution of higher education.
• Minimum of five years’ experience as a counselor
• At least one year of experience supervising staff
• Meets requirements and is designated as a Washington State Approved Supervisor
• Licensed in the State of Washington
• Evidence of a supervised internship, supervised field placement, or equivalent, as part of the requirement for the degree, which included clinical assessment, counseling and crisis intervention, preferably with a diverse college-age population
• Knowledgeable in various counseling disciplines and licensures, including LMHC, LP, MSW, and LMFT, as well as the specific requirements and practices of our center.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate effectively and at a level expected of a senior staff position in written and oral communications.
• Demonstrated maturity in leadership and decision-making
• Demonstrate interest, ability and/or experience promoting cultural competency, universal accessibility and/or diversity.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preference is given to a candidate with a doctoral degree

Job Duties:

Leadership and Supervision:

• Lead and oversee counseling department programs and initiatives, ensuring effective delivery and alignment with organizational goals.
• Serve as the primary clinical expert within the department and across the campus, providing guidance and support regarding student mental health.
• Budgetary oversight for the counseling department budget, allocates resources, and aligns financial planning with institutional priorities.
• Oversee and delegate the clinical responsibilities of counselors and conduct regular reviews of clinical records, including monitoring the quality of treatment provided to clients.
• Monitor and ensure the accuracy, compliance, and quality of all clinical documentation, including entries within the electronic health record system.
• Prepare and submit all required clinical reports, including the IACS annual report, in a timely and accurate manner.
• Maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
• Ensure that counselors adhere to professional standards and expectations as they provide services to EWU students. This includes supervising preemptively to prevent potential personal and university liability for adverse outcomes by staff and trainees.
• Remain current on trends and issues in collegiate mental health, including legal, ethical, and therapeutic developments, and provide staff with timely updates as necessary.
• Hire, train, coach, supervise, lead, and evaluate professional staff and clinical interns or practicum students.
• Facilitate professional development opportunities and support counselors in creating personalized growth plans to enhance their skills and expertise.
• Address complex clinical issues in the treatment of high-risk clients, unimproved clients, treatment failures and critical incidents.
• Develop and administer policies and procedures for counseling center operations.
• Identify quality assurance and risk management issues and strategies to mitigate.
• Promote the counseling center’s culture of understanding and sensitivity of issues related to diverse populations.
• Assure the counseling center is meeting requirements of IACS accreditation.
• Oversee and manage requests for client records, subpoenas, and other legal documents in compliance with legal and ethical standards.

Percent of Time: 50

Counseling:

• Provide individual and group counseling for students who are experiencing psychological, social, academic or other difficulties that interfere with their ability to succeed academically.
• Provide risk assessment services, including suicidal and homicidal risk, for the purpose of retention, individual and campus safety, and to minimize university liability, while ensuring that legal and ethical standards are being met.
• Provide assessment and interventions for a wide range of psychological disorders and developmental problems. Individual, couples and group counseling.
• Provide consultative services to individuals and groups associated with Eastern Washington University, through scheduled and extemporaneous means, around issues pertaining to the psychological well-being of members of the university community.
• Provide crisis intervention services to the university community (including after-hours services for constituents, as necessary, through effective consultation, triage and referral).
• Maintain a positive, helpful, constructive attitude and work relationship with the supervisor, college staff, students, and the community.

Percent of Time: 30

Strategic Planning, Collaboration, and Assessment:

• Lead mental health policy development and crisis response in collaboration with senior leadership, faculty, and student affairs.
• Develop and oversee operations for the strategic delivery of campus behavioral/mental health service in Cheney and at Catalyst.
• Serve on university-wide and/or divisional committees, including the Student Affairs Thought Leadership Group.
• Collaborate with campus partners (ex. Dean of Students, Student Accommodations and Support Services) to holistically support students.
• Develop and maintain a set of assessment processes that help determine if counseling department programming and services meet student needs and aid retention of students at EWU.
• Gather, analyze, and report data associated with college student mental health and the treatment/satisfaction of students at the center.
• Act as a champion for counseling services and support on campus and within the CWS department.
• Other duties/projects as assigned.

Percent of Time: 20