Director of Student Wellness CARE
Job Description
The director of student wellness CARE (Case management, Assessment, Resources, and Education) is responsible for helping to address the needs of students facing a variety of concerns, whether it be personal, academic, medical, financial, behavioral or other general concerns. This office focuses on connecting with students whose behavior has come to the attention of others in some manner and to determine an appropriate course of action that is in the best interest of the student and greater campus community. Some examples of what this office supports students with are personal and family crises; mental health or physical health concerns; basic needs insecurities (e.g., food, housing, transportation resources); helping students understand academic policies and advocate for themselves (taking a leave of absence, communicating with faculty, etc.); other disruptive events or assistance with general wellness needs; connection to resources, including Counseling and Health Services, Disability Services, Financial Aid, Academic Advising, as well as off-campus community organizations.
Salem State University values and appreciates diversity in all its forms and endeavors to create a space that reflects the campus community population which it serves. Our students come to Salem State University from 38 states and 48 countries and reflect the demographics of the greater Boston community in which we live. We are passionate about providing an experience for them and our fellow staff and faculty, where everyone can feel supported while they explore, learn, and celebrate their identities, similarities, and differences. We invite you to become a member of our community.
- Supervise case management program, including direct supervision of full-time and part-time case managers and master's level clinical interns who provide outreach, consultation, and referrals to students who need support. Provide clinical supervision and leadership to several graduate clinical interns as part of the master's training program in coordination with Counseling & Health Services.
- Manage student staff and overall caseload of those in the Student Wellness CARE office.
- Triage cases referred to the office through referrals (e.g., emails, phone calls, walk-ins, Maxient, Navigate 360). Assign cases to team members and connect students with resources. Escalate cases of concern as appropriate to the Student Behavioral Intervention Team and Dean of Students office.
- Provide crisis evaluations for students referred due to mental health emergencies. This includes following up on students who are transported to the hospital. Make clinical referrals and consults with Counseling & Health Services and the Dean of Students office staff as needed.
- Create, update, and oversee policies and procedures for the Student Wellness CARE office based on best practices in higher education, in consultation with the associate dean of students. This includes creating manuals, procedures for various types of cases, updating reporting forms, and streamlining our work.
- Provide case management services to the SSU student population including responding to "Care and Concern" emails, Maxient reports, and/or Navigate 360 alerts; provide outreach and support to students and assist them in connecting with off-campus resources. Document notes in Maxient.
- Oversee specialized trauma-informed resources available to support survivors of interpersonal violence and contribute to the mandatory prevention and wellness education for all new SSU students. This includes supervising a part-time confidential advocate in the PEAR (Prevention, Education, Advocacy, and Response) program who serves as an advocate for survivors. The PEAR program offers in-person programs, trainings, and social media engagement to meet compliance requirements and resource students related to relationship violence.
- Supervise services and resources dedicated to support students at risk for hunger and homelessness. This includes the SSU food pantry, the pilot programs for homeless youth, state grants, and assisting the university in updating policies and procedures as part of a "365 campus."
- Manage and oversee departmental budgets and assist team with managing the food pantry, student advocacy fund, and manage grants that support the work including Wellness U grant, Tower Foundation Grant, and parts of the DHE grants.
- Participate in the committee that evaluates and implements the medical leave of absence policy. Support students who are going on and returning from a medical leave of absence or asking for an appeal due to a wellness concern. This includes communicating with students, parents, and off-campus providers; reviewing private documentation; and consulting with campus partners.
- Consults and collaborates with other university departments and provides training and consultation to professional and paraprofessional staff and student leaders related to wellness, crisis responses, how to refer cases appropriately, how to handle classroom management concerns, etc.
- Initiates and maintains relationships with off-campus agencies, such as Salem Hospital, LHAND, Samaritans, HAWC, NSRCC, and others.
- Collect and track program data, utilize tracking and accountability systems, and create reports for the team following Student Life expectations.
- Serve on the Collaborative Action Team and the Student Behavioral Intervention Team, along with other university committees as requested to represent the interests of the division and build relationships with faculty, students, and other University staff.
- Support university and Student Life major events, including new student orientation and move-in weekend.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
- Master’s Degree in Social Work, Higher Education Student Affairs, or a closely related field
- Hold credentials of a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) for at least 3 years
- Three to five years of progressively more responsible management experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- Demonstrated experience working in a multiracial and multi-ethnic environment with students of diverse backgrounds and learning styles
- Demonstrated leadership in case management preferably in a higher education setting
Working Conditions:
This is an on-site, in-person position in Salem, MA with on-campus, in-person responsibilities which may require occasional work on evenings and weekends.
Office activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting subject to extended periods of sitting, keyboarding and interaction with computer equipment; occasional bending, reaching, lifting, pushing and pulling up to 5-10 pounds.
Salem State University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. For accommodation information or requests please email eo-hr@salemstate.edu.
Application Instructions:
Please apply online and attach resume and cover letter.
Employment is contingent upon a completed background and CORI check satisfactory to the university.
This position is not eligible for H1B visa sponsorship.
EEO Statement:
Salem State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Persons of color, women and persons with disabilities are strongly urged to apply.
Please Note: If there is no application deadline associated with a position, it may be removed at any time and additional applications will not be accepted.
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