Director of Student Care
Amherst Campus
Full Time
JR7131
Amherst has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal
arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the
racial, socio-economic, and geographic profile of its student body.
The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational
experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty,
administration and staff.
Job Description:
Amherst College invites applications for the Director of Student
Care position. The Director of Student Care is a full-time,
year-round position. The expected salary range for this job
opportunity is: $90,000 to $100,000.
Reporting to the Associate Dean of Students and Class Dean (the
Associate Dean) and as a member of the Office of Student Affairs
(OSA), the Director of Student Care (the Director) is responsible
for supporting a vibrant community of students at Amherst College
by overseeing and creating policies, processes, and practices that
are transparent and equitable, and ensure that students of concern
are connected to appropriate levels of care.
The Care & Accountability Team's focus is on the creation of
communities that emphasize comprehensive student development in an
environment that is challenging and supportive. The Student Care
team serves as the hub of support for students who are experiencing
difficulties related to mental health, physical health,
psycho-social adjustment, financial, familial, and/or personal
challenges by providing direct case management services, including
interventions, referrals, and follow-up services.
The Director is principally responsible for overseeing the Care
Team's collaborative approach to student support. The Director
maintains a caseload of students and plays a significant role in
triaging concerns and consulting with campus partners such as Class
Deans, health care providers, Student Affairs colleagues, faculty
members, staff, students, and families. The Director partners with
the Associate Dean on the coordination of the multi-department
workflow of the Leave/Return process. The Director spearheads
campus outreach and professional and student staff training on
student support processes.
The Director serves in the second tier of after hours on-call
rotation. Due to the nature of this position, early mornings,
evenings, and weekends may be required.
Summary of Responsibilities:
Department Leadership
- Provides strategic direction, operational oversight, and
guidance for the Student Care team.
Oversees the development, supervision, and assessment of
policies, practices, services, systems, and processes that
facilitate support for students who are experiencing difficulties
related to mental health, physical health, psycho-social
adjustment, financial, familial, and/or personal challenges in
collaboration with the other Student Affairs departments and campus
partners.
Hires, on-boards, supervises, and evaluates the Student Care
Coordinator. Oversees work of wellbeing checks and outreach of the
Area Coordinators.
Student Support
- Manages a caseload of students experiencing significant
difficulties related to mental health, physical health,
psycho-social adjustment, financial, familial, and/or personal
challenges.
- Collaborates with the Associate Dean to develop and maintain
partnerships and protocols with community resources and campus
partners, including the Center for Counseling and Mental Health
(CCMH), the Health Center, Accessibility Services, Athletics, and
Campus Police.
- Serves as a primary liaison for student support during
hospitalizations, including liaising with emergency and family
contacts, peer groups, on- and off-campus treatment providers,
Class Deans, other Office of Student Affairs staff, coaches, and/or
employers, and other involved parties. Engages with students,
support networks, and providers throughout the hospital discharge
planning and medical clearance process, including delivering
follow-up support and assisting students with tracking multiple
resources upon discharge. Assists with withdrawal and departure
from campus when medical clearance cannot be established.
- Communicates with staff and other concerned individuals, such
as family members or peers, when there are crises or critical
incidents that impact a student or multiple students/people in the
community, and with families, deans, faculty, and other necessary
partners to assist with coordinated care plans and management of
high-risk students.
- Collaborate with the Associate Dean and/or General Counsel to
develop behavioral expectations statements in cases of high-risk
student behaviors.
- Maintains thorough knowledge of College standards and
practices, including the Student Code of Conduct, and related state
and federal laws such as FERPA, HIPAA, Title IX, Section 504, and
the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Workflow and Recordkeeping
- Facilitates the cross-departmental Care Team Meeting. Prepares
agenda, leads meetings, and arranges for appropriate follow-up in
collaboration with all Care Team Meeting members.
- Oversee the triage of Care Reports, reports from campus police,
Office of Community Living, administrators-on-call, faculty, staff,
parents, and others.
- Assigns and routes student concerns to appropriate
staff/faculty support resources by entering case data into Maxient
workflow, in accordance with Student Affairs protocol.
- Partners with Associate Dean on Leave/Return Process. Serves on
the Leave/Return Committee.
- Follows up with reporting parties to collect pertinent case
details and to provide updates on case progress, with respect to
student privacy.
- Ensures assigned cases are receiving timely attention and that
records are being kept in accordance with College protocol.
- Assists in preparation of annual report and other reports and
analyses as requested. Collects data, prepares and distributes
statistical reports regarding key student support initiatives;
analyzes trends.
Team Support, Training, and Outreach
- Facilitates weekly Case Review meetings in collaboration with
the Associate Dean and Director of Community Standards. Regularly
reviews specific student support cases with the Care &
Accountability Team and other members of OSA. Prepares agenda,
leads meetings, and arranges for appropriate follow-up.
- Communicates student care and support services initiatives to
the College community through outreach education, training,
consultation, and the production and distribution of materials to
faculty, staff, and students.
- Serves as a resource, trainer and consultant to faculty, staff,
and students on recognizing and responding to students at risk and
reporting concerns.
- Serves as a resource to Health/Counseling Centers to assist
students with referrals and connections to off-campus
resources.
- Offers regular consultation to Office of Student Affairs staff,
including the Class Deans, Accessibility, and others. Reviews
active student support cases, offers guidance on documentation and
communication strategies, and plans strategic goals. Provides
training and mentorship on navigating college and community
resources.
Student Affairs Generalist
- Serves as a member of the Behavioral Intervention Team.
- Serves on a rotational basis as a Tier 2 Administrator on-Call
for Student Affairs during the day/nights/weekends. Responds to
crisis situations, assesses and refers at-risk students for
additional intervention by appropriate personnel.
- Submits an annual report outlining goals, progress, assessment,
and emerging opportunities.
- Participates in a wide range of discussions regarding strategic
planning for the Care & Accountability Team and the Office of
Student Affairs.
- Serves on campus-wide committees as appropriate.
Qualifications:
Required
- Master's degree in Education, Counseling, Social Work, or a
closely related field.
- 5 to 7 years of related experience.
- Five years of pertinent experience in case management, student
support, crisis intervention in higher education, including
progressively greater levels of responsibility and
accountability.
- Experience leading and supervising professional staff and
demonstrated commitment to the professional development of those
members.
- Knowledge of college student development theory and
practice.
- Demonstrated commitment to student on-campus living and
learning community development and programming.
- Robust understanding of academic priorities and ways in which
on-campus living and learning communities and functions can promote
student engagement, advance student learning, and contribute to
achieving desired learning goals.
- Demonstrated effective administrative, supervisory,
organizational, and interpersonal skills.
- Strong skills in written, verbal, and electronic
communication
- Evidence-based commitment to supporting a diverse student
community.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with
other Student Affairs departments and members of the faculty in the
College community.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment, exhibit resilience under
pressure, set priorities, and achieve goals.
- Demonstrated ability to steward sensitive and private student
data toward its inclusion in operational processes and
procedures.
- Demonstrated ability to problem-solve complex issues while
functioning as an independent decision-maker
- Knowledge of applicable state and federal laws, including
FERPA, HIPAA, Title IX, Section 504, and the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
- Successful completion of required reference and background
checks.
- An acceptable criminal offender records information (CORI)
check.
Preferred
- Seven or more years of related experience in case
management.
- Experience working with the complexities of a diverse
residential community.
Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and cover letter
online at
https://amherst.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Amherst_Jobs.
Please be sure to upload all requested documents prior to
clicking Submit. Applications cannot be revised once submitted.
(Current employees and students should apply by clicking on the
Jobs Hub icon from their Workday home screen.) Review of
applications will begin immediately and will continue until the
position is filled. Amherst College is committed to an inclusive
hiring process and will provide reasonable accommodations for
candidates throughout the application and interview process upon
request.
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie
detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment.
An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal
penalties and civil liability.
To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/9757030"">https://amherst.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Amherst_Jobs/job/Amherst-Campus/Director-of-Student-Care_JR7131
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