Assistant Director, Mental Health Service
Reporting to the Director of Mental Health Service, Student Health Center, the Assistant Director is a member of the unit leadership team and supports the management of daily operations and supervision of a multi-disciplinary team, consisting of clinical/counseling psychologists, clinical social workers, and licensed counselors. The Assistant Director oversees clinicians, including embedded clinicians and provides direct care and participates in campus education and training. The Assistant Director should have a deep appreciation for a collaborative care model, partnering with all areas of the SHC, and be committed to advancing the divisional priorities of commitment to quality, communicating a sense of home, and designing with everyone in mind, and cultivating a working relationship with Our Lady of the Lake Health.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERSHIP:
Cultivate campus partnerships to build out embedded clinician model.
MHS is currently limited in ability to expand staff in the main clinical space. Opportunities exist for the leadership team to build relationships with colleges to expand the delivery of services across the campus. Current successes in the Honors College and Law School allow for models to adapt that best meet the needs of students within their respective college.
Effectively strategize approaches, balancing efficiency with maintaining quality.
The Assistant Director will assist in cultivating and expanding strategies for serving the LSU student community. In recent years, we have been able to reduce our historical wait time from 4 months down to 2 weeks or less, including expanding same-day access (triage and crisis) for students. The Assistant director will help to further develop effective resource management in terms of service delivery expectations for staff, access for students, and appropriate referrals to supportive resources available across the campus community.
Adopt a Levels-of-Care approach to mental health service provision, prioritizing appropriate Wellness Coaching referrals for the college population.
MHS provides short-term therapy to help students explore issues they face. In the Student Health Center, Wellness and Health Promotions (WHP, housed in Student Health) provides coaching to help students build skills to address challenges. The Assistant Director will help to develop approaches that help to explain how therapy and coaching can be applied to best facilitate student skill development for addressing mental health challenges.
ATTRIBUTES OF THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE:
Manages staff expectations, understanding the importance of individualizing approaches where appropriate while also being mindful of consistency.
Actively builds authentic and mutually beneficial departmental and campus relationships, putting institutional and departmental priorities before one's own interests.
Skilled at handling conversations with staff and colleagues that involve problem-solving, managing interpersonal relationships, and exploring appropriate professional boundaries.
Able to understand the important role of therapy in the success of college-aged adults while recognizing the potential for other approaches that can ensure student success.
ABOUT THE DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS PRIORITIES:
Three priorities guide our work in the Division of Student Affairs. Foremost, we maintain a commitment to quality which is rooted in the belief that LSU students deserve our best effort. Every interaction we have with students should communicate care, relevance, polish, and attention to detail. We work to ensure every space, place, and staff-to-student interaction communicates a sense of home to students. Finally, we design programs, services, events, and experiences with everyone in mind.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
DIRECT STUDENT SUPPORT (50%) - Provide individual, couples, and group psychotherapy appropriate for a university setting, both in-person and through telehealth, with an understanding of a short-term model of treatment. Participate in same day/walk-in shifts and available for after-hours on-call as needed.
LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION (35%) - Assist in the leadership, annual planning, and daily operation of Mental Health Service. Provide administrative and clinical supervision of a team of mental health clinicians. Serve on committees, working groups, and needs assessment teams at the unit, departmental, division and university level. Facilitate presentations and training, representing the Student Health Center. Cultivate partnerships to leverage campus resources to expand mental health support.
QUALITY CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE (10%) - Participate in quality improvement and assessment activities. Review data available on the departmental data dashboard of the clinic management system to craft studies and inform practice. Evaluate policies and procedures to support quality care and student access. Ensure the unit meets and maintains all standards set forth by accrediting bodies, including the Licensed Professional Counselor and Social Work Board of Examiners and the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care.
OTHER DUTIES (5%) - Other duties as assigned by the Director of Mental Health Service. This includes, but is not limited to, efforts that support broad divisional and institutional goals including at least 40 hours per year spent helping divisional initiatives such as Move-in Day and Welcome Week.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master’s degree in Social Work, counseling/clinical mental health, or related degree from an accredited graduate program OR PhD or PsyD in clinical or counseling psychology from an accredited program.
- Three years post-licensure experience in clinical practice and at least one year as an administrative or clinical supervisor.
- Must possess a license (LPC, LCSW, LP) to clinically practice independently in Louisiana at the time of hire. If transferring from another state, the start date and employment will be contingent upon successfully obtaining a Louisiana license, prior to the start date. (Proof of an active out-of-state license will be required prior to the hire). Certification as a Board Approved Clinical Supervisor (e.g. BACS, LPC-S, etc)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Clinical experience working with the young adult population.
- Experience in crisis management.
- Experience serving on a collaborative, multidisciplinary health/mental health center.
- Proficiency in a second language other than English.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/EXPECTATIONS:
Due to the nature of the position and/or position responsibilities, this position shall be subject to drug/alcohol testing in accordance with University Policy Statement 67.
This position may be required to report to campus in times of emergency and/or closure per PS-18.
Ability and willingness to work on evenings and weekends.
NOMINATIONS, APPLICATIONS, AND INQUIRIES:
Applications will be accepted online on the LSU Careers website. Please direct all nominations and inquiries for the position to Mitzi Trentacoste at mitzi1@lsu.edu or 225-578-5719. The search committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and will continue to accept applications and nominations until the position is filled. Requested application materials include a letter of interest or cover letter; resume or curriculum vitae; and the names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of at least three professional references. All applications, nominations, and inquiries will remain confidential. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications. An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check and a drug screen.
ADDITIONAL POSITION INFORMATION:
Background Check - An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check.
Benefits - LSU offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; various leave options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more!
Positions approved to work outside the State of Louisiana shall be employed through Louisiana State University’s partner, nextSource Workforce Solutions, for Employer of Record Services including but not limited to employment, benefits, payroll, and tax compliance. Positions employed through Employer of Record Services will be offered benefits and retirement as applicable through their provider and will not be eligible for State of Louisiana benefits and retirement.
LSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and SAME Agency: LSU is designated as a State As a Model Employer (SAME) agency and provides assistance to persons needing accommodations or with the accessibility of materials. For those seeking such accommodations or assistance related to this search, we encourage you to contact the Office of Human Resource Management (hr@lsu.edu).
HCM Contact Information: For questions or concerns related to updating your application with attachments (e.g., resumes, RS:17 documents), date of birth, or reactivating applications, please contact the LSU Human Resources Management Office at 225-578-8200 or email HR@lsu.edu. For questions or concerns regarding the status of your application or salary ranges, please contact the department using the information provided in the Special Instructions section of this job posting.